If you are in WA Preserve the Harvest courses start June 26! Sign up now!

Food Security Begins At Home

Learn how to safely preserve the nutritional abundance our local farms and gardens provide.

Juicy ripe peaches, snapping fresh green beans, sweet raspberry jam, and crunchy dill pickles – nothing tastes better than home-preserved foods. In addition, a well-stocked pantry is a big first step towards ensuring your family always has plenty of healthy food available. However, safely preserving fruits, vegetables, and meats requires a bit of knowledge, some time set aside, and a small investment in equipment.

Starting Saturday, June 26, 2010 you can learn how to safely preserve fresh foods in a series of Saturday workshops at WSU Snohomish County Extension in Everett.

WSU Master Food Preserver Susy Hymas will share her knowledge and passion for preserving nutritious, local foods in a series of five workshops June 26; July 10 and 24; August 7 and 21. Each session will run from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Please bring a brown bag lunch.

Basic Canning Sat. June 26: Learn the basics of food safety and canning skills, including bacteria and food spoilage, canning equipment, and canning high acid foods. Demonstration and hands-on.

Drying Foods Sat. July 10: Learn the basics of drying and freezing foods for long- and short-term storage. Includes basic preparation steps to ensure quality and nutrition remain high. Demonstration of both methods.

Canning Specialty Items Sat. July 24: Canning specialty items such as jams and tomato or fruit salsa. Demonstration of jam and salsa canning.

Pickling Sat. Aug. 7: Learn how to make great crunchy pickles of all types, not just from cucumbers. Demonstration of pickled green beans and quick pickles.

Pressure Canning Sat. Aug. 21: Learn how to safely pressure can low acid foods such as vegetables, seafood, and meats. Demonstration of vegetable canning.

Instructor: Nutritionist and WSU Master Food Preserver Susy Hymas has been canning, freezing, drying, and preparing local foods for over twenty years. She loves to share her passion for food by teaching classes on home food preservation and nutrition all over Western Washington.

Class size is limited; sign up now to ensure your spot. All sessions held at WSU Snohomish County Extension's Evergreen Room in McCollum Park, 600 - 128th St SE, Everett. Pre-payment is required. $25 per session or save and take all five for $100. To register, download a form at snohomish.wsu.edu/ag/workshops/FoodPreservation2010.pdf   and mail with your check, or contact Karie Christensen: (425) 357-6039, e-mail klchristen@cahnrs.wsu.edu.

For more information on the workshops, contact Kate Halstead, khalstead@wsu.edu, (425) 357-6024.

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. Persons with a disability requiring special accommodation can request accommodation 21 days before training at (425) 338-2400. If accommodation is not requested in advance, we cannot guarantee availability on-site.