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Food Preservation Classes
August 2009
Contact: Joanne Littlefield
Assistant Director-Community Relations
Phone: (970) 491-4640
Joanne.Littlefield@colostate.edu
With gardening success this summer, you may be running out of room in your refrigerator to store all those fresh vegetables. Before bagging up your extra squash to give away to the neighbors, consider preserving them to enjoy throughout the year.
Preserving food at home may seem like a complex or even scary process. Colorado State University Extension offers classes on the basics of canning and food preservation for all ages and experience levels. With hands-on experience, getting produce from the garden to the jar can be an easy and fun way to save money.
Canning classes provide the opportunity to learn proper techniques for water bath canning of jams, jellies, and summer fruits using safe tested recipes. If you’re wondering what to do with all those garden beets and cucumbers, CSU Extension offers classes on pickling made easy. You can also enjoy a taste of the Southwest through learning safe methods of canning salsa made from your home grown tomatoes and chilies.
Vegetables and herbs from the garden can also be preserved by drying. CSU Extension offers classes on the basics and science behind drying methods for a variety of foods. Participants can learn the proper steps from preparing and drying products to post-testing and storage.
If you’re looking for a way to preserve food without investing in supplies and equipment, freezing is an easy and inexpensive way to enjoy garden fresh produce. CSU Extension provides information on safe freezing practices from selecting containers and preparing produce to food storage.
Food preservation classes are available through County Extension offices through Fall. Pre-registration for food preservation classes is required. For more information, or to register contact your local County Extension office. To access fact sheets on food preservation, go to www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/pubs.html#nutr_pres.
Updated Tuesday, September 13, 2011
