Join the Food in Jars community for a year-long food preservation mastery challenge. Each month brings a different skill on which to focus and explore!
Happy New Year, friends! And welcome to the Food in Jars Mastery Challenge!
Back in 2010, the blogger we all knew as Tigress hosted a year-long canning challenge known as the Can Jam. Each month, she’d announce a new category of ingredients and we’d all head out and make a preserve featuring that particular food. It was fun to be pushed to try new things and I so loved the sense of community that the Can Jam created.
There have been other challenges in more recent years (Mrs. Wheelbarrow’s Charcutepalooza is one such memorable project) and after much pondering, I’ve decided to host one in 2017.
This challenge will be skill-based. Each month, we’ll all focus on a different pickling or preserving skill, with the intention that we end this calendar year with a greater level of expertise and comfort with a wide range of food preservation techniques than when we started.
At the beginning of each month, I’ll publish a blog post sharing tips on how to be successful with that skill and then will ask you to go forth and try it out. We’ll be talking in greater depth about each challenge in the Food in Jars Community on Facebook and I’ll be popping in regularly to answer questions.
If you have a blog or an Instagram account, I invite you to post the results of your project by the 25th of the month so that I can include it in a round-up (I’ll provide a monthly Google Forms link that you can use to submit your name and URL). However, you don’t have to have any kind of blog or social presence to participate. This challenge is about learning and sharing above all else.
Calendar of Preserving Skills
January – Marmalade
February – Salt Preserving
March – Jelly OR Shrubs
April – Quick Pickles
May – Cold Pack Preserving
June – Jam
July – Hot Pack Preserving
August – Low Temperature Pasteurization OR Steam Canning
September – Fruit Butter
October – Drying and Dehydration OR Pressure Canning
November – Fermentation
December – Fruit Pastes
If you’d like to join the challenge, please use the form below to sign up for the email list. If you have any questions, please leave them in the comments and I’ll try to be quick with my replies. Oh, and if you post to Instagram or tweet about the challenge, please use the hashtag #fijchallenge
Just yesterday I was gifted 4 lbs of Meyer lemons! I’m on my way!
This sounds so fun!! Will a pressure canner be needed for any of this? I just do water bath canning right now.
Yes! I added pressure canning to the October topic. It makes sense to offer two topics that month, since not everyone is going to have a pressure canner handy.
We’ll focus on both drying and pressure canning in October. So if you want to try pressure canning, I’ll offer up that information. But if that’s not a piece of gear you want to invest in, there will be another option.
perfect, thanks! very considerate of you. Perhaps by then I’ll have been persuaded to buy a pressure canner 😉
I was hesitant as well to pressure can. My boyfriend gave me one for my birthday last year and now I don’t know how I ever lived without one! Being able to can low acid fruits (tomatoes!!) beans and meats (chili!) is a lifesaver. It’s so worth the learning curve 🙂
You might check local small stores who carry canning/fermentation supplies. There’s one near me in Portland that rents dehydrators and pressure canners, so you don’t have to invest in big equipment you may only occasionally use.
What is the name of the store in Portland?
This sounds like just the kick in the pants I needed! Both to up my game with food preservation and to get back into the blogging habit. I had just started one when we moved and have been too busy ever since! I have made some time to can and preserve, but not to expand my skill base. Here we go!
Hooray!
The citrus is so beautiful right now. I am excited to take part in this!
Our chapter of the Master Food Preservers is teaching a Citrus Celebration class this month, so this is a great chance for me to plan my demo around this challenge (and for the rest of the year as well!).
Ditto on the “kick in the pants”! I have a blog too but am the “lazy canner/blogger”. This is the perfect way to start off a more productive preserving new year . Thanks Marisa!
[…] preserving we’re going to be doing together in the coming year (have you signed up for the Food in Jars Mastery Challenge yet?). Now, let’s talk in more detail about how we’re going to do […]
Awesome! I’ve been trying to talk myself into taking the jump into pressure canning, and this will be great motivation.
This is great!! Got my two canning buddies to sign up too!!
This sounds so fun! I am in!
Such an amazing idea! Almost everything I know about preserving comes from your blog (or your cookbooks which I am addicted to) and I’m excited to learn a new skill a month. I’m sure that you will make it seem so easy and accessible (like always)! Thank you for the challenge 🙂
How do we share if we don’t have instagram or. Blog?
I’ll provide a way to upload images!
I know NOTHING about food preservation and want to start, so I am excited to try this.
So excited!!! I have looked and looked for the canjam list to no avail. This will be great.
I just signed up! Quick question: Will you be sharing a recipe to try each month, or do we need to go it on our own? I’m looking forward to making marmalade!
