Summer just snuck up on me, and I feel sort of unprepared. Spring lingered longer, rains fell. Blueberries came and went (already).

I live in Texas and it’s summer for about 9 months of the year, so summer isn’t usually a surprise, but that’s enough about my confounding climate zone. It’s nearly officially summer, which means the possibility of preserving wherever you are.

First off, I’d like to start this giveaway out with a small quiz:

This year’s July 14 is a special date because:

A. it’s Bastille day, vive le France!

B. it’s the 100-year anniversary of Woody Guthrie’s birth, vive le revolucion!

C. it’s National Can-It-Forward day, where canners across the country will seal some jars in solidarity, vive le Canvolution!

D. it’s my birthday, vive le cake! 

E. all of the above

You got it right. The answer is E. 

I’m so jazzed for this giveaway, a can-tastic (yes, I just went there) prize pack from Ball Canning paired with my good friend Marisa’s first (and very fine) book, Food in Jars: Preserving in small batches year-round. This is the perfect prize for newbies and old hats alike. And if you already have a canning set-up in place, then wouldn’t the Ball kit be a nice prize for an aspiring canner in your life?

You’ll get this 21-quart canner pot that includes the rack:

And this utensil kit (half-filled jar of jam not included):Aaaaand a copy of this great book:

The Food in Jars book is every bit as delicious as the blog by the same name, but tactile, with a sturdy hard cover and beautifully printed pages to turn. I had the pleasure of seeing the galleys for this book when Marisa visited in November of last year, and I must say, Running Press did a lovely job putting this book together. Moreover, Marisa’s recipes are simple and straightforward yet incredibly inventive with flavors. This book reads like afternoon tea with Marisa, like you’re sitting at her kitchen table and she’s pulling out jar after jar and telling you about each of them.

I’m especially excited to make her cranberry ketchup (must use last year’s fruit in the chest freezer!) and intrigued by the cantaloupe jam (hello exotic Creamsicle). I like the inclusion of other recipes, the non-canned goods and gifts you can put in jars, too. There’s a cinnamon vanilla sunflower butter that sounds delightful!

I just love how Marisa reminds us that canning is totally on our terms, that you don’t need tons of produce (and a car to drive it all home), a fancy kitchen or much equipment to make things you and your family like to eat. I hope with this giveaway you’ll find a way to make preserving your own, to wrap it into your life, whether it’s a small batch of dilly beans or a few jars of fig jam, or an entire closet tiled in the bounty of the seasons.

In order to get you your Canning-tacular prize pack in time for July 14, we’re running this giveaway through midnight CST, July 5, 2012. Enter by leaving a comment on this post, telling me What’s your favorite thing to put in a mason jar? Don’t forget to add your email address to the box on the comment form where I ask for it. No email address, no winner (because I can’t reach you).

Hey, while you’re at it, pop on over to Local Kitchen (through June 22) AND Punk Domestics (through June 20) for another couple chances to win Marisa’s book!