This is where I introduce you to my new weekly round-up of recent canning-related news and recipes from around the web. Why a round-up? Because the journalist in me loves nothing more than corralling information into run-downs, top-ten-lists, wrap-ups etc. using bullet points and snappy prose.  Plus, it’s fun to find out about the latest preserving and canning stuff that’s floating around in the online ether. So, without further ado:

* Here’s something Mark Bittman pointed to in his NY Times Bitten blog about BPA levels in  commercially canned goods: “Tests Find Wide Range of Bisphenol A in Canned Soups, Juice and More” reads the headline on civileats.com. It seems we can’t be sure how much Bisphenol A we’re getting in each can of food we eat. All the more reason to do the home canning thing in good old fashioned glass jars! The article winds up with three common-sense tips: fresh is always best, consider non-commercially canned alternatives where possible and use glass in the microwave. Word.

* This sounds so very intriguing to a mustard lover like moi: a recipe for spicy stout mustard from a blog called pictures and pancakes. It calls for for a bottle of Guinness Extra Stout. I think I need to make some soon and spread it on some sausages.

* And here we have a nicely spiced pear butter from a blog called Simply Recipes. She uses star anise, fresh ginger, lemon zest and cardamom. Bet it makes for some highly alluring kitchen smells.

* In keeping with my cranberry infatuation, here’s a contest by Ashley English who writes the lovely blog Small Measure. She’s giving away a jar of her cranberry, juniper and rosemary sauce in honour of her new book, Homemade Living: Canning and Preserving with Ashley English. All you have to do is leave a comment about your fave cran recipe (one caveat: you gotta have a US mailing address).

* Finally, Tigress in a Jam has thrown down a 2010 food blog/canning challenge to all online canning nerds. Could get pretty wild.