UC ANR is committed to providing an accessible and inclusive web experience for all users. If you encounter an accessibility barrier or need content in an alternative or remediated accessible format, please contact anraccessibility@ucanr.edu.

UC Master Food Preservers of Central Sierra

Preserve It! Series!

Formerly the UC Master Food Preserver of El Dorado County's Preserve It Poster series, this is a collection of answers to frequently asked canning, preservation, and food safety questions.

If you don't find your answer here, reach out to your local Cooperative Extension Master Food Preservers.

In El Dorado County, California, the best way to do that is with the Ask a Master Food Preserver link.

Ask a Master Food Preserver

UC Master Food Preservers of Central Sierra: Article

Preserve it! Series: Venting Pressure Canners is a Critical Step

May 6, 2026

Canning basics: Always vent the canner prior to bringing it to pressure. When pressure canning, it’s very important to vent the canner prior to bringing it to the proper pressure for the food/recipe you are processing. Always. Even if your pressure canner manual does not include instructions for venting…

UC Master Food Preservers of Central Sierra: Article

Preserve it! Series: Wash Your Produce, Not Your Meat

April 30, 2026

Safe food handling helps prevent illness All fruits and vegetables should be washed prior to consuming. But raw meat, poultry or fish should NOT be washed. This may seem counter-intuitive or contrary to what you’ve previously been taught, but times change and so do food handling recommendations. …

UC Master Food Preservers of Central Sierra: Article

Preserve it! Series: What Are the Crunchy Crystals in My Jelly?

April 30, 2026

Tartrate crystals are a common occurrence in grape products Hard, crystalline shards or granules are often found in home canned grape juice, syrups and jellies. These formations are the result of tartaric acid, a naturally occurring compound in grapes, reacting with potassium. The reaction forms…

UC Master Food Preservers of Central Sierra: Article

Preserve it! Series: What are the Crystal Deposits on Pickled Asparagus?

April 30, 2026

That's rutin; weird looking, but perfectly safe to eat If you’ve ever canned your own pickled asparagus, you may have been surprised at some point to find little crystals deposited along the spears. These crystal formations are rutin, which is a pigment that occurs naturally in asparagus. Usually…

UC Master Food Preservers of Central Sierra: Article

Preserve it! Series: What Can Be Done About Fruit Float

May 14, 2026

Reduce fruit float when canning fruitFruit Float is the term used when produce separates and floats to the top of the jars.There are a few things that can be done to avoid or reduce fruit float when canning fruit:Use Firm Ripe Fruit. Firm fruit has less air trapped in it than ripe fruit. It also absorbs less…

UC Master Food Preservers of Central Sierra: Article

Preserve it! Series: What is Vinegar Powder and Can I Use it When Canning?

April 30, 2026

Vinegar powder is a versatile condiment, but it is not for canning Vinegar powder is dehydrated vinegar to which carrying or bulking ingredients are added (such as maltodextrin, which is a modified corn starch). Available in white, apple cider, malt, and other vinegar types, these powders are used by…

UC Master Food Preservers of Central Sierra: Article

Preserve it! Series: What's the Best Way to Preserve Eggs?

May 12, 2026

Freezing eggs is a great way to ensure you always have eggs on hand. If you’re tempted by the better pricing of a 24-pack of eggs but are worried that you can’t consume them before they go bad, or if you raise …

UC Master Food Preservers of Central Sierra: Article

Preserve it! Series: What's the Difference between a Pressure Cooker and Pressure Canner?

May 6, 2026

Canning basics: What qualifies a pressure cooking device as a canning device? Like the old gradeschool analogy, “a Cadillac is a car, but a car is not a Cadillac,” a pressure canner is a pressure cooker, but a pressure cooker may not necessarily be a pressure canner. What qualifies a pressure cooking…

UC Master Food Preservers of Central Sierra: Article

Preserve it! Series: What's the Difference Between Cheesecloth and Butter Muslin

May 14, 2026

Select the most appropriate straining cloth for culinary purposesCheesecloth and butter muslin are loosely woven cotton fabrics used for making – yes, of course, cheese and butter – as well as for other culinary and household purposes. Is there a difference, and does it matter which cloth you use? Yes and…

UC Master Food Preservers of Central Sierra: Article

Preserve it! Series: When and How to Sterilize Canning Jars

May 7, 2026

It's not always necessary to sterilize jars before canning.When canning, sterilizing jars is essential only when processing times are less than 10 minutes. For processing times of 10 minutes or more, pre-sterilization is not required – the jars become sterilized during processing. Can you pre-sterilize…