UC Master Food Preserver Program of Orange County

Happy Holidays!

'Tis the season for get-togethers with food, family and friends. 
Be food safe, read our Food Safety when Entertaining page.
If you are cooking a turkey, here are a few USDA consumer tips: Buy a fresh turkey 1 to 2 days before you plan to cook it. A frozen turkey that is larger than 12 pounds will need 4 or more days in a (40 °F or below) refrigerator to thaw safely. Read our Turkey Food Safety page which includes these tips, other safe methods to thaw a frozen turkey and more. 

Who are UC Master Food Preservers of Orange County?   

• The UCCE Master Food Preserver Program is part of a countrywide effort by the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) to raise public awareness and promote safe food practices at home. The National Center for Home Food Preservation (NCHFP) is the designated source for current research-based food preservation recommendations at home.
• The University of California (UC) administers California's participation through its Agriculture and Natural Resources (ANR) division. Counties active in this statewide program do so with funding and support from their county's local UC Cooperative Extension (CE) office and donations to their program.   
• Orange County volunteers are trained at the South Coast Research and Extension Center (South Coast REC). We, UC Master Food Preservers of Orange County (MFPOC) are certified by the University of California Cooperative Extension to extend research-based knowledge about food safety and safe ways to preserve food at home. We volunteer our time to teach hands-on classes and reach out to the greater community with demonstrations and information booths at various location through Orange County.  Read more About Us, about the UC Master Food Preserver Program and what we do in Orange County.
  Attention Orange County residents: We provide training to Become a Master Food Preserver in Orange County.

What's our plan to achieve our stated goals?

• Public outreach through information booths, presentations, demonstration and hands-on classes at locations within Orange County, California.

  We work with organizations to create events.     Request a Speaker 

  Upcoming events are displayed at the bottom of this page. Information is also

  • accessible on our Events page   Show Upcoming MFP Events for Orange County
  • posted on our social media
    • FaceBook UCCE-Master-Food-Preserver-OC
    • Instagram MasterFoodPreserversOC
  • sent out to our email distribution list     Sign up for our Email
• Educational information on this website whose focus is sharing information about food safety and safe ways to preserve food at home
  • Food Safety pages: introduction with links to pages for everyday or when entertaining, and  in case of emergency.
  • Food Preservation pages - Preserving Food at Home - introduction and a selection of foods with safe methods to retain quality and extend usage; About Food Preservation - historical, commercially available versus research-tested methods that are safe at home.
  • Resources: Food Preservation Resources - some sources we use to get information about safe food preservation;
    other related information, including answers to frequently asked question from our Helpline.
    Can't find the answer to your food preservation question on our website?     Ask our Helpline
• Communication via email. Contact Us