I will provide a basic recipe or give instructions as to the technique, but you’re welcome to go out on your own and try something that will work for your household. The last thing I want is for you to end up with a preserve that you won’t use or enjoy.
Yay!! Can’t wait!
Sounds great! I’m in Australia, so hopefully there won’t be too many ingredients I can’t source…..
My hope is that I’ve left it open-ended enough that you’ll be able to practice the monthly skill no matter what’s currently in season where you are!
I hope to learn a ton. This will help me plan my garden with purpose.
I’m excited about this — I was already wanting to try marmalade with the tangerines that grow in our backyard, so this will give me a nudge!
How funny is this?? The other day I made my first Marmalade… It wasn’t quite what is wanted but it was all good! I used Navel oranges and fresh Cranberries, simmered with Hibiscus flowers for color, flavor, and vitamins (yes I took them out afterwards ?)
Does that count as a marmalade?? Hrm. I need to go do some research here!!
I am in South Africa, so our seasons are upside down from yours, but I am absolutely going to take part.
I taught myself to do jams, marmalades, jellies, pickles, relishes, chutneys etc mainly from your original blog. I also invested in a Excallibur dehydrated a couple of years ago when it first became available down here (at a much higher price that you guys get it at). Now I am just trying to source a pressure canner locally.
I’m excited! This will be fun!
Should be fun!
I’ll be blogging about it in French. And not go on FB, as I’m seriously trying to quit. Oh and I’ve never found a marmalade I liked, so… extra challenge for January, yay!
I’ve got a marmalade recipe that I’m itching to try! I’m also attempting to create a blog. So this year, along with this challenge, I’m also attempting a blog.
Watch out world. 🙂
Oh gosh, I loved the Can Jam! I met so many awesome people through it, including you! What a great idea to do something like it again. 🙂
This sounds right up my alley! I love food in jars. Canning, or dried foods. OK, I love mason jars of all kinds. I have some gallon jars for my cannisters. I can see how much of what I have in each jar. I do label them though, for The DH.
Hooray! I brought home like 5lbs of oranges from my SIL’s backyard tree after our holiday travels and was going to make marmalade anyway 🙂
I loved doing the Can Jam and met so many great people through it! I’ve missed that camaraderie, and excited that you’re starting up a new challenge, Marisa. Maybe this is what I need to break the 2017 funk!
[…] Tips, tricks, insights, and resources that should help show you how to make marmalade for the Food in Jars Mastery Challenge. […]
I signed up but haven’t received anything. Is there any type of email that is suppose to arrive after we join?
I will be emailing people in the next day or so. Stay tuned!
[…] sense of achievement. I’m looking forward to another canning season and Round 1 of the Food in Jars Mastery Challenge. I’ll be making marmalade for the first […]
HI.. I am having trouble accessing the form, any issues going on? Maybe I will try again later. Thanks for this. I did tigress can jam and loved it. It kept me motivated.
Brooke, I think Google products have been a little sluggish today, so that might be part of the problem.
Not sure if my submission was acceptable…
I’ve just started canning so I’m not sure how well I’ll do, but I want to give it a shot.
I don’t know if I can do every month, but my Mother expressed an interest in orange marmalade and they have, or had oranges. I’ll see if they still do. If not, it’s off to the store I guess.
I don’t do Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest or Facebook so can only communicate through your Food in Jars Blog. I guess I won’t be able to see your demos either.
But I did sign up for a Craftsy Class with Blue Chair so maybe I’ll just watch that over and over.
You can watch the Facebook video without being a member of Facebook. I will also embed the finished video on the blog once it’s finished, so you can watch it there.
I’m interested and want to participate, but not sure I’ll be able to pull it off every month. Can I still join in the fun, even if I don’t do it every month?
Absolutely! You can pick and choose the challenges you want to try.
This is going to be so much fun! Now to start exploring recipes that I’ve been wanting to try and expanding my food preservation horizons!
[…] is running the Master Challenge over at Food in Jars. (Check it out.) And epicurious.com doing a month-long home cooking challenge they are calling […]
This sounds great. Cannot wait to try new ideas!!
This is awesome!!! And a lot of work for you. Thank you for spearheading. Looking forward to the challenge and also to seeing what others produce.
I only just found this today. I just made a kumquat marmalade-of-sorts yesterday!
I am super excited about this !!! I normally only preserve, pickle & jam at the holidays for gifts. This will give me the opportunity to bring it into my life otherwise.
[…] about different combinations of citrus fruits for the marmalade I’ll be making for the Food in Jars Mastery Challenge. I believe I’ve finally settled on orange-lime, and opted to completely eliminate refined […]
I am excited. Thanks for hosting!
Working on Satsuma & Fresno Chili Marmalade right now!
