Celebrate Can It Forward with This Giveaway

Hi everyone!  I finally fixed the comments issue so this giveaway can now begin – yay!  Comment away and good luck!

Happy National Can It Forward day all!  It’s that time of year again – Canning season!  As you all know, I absolutely fell IN LOVE with canning all over again a few years ago when Can – It – Forward first started.  I couldn’t miss out on participating again this year when the folks at Ball just make canning so easy.  How can you not jump in to create your own “Made From Here” tasty treats that preserve all of summer’s deliciousness.

Can – It – Forward is one of my favorite things to celebrate each year as it gives me a reason to buy way more than I need at my local farmer’s market, can it and share it with all my friends and family.  Can-It-Forward Day encourages gardeners & food enthusiasts across the country to celebrate what “Made From Here” means to them by fresh preserving their favorite local ingredients in peak season…Serious fun, right?

This year’s event takes place on August 1st, from 11 AM – 4 PM where you all can view the live webcast HERE and have all your home canning questions answered in real time.

I love the new Heritage Collection Purple Jars!  My only challenge is figuring out which fruit or veggie will look great in it and NOOOO, I am not pickling or preserving cauliflower!  Yes, I am still traumatized by that Cauliflower pizza experience.

Ball really is “on the ball”!  How cool is it that they came out with colorful lids? I love this….

For the jars from last year, you can now use these cute toppers with straws and serve up sparkling, iced lemonade – Yum!

Last, but, not least, Ball won me over with a new 37th Edition Cookbook that is packed with so many tasty preserving ideas.  I am sure you could’ve guessed that though.

I picked up a bunch of green beans, celery, bell pepper and onion at my local farmer’s market so I knew one of the first things I was going to make with my kit was a four bean salad.  It’s super easy to make…here is how I did it.

Cut, boil to soften slightly and drain.

Put the veggies into your clean jars, ladle your “dressing” over the top. The one thing I learned here ~ put your jars on a cookie sheet to catch anything that doesn’t make it in the jar.

Slide a knife around the edges to get rid of any air bubbles and wipe the rims. Put the lids on the jars.

Add 3 jars at a time to the Ball Green Canning Basket provided in the kit.  Put them in warm water and “can” by boiling according to the instructions, about 10-15 minutes.

The green handle actually tucks under the lid making this so easy.  Turn the heat off and let the jars stand for 5 minutes.  Grab the green handle and remove 3 jars at once!  You do not have the balance trying to get them out with tongs.

Set on a cooling rack and allow to cool for 12 hours listening for the “pop” from the lids as they seal.  So easy, huh?

FOUR BEAN SALAD (Print it!)

INGREDIENTS:

Salad:

• 6-8 cups sliced trimmed green and yellow beans (about 2-3 lbs.)
• 2 cups celery, sliced
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 15 oz. can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 15 oz. can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

Dressing:

• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 Tbsp. mustard seeds
• 1 tsp. celery seeds
• 4 tsp. sea salt
• 3 cups white vinegar
• 1 1/4 cups water

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Combine green and yellow beans, celery, onion, red pepper, kidney beans and garbanzo beans in a large stock pot. Add boiling water to cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and boil gently for 5 minutes, until vegetables are heated through.  Remove from heat, drain and rinse with cold water.

2. Whisk the sugar, mustard seeds, celery seeds, salt, vinegar and water in a small pan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Reduce heat and boil gently for 5 minutes.

3.Divide the vegetable mix between size prepared pint jars leaving 1/2 inch space at the top. Ladle hot dressing into the jar to cover the vegetables leaving 1/2 inch space. Remove air bubbles by sliding a knife along the inside.  If necessary, add additional dressing. Wipe rim of the jar and put the lids on.

4. Process the jars in a boiling water canner for 15 minutes. Remove jars and cool. Check lids for seal after 24 hours. Lid should not flex up and down when center is pressed.

That’s all ~ pretty easy to have a delicious salad topper all year long!

I wanted to be able to share in the fun with you all as well so I am kicking off this year’s National Can It Forward Day with a fun giveaway too!

ONE LUCKY WINNER WILL RECEIVE A COUPON FOR A BOX OF BALL JARS!

HOW TO ENTER:

1) Simply leave your FIRST comment telling me the first thing you will can, preserve, jam or jelly.

BONUS ENTRIES:

2) TWEET and/or Facebook about this giveaway, “ Ready to #CanItForward and win a box of super cute @BallCanning jars? Enter this #Giveaway hosted by @danicasdaily http://danicasdaily.com/celebrate-can-it-forward-with-this-giveaway “. Be sure to leave your SECOND comment to let me know you did.

3) If you have a blog, LINK back to this contest and leave a THIRD comment letting me know you did.

If you do not have a blog, just leave a comment below telling me someone you told about this giveaway.

The Fine Print: Thanks to Ball.for teaching me that canning really can be that easy and sending me the items pictured above while letting me host this giveaway on National Can It Forward Day for my readers.

The Winner will be randomly drawn and announced on Saturday, August 15, 2015.

Good luck everyone & Happy Canning!