LOCAL CANNERY FEATURED IN NATIONAL TELEVISION SERIES

If you want to be sustainable, you have to think about the seasons. For Patrick Burr of Roots Kitchen & Cannery, this is a rule to live by. Located in Montana, where the growing season is short and winters can last up to eight months long, the team at Roots has learned how to take advantage of crops while they are available, and preserve them for the entire year.

Burr taught himself how to preserve fruits and vegetables in what he described as a “DIY fashion” — he bought a book. It didn’t take long for him to realize that he had a knack for canning. He started playing with flavors and soon enough, Roots’ first recipe was born: plum-sage jam.

“Before commercial canning came around, every family knew how to do it. That’s no longer the case,” Burr said. “I feel it’s an opportunity to share what I’ve learned. I think it’s just important that we all remember how to do these things that we survived on for generations.”

In the second season of tasteMAKERS, which airs on public television stations nationwide, Emmy-winning producer and host Cat Neville travels to Bozeman, MT, to learn what it takes to preserve the crops of Montana’s short growing season for the entire year. The episode dives into the many varieties of preserves that Roots produces, including their curried carrots, garlic pickles, raspberry-vanilla jam, apple butter and more.

The episode features a number of local food folks, including Natalie Van Dusen of Treeline Coffee, who uses Roots’ lavender syrup in her coffee and various Roots jams to accompany her delicious waffles. Cat also had the opportunity to speak to two of the region’s top organic farmers, Matt Rothschiller of Gallatin Botanical at Rocky Creek Farm and Nate Brown of Amalthea Farms. Mac Burgess of Montana State University’s Towne’s Harvest Garden was also included in the episode, discussing the student-run teaching farm he runs at the university and their partnership with Roots. And at the end of the episode, Cat got in the kitchen at Hail Hary’s to make Southern-style fried pickles — her favorite bar snack — from with chef Justin Banis.

“The culinary community in and around Bozeman is thriving,” Cat says, “and Roots plays an integral role in preserving the Montana harvest so it can be enjoyed year-round. When we can get asparagus in December, it’s easy to forget that produce has a season. As we look to reduce the carbon footprint of our food, eating close to home is an important step to take. Patrick Burr’s pickles and preserves make it easy and delicious for consumers to buy local any time of year.”

tasteMAKERS airs nationally, reaching over 94% of American television households on public television stations as well as the Create channel. Visit https://www.watchtastemakers.com/208- roots-kitchen-cannery to stream the episode. You’ll also find photos, recipes and additional information about Roots Kitchen & Cannery. Search pbs.org/stations for local air dates.

tasteMAKERS is accompanied by a nine-part event series, Meet the Makers. The event begins with a live program featuring interviews and demos with the makers, followed by a pop-up Makers Market with food and drink from a variety of makers. For more information about dates, specific vendors and location details and to learn more about the makers featured in the series, visit watchtastemakers.com.

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About tasteMAKERS: On the heels of a successful debut that saw carriage by stations reaching more than 94 percent of American television households, 13 all-new episodes of tasteMAKERS released to public television stations nationwide in January 2020. tasteMAKERS puts a spotlight on culinary industry professionals whose work is defining the flavor of American food today. tasteMAKERS is brought to you with generous support from Edward Jones and is presented by the Nine Network of Public Media and distributed by American Public Television. Check your local listings for air dates and times. About Meet the Makers: Meet the Makers is a companion to tasteMAKERS, a national public television series that celebrates the makers who are defining the flavor of American food and drink. The 3-hour events include live interviews and demonstrations, a tasting experience and the option to shop in the Makers Market. For information about specific event locations, please visit watchtastemakers.com. Meet the Makers is made possible with the support of our lead sponsor, Edward Jones.