[…] tidy and well organized so I can find what I need. As part of this goal, I am participating in the Food in Jars Mastery Challenge to motivate myself to learn new skills. Part of my grocery bill went to supplies for this challenge […]
[…] friends, I can’t tell you how much fun I’m already having with the Food in Jars Mastery Challenge. I’m floored by how many people are participating and it’s been so fun to see all the […]
Thank you! I am signing up, although I won´t be able to do the challenge every month. But I am eager to learn with you!!!
Please count me in!
Sign me up please
Will do!
Marisa, can you sign my daughter up. She has been working on marmalade all weekend and it just seems fair that she get credit for her own. Kat Munro Alabama
Thanks
I am hoping to learn some new skills – even though I know I can’t do the challenge activity
every month.
Thanks for offering to teach us!
I’m a little late to the game but please sign me up for the challenge!
Please sign me up. Thank you!
I hope I’m not to late, please sign me up.
Marissa, I definitely want to participate. I don’t know how I misses the sign up. I am a big fan of yours. Have both cookbooks.
Bernadette
I’d like to join the challenge. Thank you.
Please sign me up for the Food in Jars Mastery Challenge.
oh my goodness! Just saw this – what fun! A couple of categories I’ve been working on the last few years – but several I have no clue! I’ve learned so much from you already and have your books…. marmalade is on my list – but no real motivation or need – so….. here we go! How do I sign up?
Yes please! I haven’t made jams for decades, & never made the others. Love to learn new stuff.
I am interested! I just saw the post…please ad me. Thank you!
I’m interested — gonna try to do it with a couple of friends!
I’d like to participate 🙂 Add me please.
Please sign me up. Thank you
I’m new to canning, but this seems like a good way to learn. Sign me up!
Please sign me up for the challenge! Thankyou
Please sign me up!
[…] have I joined so far? Well, the first one is the Food in Jars Mastery Challenge, which explains the mango marmalade up above. I am not a beginner canner, but I don’t do it […]
[…] https://foodinjars.com/2017/01/food-jars-mastery-challenge/ […]
[…] I decided to join the Master canning challenge sponsored by Food in Jars. […]
[…] tell you that I’ve just found out about Marisa’s Food in Jars Mastery Challenge and have signed up for it officially just now! Not sure how I missed the announcement since I […]
Sign me up please!
[…] participating in the Food in Jars Mastery Challenge this year and January is all about making marmalade. It’s been many years since I made […]
please sign me up too. I’ve made 2 batches so far thanks to your challenge
I was able to get my hands on some Seville oranges yesterday at my local PCC. The produce manager was nice enough to call me when they came in. I plan to make the marmalade tomorrow. I’m a bit worried how tart it will be so I plan to do the method without the pith. This will be my first time attempting marmalade.
[…] saw the mastery challenge led by Food in Jars passed around Facebook, and I thought it sounded like an excellent way to expand my canning […]
I’m in too!
[…] Ball cookbook, but you can use any recipe you want. For more information you can visit her page Food in Jars Mystery Challenge to get more […]
I’d love to join in! Vanilla Bean Marmalade will be simmering today!
[…] canning domains. So when Marisa announced early this month that she’d be running a “Food in Jars Mastery Challenge” during 2017, I signed up immediately. Here’s my chance, I thought, I push myself out […]
Hi there! I’d like to join in the fun!
[…] I came across this blog post Food In Jars I decided to accept the challenge and try a different method of food preserving every month this […]
[…] and organic) Meyer Lemons and Grapefruits at the same time I was learning about Marisa’s Mastery Challenge. . […]
[…] So. Here we are. Participating in the Food in Jars Mastery Challenge seems like a better reason than most to finally build a dedicated space where I can write about my […]
Can I please sign up if its not too late.
Although a bit late to the party, I’m in! Thanks for the challenge.
[…] across a fun “event” a couple weeks ago. The blog, Food in Jars, is running a year-long canning challenge for readers who want to enhance their canning skills/repertoire. You can one specified item a […]
[…] sugar will chase any winter gloom away. I’m sharpening my preserving skills by embarking on the Food in Jars Mastery Challenge. Each month the group will preserve or pickle using a different skill. I’m looking forward to […]
[…] I’ve decided to challenge myself to complete Food in Jars’ Mastery Challenge (https://foodinjars.com/2017/01/food-jars-mastery-challenge/). […]
[…] culinary comfort zone? I plan on doing a lot of that this year, and its all thanks to the Food In Jars Mastery Challenge. Each month, I will be participating in a culinary challenge. Something that builds on […]
Please can you sign me up?
I would absolutely LOVE to joim if it’s not too late! My dad has been begging for a batch of homemade marmalade!
