Canning Tips for the Clearwater County Fair

Get ready for the Clearwater County Fair. It is our local showcase, giving you the resident an opportunity to share and show your home projects. Are you a canner, a gardener, a quilter, a baker, a seamstress or any number of crafts and hobbies there is an opportunity for everyone to share and show your talent?

Well today I want to talk about canning. The following are tips to consider when you get ready to enter Grandma Jones bread and butter pickles or that jam you make every year.

In the canning area the judges are not allowed to sample your entry so they rely totally on visual inspection, so here are some tips:

1. Make sure you follow the USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning (check with the extension office for information on how to obtain this guide). The guidelines specify whether an item is processed in a water bath or if it requires pressure canning. In addition, follow the instruction in the fair booklet - you must list how processed and the ingredients. Some items are simple - ie canned peaches, syrup, processed in water bath 30 minutes (for quarts). Again, this information should match what’s in the USAD canning guide. This will be the first check in the review of your canned item.

2. Pay special attention to head space…some items list one-inch others may be ¼ inch. This is the second thing that is looked for by the judge.

3. Take a few minutes to wipe down your jar - especially under the ring.

4. All canning is shown with the canning ring removed. Again, check under that ring for stickiness.

By following these simple steps, you will be working your way to that blue ribbon.

So, has canning become a lost art? I don’t think so. I see lots of posts on facebook - folk proudly showing how they spent their day preserving that garden item to be enjoyed come winter. When I was the superintendent of canning we often had to crunch the items in the display to fit our area. The last couple of years they have had a very low number of entries.

I know there are more canners out there that just aren’t sharing and showcasing their work. Canning is a lot of work so take the time to share with others the final product of your labor.

Bring your items in and proudly display them for your friends and neighbors and support our local county fair. When you look through the Fair book you will see there is an opportunity to everyone to enter that special item for the viewing pleasure of fair goers.

I hope I see all of the various display areas full to the brim this year.

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