Preserving the Bounty Workshops

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND, BERKSHIRE GROWN’S PRESERVING THE BOUNTY
-- CANNING, PICKLING AND KEEPING THE HARVEST --
RETURNS THIS SEPTEMBER
GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. (September 1, 2010) – To quote last week’s New York Times article: “It’s hard
to dismiss the current locavore boom in the Berkshires as mere fashion.” The Berkshires’ locavore movement is
at an all-time high come September with a countywide undertaking to preserve the abundance of produce
available from farms and home gardens throughout the region. Preserving the Bounty: Canning, Pickling and
Keeping the Harvest presents a second season of fun and educational community canning workshops in
partnership with Berkshire restaurants, food purveyors and partners. Berkshire Grown member-hosted
workshops will explore how to get the most out of the harvest through a wide range of preservation methods
with eleven sessions planned in September and two in October.
The old-fashioned art of preserving foods and the demand to learn more about local food and how we can
‘extend’ our short growing season is on the rise. The September workshops will teach participants procedures to
safely preserve the harvest with hands-on experience under the leadership of local experts. “Preserving food is
becoming increasingly more popular because people want to eat locally grown food throughout the year,”
reports Barbara Zheutlin, executive director of Berkshire Grown. “Learning how to preserve fresh produce will
make it possible for people to ‘eat local’ after the growing season.”
In support of the Berkshire Grown mission and in partnership with this preservation effort, the Berkshire Co-op
Market, Guido’s Fresh Marketplace, Mezze Restaurant Group, The Red Lion Inn and Storey Publishing are
official sponsors of the Preserving the Bounty event workshops.
“Preserving the Bounty will strengthen the connection between community members – all of us who eat – and
local farmers and restaurants. We are grateful for the support of our members and sponsors and hope this event
increases the possibility for more people to eat locally grown food throughout the year,” explains Zheutlin.
Preserving the Bounty will present demonstrations and information on canning and preserving fruits,
vegetables and herbs using techniques including freezing, canning, pickling and drying, as well as making
salsas, sauces and ketchup. Workshop dates, class fees, session leaders and specific topics will vary at the
participating member hosts throughout the region and will include a selection of foods to take home and enjoy.
Sponsor Storey Publishing is supplying each workshop with a copy of Put ‘Em Up, their newest book on
canning and preserving by Sherri Brooks Vinton, as a giveaway for lucky recipients.
Workshop Calendar + Details
In north and central Berkshire county, participating members include Gala Restaurant & Bar, Hancock Shaker
Village, Mezze Bistro + Bar and Wild Oats Market. Participants in south county include Allium Restaurant +
Bar, Amy Cotler, author of The Locavore Way, the Berkshire Co-op Market, Guido’s Fresh Marketplace at The
Marketplace Kitchen, Heirloom Meals with Carole Murko, Pronto Cooking School, S.O.L. Kitchen Catering
and Ward’s Nursery & Garden Center.