Juicy ripe strawberries, crunchy dill pickles, tree-ripe peaches – nothing tastes better than home-preserved foods. A well-stocked pantry is a big step towards ensuring your family always has plenty of healthy food. However, safely preserving food at home requires a bit of knowledge, time set aside, and a small investment in equipment.
Learn how to preserve fresh foods safely in a series of evening workshops at WSU Snohomish County Extension’s Evergreen Room in McCollum Park, 600 128th St SE, Everett. The series repeats three times during the season on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday evenings.
An online course is a pre-requisite to the hands-on classes. Designed for beginners as well as veteran canners who want to update their knowledge and recipes, Preserve the Taste of Summer provides the most current USDA-approved food preservation recommendations. The online lessons can be viewed at any time and at the pace you choose. You will need a computer made in the past five years and a stable internet connection. Cost is $25 total for all eight lessons. Visit PreserveSummer.cahnrs.wsu.edu to register.
• Basics of Safe Canning 6:30 to 9 p.m. – Monday, June 15, or Wednesday, Sept. 23
Learn the basics of food safety and canning skills, including bacteria and food spoilage, canning equipment, and canning high/low acid foods. Includes demonstration of the process, no hands-on.
• Jams, Jellies, & Spreads 6:30 to 9 p.m. – Tuesday, June 30, Monday, July 6, or Wednesday, Sept. 30
Capture the bright flavors of fresh fruit and discover how easy it is to put ‘summer in a jar’. Learn how to create that perfect balance of fruit, sugar, and other ingredients to enhance flavor and shelf life with research-based recipes. Demonstration and hands-on; take home a jar of finished product.
• Tomatoes, Salsa, & Relish 6:30 to 9 p.m. – Tuesday, July 21, Monday, July 27 or Wednesday, Oct. 7
Learn how to turn the local abundance of tomatoes and fresh vegetables into jars of color and flavor for the dreary days of winter. Demonstration and hands-on; take home a jar of finished product.
• Pickling & Fermenting 6:30 to 9 p.m. – Tuesday, Aug. 11, Monday, Aug. 17, or Wednesday, Oct. 14
Crisp, tasty pickles are the ultimate test of a canner’s skill. Learn how to make a great product every time along with the traditional art of fermentation. Demonstration and hands-on; take home a jar of finished product.
Class size is limited and pre-registration is required. Cost is $20 per workshop or save and take all four for $60. Register online at PreserveTheHarvest.brownpapertickets.com or download the form at snohomish.wsu.edu/preserve-the-harvest and mail with your check.
In addition, there will be a free, demo-only jam class during the Biringer Farm Harvest Festival Saturday, June 20, 2015. More information at biringerfarm.com.
For more information on any of the courses, contact Kate Halstead, WSU Snohomish County Extension Food Safety Program, at foodsafety.snoco@wsu.edu, (425) 357-6004.
Extension programs and policies are consistent with federal and state laws and regulations on nondiscrimination regarding race, color, gender, national origin, religion, age, disability, and sexual orientation. Evidence of non-compliance may be reported through your local Extension Office.
Reasonable accommodations will be made for persons with disabilities and special needs who contact Karie Christensen at 600 128th St SE, Everett, WA, (425) 357-6039 or christensen4@wsu.edu at least two weeks prior to the event.
• Learn more about food preservation, safety, storage and emergency preparedness in a new book available at the CAHNRS publications store. “Fundamentals of Consumer Food Safety and Preservation,” written by Lizann Powers-Hammond and Sandra M. McCurdy, has new and updated consumer food safety information. Find the book here.