[…] thrilled to be part of the 1,400 people participating in the Food In Jars Mastery Challenge this year. Each month features a different challenge and this one brought marmalade back in to our […]
[…] decided at practically the last minute to join the Food in Jars Mastery Challenge, and this is my actual last minute entry for January. This month’s preserve is marmalade. […]
[…] followed Marisa’s “Food In Jars” blog for ages and so when she published her Mastery Challenge I was very keen to participate. Except that the first technique on the list was marmalade. […]
[…] been a joy to see the tremendous response by so many preservers to Marisa McClellan’s Food in Jars Mastery Challenge! While her challenge has given well seasoned preservers another excuse to put things up or to […]
Thank you for signing me up
You’re welcome!
sign me up
I started canning because of the Tigress challenge. I am looking forward to learning new skills! Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge. 🙂
Please sign me up.Thanks!
Sign me up please. My email is l.mcmillan_5@live.com.
Please sign me up for the Food in Jars Mastery Challenge if I am not too late. I am very excited to learn some new skills and try new recipes.
I just picked 18 beautiful Meyer Lemons off of my indoor/outdoor dwarf tree in Kansas and was trying to figure out what to do with some of them. The strawberry/Meyer lemon marmalade sounds delicious. Please sign me up for the challenge, I’d like to broaden my knowledge and canning skills.
Please sign me up!
I would love to join your challenge.. I’m a little late to the party but.. better late than never.. right? I have my own garden and belong to a CSA plus I try to practice clean cooking and baking, I’ always looking for new info and recipes. Thank you!!
[…] Food Fortnightly isn’t happening this year but don’t worry. This year, Marisa McClellan over at Food in Jars is running a challenge encouraging people to master different types of preserving. Given that food […]
Please sign me up!
[…] last year or two. The second post will be related to an online challenge that I have joined at Food In Jars. Each month, Marisa has given members a different preserving challenge to explore. I’ll […]
Just finished my preserved lemons for the February challenge. Giving that jar a shake a couple,times a day as I pass it on the counter. Eager to eventually use it in recipes!
[…] signed up to do the Food in Jars Mastery Challenge! You can learn more about it here. February’s challenge was preserving with salt, which is one of my favourite things. I hope […]
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[…] really enjoying the Food in Jars Mastery Challenge so far. We’ve already eaten most of last month’s marmalade. Turns out we really like […]
[…] engagements throughout the year. But this year, she has resurrected a great blogging tradition, the monthly canning challenge. Each month, a particular produce or technique is featured, and participants post their results […]
[…] February theme for the Food in Jars Mastery Challenge is salt preserving. This is totally new territory for me. So of course I had to try two different […]
[…] I have been missing my quiet, organized kitchen time. This year Food In Jars came up with the the Food In Jars Mastery Challenge, a challenge where those participating would “focus on a different pickling or preserving […]
[…] addition to recipes from the cookbook, I got an early start on my contribution to the Food In Jars Mastery Challenge this month. March focuses on Jellies and Shrubs. I’m not sure that I’ll attempt a jelly this […]
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[…] all began with the Food in Jars online Mastery Challenge. Every month challenge participants make a new kind of preserve—January was marmalade and […]
[…] participating in the Food in Jars Mastery Challenge, and the March skill is jelly or shrubs. I’ve never made jelly (I typically prefer jams), and […]
[…] you are following along with my adventures on this blog, you know I’m taking part in the Food In Jars Mastery Challenge this year. This month’s preserving challenge is jellies and shrubs. Jellies are pretty […]
I’ve never made jelly, so tried the Apple Lemon Lavender jelly. It didn’t set as much as I thought it would, even after set test, but taste was great. Will try the Raspberry Meyer Lemon Shrub next.
[…] theme for month three of the 2017 Food in Jars Mastery Challenge is “Jellies and shrubs.” I’ve been experimenting with shrubs since last summer, […]
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[…] Mastery Challenge participants! We’re a little over halfway through April and the internet tells me that many […]
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[…] haven’t really been keeping up with the Food in Jars Mastery Challenge, but a few months late I did finally make a shrub for the first time, with strawberries and black […]
I cannot express fully how obsessed I am with preserved lemons thanks to this challenge. Thank you!
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[…] the Food in Jars mastery challenge (a bit late for the May cold pack preserving challenge), I made spicy pickled green beans, using […]
[…] seemed the perfect candidate for this month’s Food in Jars Mastery Challenge from Marisa for which the topic is hot pack […]
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[…] month’s Food in Jars Mastery Challenge was a choice between pressure canning or dehydration. Well, pressure canning definitely […]
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I’ve been looking for something like this and hoping someone would host a revival of the Can Jam or Mastery Challenge. Any chance we’ll see a 2019 round? If not, I’ll have to rally some local pals, but it’d be great to have the whole experience.
I’m pondering doing another round, but I’m not sure I will have the capacity.