Canning class last night lasted till the wee hours and I'm a bit weary this morning.  But it's 8:30, kids are on the bus, I've got a great cup of joe, and I'm finally getting the cannery mess cleared up from last night.  Thank goodness for industrial-sized sinks!

The Summer Kitchen was full last night, but the bigger the class the better, to a point.  Lots of great questions and even more laughter at ourselves as first-timers tried to manhandle the long ladles, heavy pots, and lots of heat. 

At the beginning of class, I like to have everyone tell a story as to why they are in class so I know what they're looking for.  Typically, folks say they watched grandma can, and she's passed away.  So they've come to the Summer Kitchen to try to recreate old memories.  Some folks are trying to save money; others want to control where their food comes from.  Last night there was a mom with a child who was allergic to everything.  But the story I enjoyed the most was from a man, Pete, whose brother from CA sent him a jar of homemade catsup.  Pete was crazy about the catsup; said he put it on everything and then started eating it by the spoon!  But when asked, his brother wouldn't share the recipe!!  So Pete was in canning class so that he could come up with a gourmet recipe that would knock his brother's sock off.  I don't think he plans to share his new recipe. Game on, bro!

After canning our jars, we poured the remaining strawberry jam over warm brie and gobbled it up with crusty baguettes.  (Thanks, Farmer Jon, for growing me so many wonderful strawberries this summer.  I'm still in heaven!)  What a way to spend a crisp fall evening...