The event’s not in West Seattle, but West Seattleites abound in the regional plan for the first-ever National Can-It-Forward Day. It’ll actually be a two-day event at Pike Place Market on August 13-14, featuring Canning Across America, for which Alki-based cooking author/advocate Kim O’Donnel (foreground of photo at right) is a founding member. Kim sent the official announcement, noting that other West Seattleites involved with the can-stravaganza include The Shibaguyz:

In its third season of spreading the love for “putting up” food, Canning Across America is cooking up its most exciting endeavor to date. Mark your calendars for the weekend of August 13-14, when Canning Across America will be preserving up a storm at Seattle’s Pike Place Market.

On Saturday, August 13, Canning Across America will be part of the first-ever National Can-It-Forward Day. The day-long event is free and open to the public and will include several how-to canning demos that will be streaming live on FreshPreserving.com 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM EST. Viewers will be able to ask questions and post comments in real time. Canning Across America members will teach the basics of water bath canning and some of the most popular summer canning recipes, including mixed berry jam, dill pickles, canned tomatoes and pepper jelly. Canning Across America is proud to present its talented Seattle-based preserving crew, which includes Jeanne Sauvage, editor of canningacrossamerica.com and a gluten-free baker and author; cookbook author Judith H. Dern, of Allrecipes.com; Brook Hurst Stephens, a blogger at Learntopreserve.com and the Shibaguyz, an urban gardening, canning and all-things DIY duo.

There will also be cooking demos, with a “use up what you put up” focus, featuring local chefs Kelsey Angell of The Pink Door, Diane LaVonne of Diane’s Market Kitchen and Philippe Thomelin of Olivar.

The preserving celebration continues Sunday, August 14, with more free and open-to-the-public demos from Seattle’s most seasoned canners. It also marks the kick-off to Canning Across America’s third Can-a- Rama, a week of home canning parties and seasonal preserving nationwide. Rebecca Staffel, of Deluxe Foods, a Seattle artisanal preserves company, will teach curious canners how to make apricot-raspberry jam and renowned pickle expert Lucy Norris will show how easy it is to pickle jalapeno chile peppers.

For a full schedule of canning demos on National Can-It-Forward Day and on Sunday, August 14, visit canningacrossamerica.com or visit Canning Across America’s Facebook page: facebook.com/CanningAcrossAmerica.

“Too many people think canning is difficult but that’s just not the case,” said Kim O’Donnel, journalist, cookbook author and founding member of Canning Across America. “I just taught my mother, who’s 66 years young, how to make jam and bread-and-butter pickles. It’s never too late to play with jar lifters.”

Founded in 2009, Canning Across America is a nationwide, ad hoc collective of cooks, gardeners and food lovers committed to the revival of the lost art of “putting up” food through safe food preservation and community building.