Orange County

UC Master Food Preserver Mission Statement
"To teach research-based practices of safe home food preservation to the residents of California."

OC Master Food Preserver Training

begins September 6th, 2022
Mandatory Information Day Attendance
either in-person on May 31
or via Zoom on June 2
Details on Become a Master Food Preserver page

In-Person Events

Find these & more in the Calendar of Events:

OC Great Park, Farm + Food Lab

Workshop on June 11, 2022 starts at 10am, runs 1 to 1.5 hours

Tanaka Farms Harvest Festival

Booth on June 25-26, 2022 10am - 4pm
Demo on June 25, 2022 1:15pm - 2pm
Click for larger images & to get details about Tanaka Farms promotional codes:

Calendar of Events

Event Name	Date
Workshop at OC Great Park - Food Preservation	6/11/2022
Ready for BBQ Season - ZOOM	6/15/2022
Tanaka Farms Summer Harvest Festival Booth (10AM-4PM)	6/25/2022
Tanaka Farms Summer Harvest Festival Demo (1:15PM-2PM)	6/25/2022
Tanaka Farms Summer Harvest Festival Booth (10AM-4PM)	6/26/2022

Be Food Safe

Follow safe food practices to avoid foodborne illnesses. Be mindful of ways you can incorporate the 4 easy steps to Everyday Food Safety: Clean, Separate, Cook, Cool. When preserving food, follow USDA guidelines and where applicable, scientifically tested recipes.

Prepare in advance for emergencies. Save this Poison Control Center information some place you can find quickly, if needed.

For potential botulism in food, contact the American Association of Poison Control Centers:
1-800-222-1222 //www.aapcc.org/

Knowledge is power. Learn in advance about Emergencies and Food Safety, like how to reduce your risk of food poisoning or what to do before, during and after a power outage (whether caused by an accident or disaster, or scheduled by your utility company) to keep your food safe.

The city of Irvine has removed the left turn pocket in front of the property so if you are coming from the west you must drive to the light at Modjeska and make a U-turn. On your right, you will see chain link fence, then a block wall fence. The entrance is just at the end of the block wall – see photo.

Please note that this is a recent change and using directions on a mobile device will not alert you to these changes.

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 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.
Orange County volunteers are trained at the South Coast Research and Extension Center (South Coast REC). We, UCCE Master Food Preservers of Orange County (MFPOC) are certified by the University of California 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...
Contact the Master Food Preservers of Orange County for our online services:
* Got a Question? (Helpline)
* Request a Speaker
* Sign up for Email

Make a Gift UCCE Orange County Master Food Preserver Fund

Preserve What's in Season

Read Why We Preserve Food, then click on an image to read about the pictured item or check out other food preservation resources.

MFP Helpline

Ever wonder what questions other Food Preservers ask?

Click for answers to some commonly asked questions.... including

who can perform the necessary annual accuracy test of a dial gauge pressure canner and what Presto offers to convert a Presto dial gauge pressure canner into a weighted gauge pressure canner (which does not require an annual testing).

Have another question? Ask here.

Preserving the Season (Classes Suspended)

In pre-pandemic days, this space was reserved for and dedicated to hands-on classes, where the public joined Master Food Preservers of Orange County in "Preserving the Season" at the South Coast Research and Extension Center.

In cooperation with COVID-19 precautions issued by the state of California, all UC Master Food Preserver in-person events were suspended since March, 2020 and will remain so until University of California guidelines allow us back on site.

We are still here and available to answer questions online.
Contact us at uccemfp@ucdavis.edu
Stay safe! Stay healthy!

Excerpt from the CDC "Food and Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)", Dec. 31, 2020

What you need to know:

The risk of getting sick with COVID-19 from eating or handling food (including frozen food and produce) and food packages is considered very low.
Currently, there is no evidence to suggest that handling food or consuming food is associated with COVID-19.
Take everyday actions to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Continue following basic steps for food safety and eat nutritious foods to take care of your physical and mental health.

Go to the CDC web page for articles on Risks from food or packaging, Handling packaged food and produce, and more.

UC ANR South Coast Research & Extension Center
7601 Irvine Boulevard
Irvine, CA 92618

Get Directions