Last week I attended a canning and preserving cooking class at Vancouver’s Save-On Meats – thats right, the one with the pink pig neon sign out front. They are all that they claim to be–awesome. Before you read anymore, I’m gonna kick this post of with a recommendation to go check them out.  The rest of this post should just verify that for you.

Here are my five reasons that you should go check them out now:

1). Since the new owners took over the vintage building, they have redone the place with great Vancouver style and it’s just FUN to be inside their deli and diner. Fun music played over head while we enjoyed our dinner.

2) Their food is really good, homemade, and pumped with flavour.

3) The food prices are very affordable, considering how good their food is. It’s like comfort food your grandma made, but served up in a funky-Vancouver-diner.

4) They have cooking classes, via Groupon. I took the Canning & Preserving Class, taught by Serena.  Apparently there was another glass via Groupon to learn to make your own bacon and sausages.  Both were popular, the latter especially. I’m glad I went with the canning class, because I’m totally hooked.

5) Save-On Meats staff are fun. Their cooking class instructors are very knowledgable and packed with information. I learned so much from their canning class, and can’t wait to get canning on my own… I might can some apple sauce while apples are still in season.

So those are my top reasons to go check them out. Just do it. http://saveonmeats.ca/

Here is a gallery of photos from my night at Save-On Meats. We had a three hour canning class, followed by some dinner in the diner. I had the chicken soup, served with a toasted homemade cheese biscuit – it was delicious and less than $10 including tax and tip! Yes! My friend had one of their stacked sandwiches  I can’t wait to return and try their homemade veggie burger, not alot of places make homeade veggie burgers – it’s usually a good sign when they do.

To explain the canning photos, we made two recipes in one night: Earl Grey tea infused Strawberry Jam, and Spiced Pickled Beets.  Both smelled amazing while we made them. We made massive batches of each, as it was a group class. Each student got to have two jars of each when the class was done. But we had to go back the next day to pick them up, because part of the canning process is to let the canned food sit for 12-hours after it’s canned.

The cream of early grey tea smelled amazing, with hints of vanilla. Really amazing. So much that I went out and bought this week, and have been drinking it daily since. My new favourite tea.

Our instructor Serena has a very cool blog too, I recommend you take a look. She’s inspired me to can more at home – you know, just like your Grandma used to. It’s a skill that I dont want to let die… Computers can’t do everything!

I had a great time and I am going to keep my eye on Save-On Meats for sure, because they plan to have more cooking classes in the future. Its a great way to spend your evening.