California's cattle producers and agricultural communities are all too familiar with the rising challenge of antibiotic resistance, making common bacterial infections harder to treat in livestock. But imagine a future where we could tackle these infections with a natural, powerful alternative. Our research points to just that: antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) found in African catfish.
We're really excited about these peptides because African catfish thrive in pathogen-rich freshwater, naturally producing these robust immune compounds in their skin mucus as a defense. This natural origin makes them highly appealing alternatives to synthetic drugs.
Predicted Safety and Potent Action
One of the most compelling aspects of these AMPs is their predicted safety for mammals. Our initial computer analyses suggest that various catfish AMPs are generally recognized as safe (GRAS). We predict they'll be absorbed in the human intestine without causing liver, brain, or heart toxicity. Furthermore, lab tests on a promising peptide, NACAP-II, confirmed it was non-hemolytic, meaning it didn't damage rabbit red blood cells—a strong indicator of its potential safety for mammalian cells.
Beyond safety, these peptides demonstrate effectiveness against problematic bacteria. One study revealed NACAP-II's strong activity against Extended-Spectrum Beta-Lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli—a critical concern for both animal and human health due to its resistance to many common antibiotics. Another peptide, ACAP-IV, also showed antibacterial activity against E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus. We believe these AMPs work by directly disrupting bacterial cell membranes, a mechanism that makes it harder for bacteria to develop resistance compared to how they resist traditional antibiotics.
Legislature honors President Drake for his service to California
Can You Reuse Commercial Product Jars for Canning? (June 2025)
Henry Shaw, UC Master Food Preserver Online Program Volunteer
It’s sometimes possible, but it’s not recommended.
Can one reuse mayonnaise and other similar commercial product jars for home canning? Some people have done so with some success. But although it’s technically possible, it’s not advisable.
Commercial product jars are not designed to be repurposed for home canning. The glass may not have the tempering needed to withstand the temperatures and processing times used in home canning and the jar could break during processing. Furthermore, the mouths and rims of commercial jars are often slightly different in size from those of home canning jars, so although canning lids may seem to fit, seal failures can occur.
How about those pasta-sauce jars that say “Atlas” and “Mason” on them (usually Classico® brand sauce)? These are not actually home canning jars, and the manufacturer has specifically stated that that they should not be used for home canning. The Hazel-Atlas Company did make home canning jars from 1902 to 1964, but the company went out of business in 1964 and no longer exists. True Hazel-Atlas jars are simply labeled “Atlas” but are always marked somewhere with an “HA” symbol, with the A tucked under the H (see image). The “Atlas Mason” stamped on the sides of pasta-sauce jars is just a marketing device. As is the case with other commercial product jars, one risks breakage and seal failure if they are reused for canning.
Image credit: Henry Shaw, 2025.
Because of the risk of breakage (and thus loss of food) and seal failures, reusing commercial product jars is not recommended. Should you decide to try using them, use them only for boiling water/steam canning; do not use them for pressure canning. Commercial product jars can, of course, be safely reused for storage of dry foods or (with appropriate air locks) as fermentation vessels.
For more information on canning jars, visit the National Center for Home Food at: https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can/general-information/recommended-jars-and-lids/#gsc.tab=0
Disclaimer: This article has been adapted from an earlier article by the UCCE Master Food Preservers of El Dorado County. See: https://ucanr.edu/blog/coastal-gardener/article/can-i-reuse-jars-lids-canning .
Strawberry Jam to Jumpstart Summer Preserving (June 2025)
Ariel Patton, UC Master Food Preserver Online Program Volunteer
I often kick-off my summer by preserving strawberry jam, as the bright, ruby-red fruit overflows tiny green baskets throughout markets in the late spring and early summer. In California, strawberries are abundantly available and easy to clean. Best of all, they make a knockout jam that can take any peanut butter and jelly sandwich or yogurt to the next level.
Below is a tried-and-true recipe using only strawberries and sugar. Finding a couple hours to preserve can be difficult, so I often make my batch of jam across two days: one evening for washing, chopping, and mixing the fruit and sugar, letting it macerate covered in the refrigerator overnight. The next day is for cooking the fruit-sugar mixture down and canning it. The recipe is from the “So Easy to Preserve” publication of the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension. If you do make this recipe, please let us know how it goes via the following link: Newsletter Feedback
Image credit: Ariel Patton, 2025.
Strawberry Jam
Yield: about 8 half-pint jars
Ingredients:
2 quarts crushed strawberries
6 cups sugar
Instructions:
Sterilize canning jars (Boil jars, completely submerged, for 10 minutes for elevations below 1000 feet. Add one minute for every 1000 feet increase in elevation above 1000 feet).
Combine berries and sugar.
Bring slowly to boiling, stirring occasionally until sugar dissolves. Cook rapidly until thick, about 40 minutes. As mixture thickens, stir frequently to prevent sticking. Boil until the temperature is 220°F or 8°F above the boiling point of water at your elevation. For a firmer product, boil longer, for a softer product, boil less. If you don’t have a thermometer, you can use the refrigerator/freezer test.
Pour hot jam into hot jars, leaving ¼-inch headspace.
Wipe jar rims and adjust lids.
Process for 5 minutes in a Boiling Water Bath or Atmospheric Steam Canner.
If you’re looking for more ways to use strawberries this summer, the UC Master Food Preserver Online Program will be hosting a couple of online strawberry classes that you can find on our Events Page.
Freeze Drying at Home (June 2025)
Tim Long, UC Master Food Preserver Online Program Volunteer
Commercial freeze-dried foods have been around for quite a while.
Astronaut Ice cream for example:
Image credit: Public Domain, 2025.
