Hello friends! I just wanted to offer a little heads up to my Philly area folks that there’s a very cool event happening next Sunday at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. Called the Philly Farm and Food Fest, it’s a celebration of the local food and the people who grow, make and produce it.
There will be workshops, cooking demos, a seed swap, events for kids, as well as opportunities to meet the area’s farmers, producers and food artisans. Whether you’re an old hand at this local and sustainable food thing or someone who is still trying to figure out how it can fit into your life, there’s something for you at the Philly Farm and Food Fest.
The Fest will run from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, April 1. Tickets are $15 if bought in advance, $20 at the door. To plan your day, check out the list of exhibitors and the workshops on offer. It’s being put on by Fair Food and the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture. I’m certain that a good time will be had by all.
Marisa, you make Pennsylvania seem like such a nice place.
I was looking something up and came across these: http://www.freshpreservingstore.com/ball-new-sure-tight-band-tool/shop/382800/
Has Ball sent you some to review? I can’t figure out how the thing works. I canned a lot all summer, and plan to do more, but still have a really hard time understanding what “fingertip tight” is supposed to mean, and I always worry about my seals. And with good reason–I think I have more seal failures than I should. I would really like to have Ball (or Tattler) tell me what “fingertip tight” is supposed to mean in pound-feet or Newton-meters, since I can measure that with a torque wrench (I have a bad tendency to bring hubby’s tools to the kitchen), but a little tool like this might be just as good.
Anyway . . . just wondering if you’d gotten one. 🙂
Joyce, I’ve not had my hands on this tool yet, but you’ve got me curious. If it helps, the secret to “fingertip tight” is to turn the lids just until you meet some resistance. Looser is better than tighter. There’s really no torque at all involved. If you’re having trouble with seal failures, it might that you’re either not simmering your lids long enough to get the sealing compound truly softened. Also, make sure that you’ve bubbled your jars well, because air bubbles left in the jar can push the contents of the jar out during processing and interfere with the seal.
Thanks for the tips, Marisa.