Season Jars
Are you interested in learning how to make your own processed food? Would you like to have a fun time while learning new cooking tips? Making and having home-made food? Then you should try the food jars event!!!
When I went, on October 3, I learned how to make two delicious Latin-American sauces: Pico de Gallo and Chimichurri.
It was really interesting and I have been able to learn a lot about fermentation. Did you know that most of our products are fermented? I knew about cheese, beer and pickles but I did not know about coffee, tea, bread and even tapioca. Fermentation is close to magic, it is the process of decomposition of food particles and it creates an almost new item. It can give different tastes to the aliment, change from poisonous to eatable (tapioca) and even makes it bubbly! The microorganism from the fermentation is beneficial for you and improves the healthiness of your gut flora.
Both sauces were very good. The Pico de Gallo is a mix of fresh fines herbs mince and a little bit of a very spicy pepper. Then we add a bit of oil to add some flavor and leave it a couple of days to ferment. Since you can incorporate it in every meal to add flavor, this recipe was my favorite. The next recipe was the Chimichurri which consists of a mix of onions, tomato and fines herbs again without forgetting the spicy pepper of any kind. The tomato’s juices gives us all the necessary liquid to allow the fermentation to do all the magic. A few days after the preparation, the sauce became a little bubbly, but the taste has completely changed. The Chimichurri became very good once spread on bread or in a salad. Again, this fermentation releases good bacteria that help our stomach.
The interesting thing about this program is that you don’t just make the food, you learn about its history, its benefits, while also enjoying the capacity of the food to bring people together. Whilst we cooked the spicy sauces, we were talking about politics and having a casual time. It shows how food brings a community together.
I highly recommend people to get involved in the season jars program. It is primordial to exchange with people in a safe and fun environment, while also expanding your knowledge. You also get to make your own food and to really understand how it is made, to be aware and a part of the production of what you eat. Furthermore, the organizers are really open to new ideas and comments, they make you feel welcomed and involved in their project.
The project is an initiative from three graduate students. The next event seems really interesting. It is scheduled to be November 12 and takes place at the Concordia Multi-Faith & Spirituality Center from 6 to 8pm. Follow them on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/foodpreservationproject/