For those who may be hikers or back packers, as I was while working with Boy Scouts, the commercial freeze-dried meals shown in the image below might be familiar. They are very light weight and tasty.
Image credit: Public Domain, 2025.
HarvestRight, a company in Salt Lake City, Utah, introduced a home use freeze dryer in 2018 which allows us home preservers to make our own freeze-dried foods.
Image credit: Tim Long, 2025.
In early 2023, a second company, Prep4Life, introduced a slightly different freeze dryer for home use known as THE CUBE. A more recent entry in the home freeze dryer market is Blue Alpine, introduced around 2023 or 2024. There is now yet another newcomer manufacturer available known as StayFresh Dryers.
Okay, so what! How does freeze drying work?
The process involves two basic steps
- Step one: Freeze the product to be preserved.
- Step two: Reduce the surrounding air pressure and add a little heat to sublimate the water ice.
In step one, trays of food are placed in the freeze dryer's chamber. The machine freezes the food to a temperature between -30° and -50°F (-34° and -45°C). Next, in step two, a vacuum pump pulls the air out of the chamber to form a vacuum, and the trays are slightly heated. As the frozen water in the food warms, it sublimates (the ice transforms directly from solid to water vapor) and is removed from the product. This process automatically removes up to 98 percent of the water in the food.
So, do I have to tell the machine how to do its job?
All you have to do is make sure to properly prepare the food, make sure the freeze dryer trays are clean/sanitized, place the trays in the machine and follow the directions on the digital panel on the front of the machine. The internal programming takes care of the process i.e., time, temperature, and drying. There’s no guess work.
What happens to microorganisms in the freeze-drying process?
Nothing! The microorganisms stay viable, but dormant, even under the extreme conditions of freeze drying. So please understand that when home freeze drying raw foods the microorganisms in/on those raw foods will remain viable, then potentially reactivate upon rehydration. Food items that are traditionally cooked before eating must also be cooked before eating as a freeze-dried food. Examples are raw meats, raw seafood, raw eggs, and foods containing these raw ingredients.
How do I store my freeze-dried food?
- Place freeze dried food in an airtight container. Otherwise, it will begin to reabsorb moisture from the air and spoil. Suitable packaging includes:
- Mylar bags
- Vacuum sealed plastic bags
- Airtight jars
For a 25-year shelf life, Mylar bags are the easiest and least expensive option. Add an oxygen absorber to make sure oxygen isn’t in your bag, which would degrade your food over time. Then, simply seal the bag with an impulse sealer or even just a hot iron or flatiron.
Image credit: Tim Long, 2025.
- Vacuum sealed plastic bags are another good option for all foods except meat or other high-protein foods.
Simple airtight jars like the one shown below work well for snacks such as fruits, vegetables, yogurt, or even cheesecake and ice cream. These can easily store in a pantry for a few months without adding an oxygen absorber. Just remember to seal the jar tight after you grab your goodies. (The jar shown is a canning jar sealed with a portable jar vacuum sealer.)
Image credit: Tim Long, 2025.
Freeze-dried foods have a number of advantages over conventionally dehydrated foods, as described in the below table.
Freeze Drying | Conventional Dehydration |
| Foods remain similar size or, in some cases (e.g., candies), expand | Foods shrink and develop a leathery feel and appearance |
| Rehydrated foods return to close to original texture and appearance | Rehydrated foods typically don’t return to their original texture or appearance |
| Properly stored freeze-dried foods can have up to a 25-year shelf life | Dehydrated foods have a shelf life of 4 months to 1 year |
| Nearly any food can be freeze dried (see below) | Fewer foods can be successfully dehydrated and rehydrated |
| Foods rehydrate relatively quickly | Foods rehydrate slowly |
Although a freeze-drying unit and a dehydrator both remove moisture from food so that microorganisms cannot grow and enzyme action is slowed down, a dehydrator uses low heat and a fan to remove 80-90 percent of the moisture content from food. In contrast, freeze drying removes up to 98 percent of the water in the food, resulting in a much lower water activity.
What types of food can I freeze dry?
Nearly any food item can be freeze dried:
- fruits,
- vegetables,
- herbs,
- meats (cooked and raw),
- eggs,
- dairy,
- meals,
- casseroles,
- desserts.
So why isn’t freeze drying more popular for home food preservation?
The main impediment to wider adoption of freeze drying at home is the cost; a home freeze dryer still costs a few thousand dollars. In contrast, one can buy a serviceable conventional food dehydrator for a few tens of dollars (though one can spend more). Food dehydrators designed for home use are slowly coming down in price, though, as more manufacturers enter the market. Other impediments to wider adoption of home freeze dryers are their operating and maintenance costs, which are significantly higher than for conventional dehydrators.
Utah State University Extension’s “Preserve the Harvest” recommends that vegetables be blanched prior to freeze drying to prevent discoloration. Food high in fat content, high in sugar content, and baked goods such as breads, cakes, muffins, etc.... do not freeze dry well and should be avoided. Sugar causes food to expand.
Some reference sites used in the preparation of this article are listed below.
- Preserving by Home Freeze Drying, Iowa State University Extension
- Guide to Freeze Drying – The Miracle of Food Preservation, HarvestRight
- Let’s Preserve: Freeze Drying, Penn State Extension
- Freeze Drying, Utah State University
- What Sets The Cube Apart From Other Brands?, Prep4Life
Disclaimer: Reference to any commercial product, process, or service, or the use of any trade, firm, or corporate name is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute an endorsement, recommendation, or certification of any kind. People using such products assume responsibility for their use and should make their own assessment of the information and whether it is suitable for their intended use in accordance with current directions of the manufacturer.
