Want to preserve the taste of summer, and skip the freezer burn? We Be Jammin’ is a beginner jam making workshop that will teach you how to make homemade jam using fresh, local seasonal fruit.
This Event’s Recipe: Plum Jam
Bonus Demo: Plum Dipping Sauce (a tangy companion for potstickers, BBQ, or cheese boards)
Limited Space: 15 Students
In this hands-on canning class, you’ll gain confidence in safe home canning practices and leave with a pint of shelf-stable fruit preserves that you made yourself.
This is your chance to learn water bath canning in a small-group setting with experienced food preservationists. All materials provided. No pressure cookers, no experience required – just joyful, zero-waste food preservation using what grows right here in Edmonton.
Don’t let freshly picked plums go to waste — this is your moment to preserve the best of summer before it spoils.
What You’ll Learn
Our beginner jam making workshop will walk you through the basics with step-by-step guidance, so you can feel confident and capable in your own kitchen.
- Learn to make jam at home with seasonal fruit
- Intro to water bath canning and food preservation skills
- Understanding pectin and sugar ratios for jam that sets
- Safe home canning practices based on Health Canada and CFIA guidelines
- Fruit acidity levels and how they affect preserving
Seasonal Jam Lineup (Edmonton – Zone 3)
We run this workshop with different fruits as Edmonton’s harvest rolls in. Here’s what you can expect through the season – always dependent on local ripening and community rescue:
| Season (approx.) | Fruits we often feature | Examples we teach |
|---|---|---|
| Early Summer (June-July) | Rhubarb, Strawberries, Raspberries | Raspberry-Rhubarb Jam; Strawberry Jam |
| Mid Summer (July-August) | Saskatoons, Currants, Chokecherries | Berry Jam, Mixed-Berry Jam |
| Late Summer (August-September) | Plums, Crabapples | Plum Jam, Crabapple Jelly |
| Fall (September-October) | Pears, Apples | Pear Jam/Butter, Apple Cinnamon Jam |
Note: Actual fruit varies by what our community harvests, because reducing food waste and using what’s local is the whole point!
What Works in Zone 3 That YouTube Doesn’t Cover
Online videos won’t tell you how to work with tangy prairie rhubarb, juicy raspberries that ripen all at once, or the plums and pears that show up in a rush each fall.
This workshop is tailored to Edmonton’s harvest, with tips for backyard fruit, U-picks, and community rescues – plus how to make your preserves last.
From Garden to Jar: Sustainable Kitchen Skills
This class makes seasonal fruit preserving simple, affordable, and fun. The recipes we teach are perfect for anyone interested in homemade canning, food preservation, or zero-waste cooking.
If you’re dreaming of homemade gifts in a jar or just want to make your pantry more local, you’ll leave this food preservation workshop with hands-on experience, a take-home pint of jam, and practical skills for preserving summer fruits all year long.
Who’s Leading the Event?
Cindy Suelzle — Food Preservation Instructor
Cindy channels decades of Edmonton homesteading into hands-on classes that keep local harvests on the table, not in the compost. As a lifelong gardener, Thrive Life consultant, and Educational Director at Sakaw Community Garden, she shares her knowledge through her Backyard City Homstead YouTube channel demos and now OFRE workshops covering jam, tomatoes, and sauerkraut. When not fermenting, she’s gardening with 19 grandkids.
Take Home More Than Just Tips
Upon completion of this beginner jam making workshop, you’ll leave with a jar of jam in your hands, knowledge in your head, and the warm feeling of knowing you’ve made something delicious, sustainable, and community-powered.
