Have A Jammin' Good Time At The Canning Expo! Quiz

Answer: Grapes

The scuppernong grape is found in the Southern United States. It is a type of muscadine grape and is in season during September and October. Its flesh is thick and slightly sweet and it has a tough, yet spicy, green or bronze skin. It makes an excellent jelly, juice, or wine!

Answer: Bread and Butter Pickle

Bread and butter pickles start with cucumbers sliced and packed in a sweet mixture of vinegar, sugar, and spices. Some people put onion slices and/or chopped green and red peppers in the mixture. The slices can be smooth or waffle cut chips. Many stories abound as to how these pickles got their name. England has been serving cucumber sandwiches for centuries and some say when vendors sold these pickled varieties for money it was their income, or their 'bread and butter'. Most theories point to the United States during the Great Depression when families served cucumbers with bread and butter sandwiches as a cheap and easy vegetable solution. To preserve these cucumbers during the winter months, they pickled them and gave them the present name.

Answer: Roma tomato

The tomato in general ranks third in the produce consumption in the United States behind potatoes and lettuce. The Roma tomato, specifically, is one of the more popular and has an oval shape with a rich, red flavor. It is meaty and the full flesh boils down faster than many other tomato varieties.

The best Roma tomatoes come from Naples, Italy where the climate and soil are an ideal mix to give the tomato its red color and slight acidity.

Answer: Leaves

The rhubarb plant produces poisonous leaves that are triangular in shape. In World War I, the leaves were recommended as a substitute for other green vegetables resulting in illness and deaths. The stalks, however, are edible and crisp with a strong and tart taste. Rhubarb is mostly used as an ingredient in pies and desserts but can make an excellent marmalade as well!

Answer: Salsa verde

Salsa verde literally translates to "green sauce". It is a spicy mixture popular in Mexican cuisine and is made from green tomatoes or tomatillos with onions, garlic, and spices. It can be made where each of the ingredients are cooked then ground. It can be roasted where the ingredients are roasted on a comal, which is a type of smooth and flat griddle. Lastly, it can be made where the ingredients are ground and utilized in their raw state. Milder spices lend the sauce to be used on things like enchiladas while hotter spices go nicely with tacos. Salsa verde is also a healthy alternative to other bottled sauces as it contains no sugar or high fructose corn syrup.

Answer: Pressure canning

There is a bacterium commonly found in vegetables and meats. Its scientific name is Clostridium botulinum and it can lead to botulism, a kind of food poisoning which can cause extreme illness or even death! The bacteria is harmless until it finds itself in a moist, low-acid, oxygen-free environment or a partial vacuum - in other words, a sealed jar. Pressure canning is the only safe method for canning vegetables as the bacterial spores are destroyed at the high temperatures needed for this kind of cooking.

Answer: Bloody Mary

A Bloody Mary is a cocktail combining tomato juice, vodka, spices, and various flavorings. There are many tales of how the drink got its name but the most prevalent is that it is in honor of Queen Mary I of England who, while attempting to re-establish Catholicism in England, had a great many people killed.

The cocktail is often used as a 'hair of the dog' treatment to aid people after a rough night of heavy drinking. It can be topped with a variety of accoutrements including celery, shrimp, olives, and, of course, pickled green beans!

Answer: False

There is actually no butter in the canned apple butter spread. The name refers to the butter-like thick, soft consistency and how it goes nicely on various breads. This recipe originated back in the middle ages when monks conserved their apple crop in this manner.

Some people may confuse this with apple sauce but there are differences. Apple butter is darker and thicker than apple sauce with a spicier taste. Apple butter can also be a great fat substitute for fat-free or vegan recipes.

Answer: Cinnamon

True cinnamon comes from the bark of cinnamon trees, a type of evergreen, grown in Sri Lanka and parts of India. The spice dates back to ancient Egypt where it was used in embalming ceremonies. It was mentioned in ancient China as well. Arabs brought it to Europe across spice routes in the middle ages.

The British also found it in Ceylon and helped spread its popularity around the world. Today it can be found in desserts, hot drinks, candies, and as a unique flavoring for jam.

Answer: Relish

Chow-chow is a pickled relish made from various vegetables found in the garden or the local produce markets. After preserving, it is usually served cold. It is found predominately in the southeastern part of the United States where one of the more popular ways to eat it is to mix it in with black-eyed peas.

Its original origins are unclear but it has ties to Chinese rail workers in the 1800s and Indian chutney recipes. Regardless of its roots, it has found its way as a topping, as a key ingredient in dishes, and even standalone on a veggie or meat tray.