Preserving Summer's Flavor

Many of us have fond memories of hot Summer days spent in our grandmother’s even hotter kitchen as she worked busily to can the season’s fruit and vegetables. It was an all-day affair, one that left everyone involved tired and sweaty when it was all said and done. And yet it was also one of the most rewarding days of the Summer. The tradition of “puttin’ up” or “puttin’ by” is an old one, reaching back to a time before refrigeration, when winter meals relied on what was preserved during the warm months.

Although refrigerators are standard fare for American kitchens today and canned food can be found in any grocery, the desire for fresh, just-picked flavor is timeless. It’s why preserving is fundamentally a Summer practice—because the goal is to capture the bright, ripe tastes of Summer to enjoy all year long. The traditions of canning and preserving once a fading art are experiencing a revival as a new generation gathers their Ball jars and follows in their grandparents’ footsteps. And it’s no surprise. The taste of garden-grown vegetables and fruit is so glorious that it only makes sense to preserve them for months to come.

Shannon Walker, Preservationist,
grew up eating—and preserving—from the land. Under the guiding hand of his grandparents, he learned to embrace the garden as a way of life. His grandmother first taught him how to cook and preserve, while his grandfather shaped Shannon’s early love for gardening and foraging. After a successful career as a photographer, Shannon decided to change his path and took up work in the kitchen. In 2011, Shannon became the Preservationist for Blackberry Farm. The Larder is a natural place for Shannon, as his role allows him to blend his creativity, his love of East Tennessee food culture, his upbringing and his skills as a chef. Shannon’s high regard for the land and passion for farming, foraging, bee keeping and regional history is evident in each jar he creates. To Shannon, his role as the Preservationist at Blackberry Farm is much bigger than capturing the season’s bounty—it’s also to protect and share Southern Appalachian culture and food history.