Preserving your own foods can be a lot quicker and easier than you might think. It’s a great way to have delicious, local food all year long. An introductory course and four hands-on workshops offer you the opportunity to learn safe food preservation techniques.
Preserve the Taste of Summer 101
Love that fresh garden produce but have more than you can eat? Preserve it! It’s not difficult, but you do need to follow safe methods. You’ll learn how to can, freeze, and dry foods safely at home in this introductory course.
Intended audience: Adults age 18 years or older
Format: One 1.5- to 2-hour course
Virtual Events
Several 1-hour workshops are available online.
Join an introduction to food preservation course. Select a date listed in Upcoming Events to register. All times are CDT.
Preserve the Taste of Summer Workshops
Preserving your own foods can be a lot quicker and easier than you might think. It’s a great way to have delicious, local food all year long. Four hands-on workshops offer you the opportunity to learn safe food preservation techniques.
- Salsa Making
- Jam Making and Dehydrating
- Pickle Making and Pickled Products
- Pressure Canning and Freezing
Intended audience: Adults age 18 years or older
Format: One 3- to 4-hour workshop; 4 topics available
Fee: $35 per workshop (3-4 hours in length)
Popular Publications
- Canning: Fruits
- Canning: Vegetables
- Canning: Fruit Spreads
- Canning: Pickled Products
- Canning: Meat, Poultry, Wild Game and Fish
- Canning and Freezing: Tomatoes
- Canning: Salsa
- Freezing: Fruits and Vegetables
- Harvesting and Storing Vegetables
Resources
National Center for Home Food Preservation
Advice for consumers on how to preserve foods in almost any way possible. Recipes are all scientifically valid with food safety risks evaluated and addressed. Includes judging guides for evaluation of home-preserved foods for 4-H and other fairs.
USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning
A complete reference is available in pdf format on the site. This is the handbook that most of Extension uses for home canning of foods.
Food and Drug Administration, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition
The website leads to a large number of technical and consumer-oriented materials.
The Bad Bug Book
This is a listing of foodborne pathogens and toxins. It is a useful resource in determining what bacteria, parasites, viruses, molds, and toxins might be found in foods.
Home Food Preservation Site - Pennsylvania State University
A very complete site with information about suppliers, kitchen unit converters, and includes the USDA canning guide.