Throughout the harvest season, Illichvillagers gather in the neighborhood canning parlors to put up fresh-picked produce in jars. The most tedious chores, the washing and sterilizing are shared and so are recipes, utensils and canning techniques. The result is thousands of jars of preserved fruits and vegetables that would win blue ribbons in any state fair. The jars of sun-ripened tomatos and pickled green beans preserve the savory tastes and smells of summer well into the darkest, coldest months of winter and early spring.