LINDA HEIKEN WORKS NEARLY FULL TIME, PERFECTLY PRESERVING THE
BOUNTY OF HER GARDEN BY CANNING THE FRUITS AND VEGETABLES SHE
GROWS ON HER CENTRAL IOWA ACREAGE.
THE ABUNDANCE OF HER EFFORTS IS CREATIVELY SHOWCASED IN
SPARKLING JARS THAT HAVE EARNED HER MANY IOWA STATE FAIR TOP
AWARDS.
I HAVE PEAR RELISH AND I HAVE SOME LIME PICKLES AND I HAVE
SOME CINNAMON CUCUMBER RINGS.
THEN, OF COURSE, JAMS AND JELLIES.
THE ONES THAT I COVER WITH MATERIAL ARE ONES THAT I GIVE
AWAY.
YOU CAN'T HAVE THE MATERIAL ON THE TOP WHEN YOU ENTER THEM AT
THE STATE FAIR.
LINDA HAS ENTERED THE CANNING COMPETITION AT THE STATE FAIR
FOR FOURTEEN YEARS.
HER POSITIVE WORK ETHIC AND CREATIVITY HAVE EARNED HER MANY
AWARDS THAT IN TURN HAVE INSPIRED HER TO WORK EVEN HARDER
HARDER.
THERE'S A TOTAL OF 740 RIBBONS THAT I HAVE HERE.
IT WOULD BE FUN TO MAKE A QUILT OUT OF THEM SOMEDAY, MAYBE A
KING-SIZED QUILT.
YOU LEARN A LOT FROM THE JUDGES' COMMENTS, AND IT'S SO FUN TO SEE
HOW MANY POINTS YOU EARN.
I BELIEVE ONE YEAR I RECEIVED 25 100-PERCENT CREDITS.
IT MAKES YOU WANT TO WORK HARDER, BUT YOU HAVE TO HAVE
YOUR WORK BE FUN.
IN 1992 LINDA ENTERED HER FIRST STATE FAIR CANNING COMPETITION.
I BELIEVE I TOOK MAYBE NINE OR TEN JARS AND I RECEIVED THREE
BLUE RIBBONS.
THROUGH THE YEARS LINDA'S CANNING EXPERTISE HAS GROWN AND
SO HAS THE NUMBER OF HER STATE THEIR ENTRIES.
SOMETIMES I TRY TO SAY, OKAY, I'LL JUST ENTER 30 JARS THIS
YEAR.
WELL, THERE WERE TWO YEARS I ENTERED 100 JARS.
NOW, THIS YEAR I'LL GO WITH 50, AT LEAST 50 JARS.
LINDA'S TIME IS ALSO DEDICATED TO TAKING CARE OF A VARIETY OF
EAGER FOUR-LEGGED COMPANIONS, A FLOCK OF FEATHERED FRIENDS, AND
TENDING THE PRODUCE SHE GROWS AND THEN CANS.
QUITE A BIT WE DO GROW IN OUR GARDEN.
WHAT WE DON'T GROW, WE PURCHASE AT THE FARMERS MARKETS.
WORKING IN HARMONY WITH THE SEASONS, LINDA LIVES THE MOTTO
"FROM VINE TO THE GRIND," CANNING PRODUCE AS SOON AS IT'S
RIPE.
NORMALLY I START OUT THE SEASON WITH ASPARAGUS, AND PRETTY SOON
THE GREEN PEPPERS, CUCUMBERS -- LOTS OF CUCUMBERS WILL BE READY.
I'M JUST BUSY ALL DAY EVERY DAY GETTING READY FOR THE STATE
FAIR.
I COULD PROBABLY GO 12 HOURS A DAY, FIVE DAYS A WEEK.
IT'S JUST ONCE I GET STARTED IT'S JUST HARD TO STOP.
LINDA HAS SPENT COUNTLESS HOURS IN HER COZY KITCHEN PREPARING
HER CANNING ENTRIES FOR STATE FAIR COMPETITION AND AGREED TO
SHARE SOME OF HER AWARD-WINNING EXPERTISE.
YOU SHOULD HAVE CLEAN, HOT JARS, AND THEN START PACKING YOUR
PRODUCE.
YOU CAN'T JUST LET YOUR PRODUCE SIT THERE.
YOUR JAR WILL COOL DOWN, SO YOU DO HAVE TO KIND OF WORK FAST.
I JUST HAVE TO STOP AND LOOK AT IT FOR A MOMENT AND REARRANGE
THE VEGETABLES TO MAKE IT LOOK PRETTY.
IT'S FUN TO EXPERIMENT AND TO ALWAYS FIND NEW RECIPES.
YOU DO HAVE TO FOLLOW THE USDA GUIDELINES AS FAR AS PROCESSING
AND THE PROPER HEADSPACE.
FIFTEEN POUNDS PRESSURE FOR 35 MINUTES.
ON THE JAMS AND JELLIES, THEY'RE 1/4 INCH HEAD SPACE, WHICH IS
NOT VERY MUCH.
AND THEN EVERYTHING SHOULD BE COVERED WITH THE LIQUID.
SO YOU PUT YOUR HOT LID ON, PUT THE BAND ON, AND THEN EITHER
PRESSURE CAN OR WATER VAT.
AND YOU NEED TO CHECK WITH THE EXTENSION OFFICE ON YOUR
PROCESSING TIMES BECAUSE OF THE ALTITUDE.
POLK COUNTY IS DIFFERENT THAN DALLAS COUNTY BY ABOUT FIVE
MINUTES.
LINDA DEVOTES MUCH OF HER SUMMER TO PREPARING HER STATE FAIR
ENTRIES.
IN THE FALL SHE CONTINUES TO CAN, WORKING ON PRODUCING SUCH
AS APPLES AND PUMPKINS.
FINALLY, BEFORE THANKSGIVING SHE STORES HER EQUIPMENT AWAY.
AND AS THE SNOW FLIES, HER IMAGINATION BURNS BRIGHT.
OH, I THINK ABOUT IT ALL YEAR.
YOU JUST THINK OF WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO DO AND TRY TO BE
PREPARED.
I DON'T KNOW WHERE I WOULD END UP IF I ENTERED BREADS AND PIES
OR COOKIES.
I JUST GET BUSY WITH CANNING.
I'M HAPPY WITH THIS.