Canning Demonstrations Are Great Lure For Customers For The Last Of The Season Produce

 Based on the number of supermarkets I have seen stocking canning and freezing supplies in the past few years, more consumers are apparently interested in preserving fresh produce.  This is great news (and a great marketing opportunity) for anyone who sells fruits and vegetables.

Offering a speaker/demonstration on fall canning is a great way to get more traffic to your farm store/stand.  Even if you aren't set up do a full-fledge canning demonstration showing a hot water bath, etc. you can at least go over fruit/vegetable selection and preparation and then show the finished product.  Contact your local cooperative extension service for a home economist who can cover the basics of canning and freezing.

Here are some great canning projects to remind your customers of:

• Fall jams/jellies (peaches, plums, grape, etc.)
• Salsa
• Pickles/relishes
• Apple/pumpkin butter
• Wine/cider

You might also want to remind customers that these vegetables are easy to freeze:

• Tomatoes (great for chilli and spaghetti)
• Green beans
• Sweet Corn
• Mixed bags of vegetables:  tomatoes, zux, peppers (again, great for chilli and spaghetti)