Fun new products from Ball. . .And International Can It Forward Day!

I just love canning! There is something about “Putting Up” meat, vegetables and fruits that makes me feel so accomplished. I like knowing exactly what went into every batch–where the food came from and how it was made.

And of course there is the fact that it just tastes awesome!

You can’t talk about canning without thinking of the “Ball” brand. They are pretty much the gold standard of canning supplies and recipe. The parent company for Ball is Jarden Home Brands.

This year Jarden Home Brands hosted the fifth annual Can-It-Forward Day, and broadcast it live online at FreshPreserving.com from the new state-of-the-art Jarden Home Brands headquarters in Fishers, Indiana. Can it Forward day celebrates the joys of canning and encourages gardeners and canners across the country to celebrate what “Made from Here” means to them by using their local fresh ingredients in peak season to make a recipe.

In honor of the event they sent me a fun package with some of their new products in it:

Included were:

Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving: The new 37^th edition of the Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving Expanded 56% from the previous edition, the 37^th edition of the Ball Blue Book includes 75 new recipes, pictorial step by step guides for beginners and more! (Retail value: $11.95) I did a full review on the book last week: New Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving

Design Series Lids (red + purple): Of course they work for canning, but the Ball^®Brand Design Series Lids With Bands are also a great option for unique crafting creations, gifts and home décor. (Retail value: $5.95)

A case Heritage Collection Pint jars (Retail value: $12.99)and a case Heritage Collection Quart jars (Retail value: $14.99) Aren’t the purple jars beautiful? The limited edition jars are a celebration of the 1915 heritage featuring a vintage-inspired purple color and embossed logos on front and back.

Three packages of the new regular mouth Sip & Straw Lid (red, blue + purple): Fitting perfectly atop any Regular Mouth Ball^®Jar, you can turn your jar into a travel mug! (Retail value: $4.99)

So what fruits and vegetables are in season where you are, and what do you plan on canning? It’s been a really slow canning season for me this year due to an injury–but that’s ok, I still have plenty of jars of strawberry, rhubarb and blackberry jam left from last year’s jam-a-paloosa! Right now we are in cucumber, zucchini and bean season, so I’ll be making up some Dilly Pickled Beans, Sweet Zucchini Pickles, Zucchini Relish, and some Kosher Dill Pickles.