Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources
Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources
Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources
University of California
Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources

Making a comeback

One of the great "lost" arts making a comeback is home food preservation. Call it a return to basics, the influence of the slow food movement, or an offshoot of a renewed interest in home gardening - canning is back!

Making jam, preserves, or jelly using the waterbath method is one of the easiest ways to make an entry into canning. Several years ago I started a jam contest in my office as a covert way to get rid of my proliferation of Elephant Heart plums. At first, my co-workers were reluctant to join in the fray, until I told them, "You know that saying 'Easy as pie'?  That's a lie. Pie is hard. Jam is easy." And easy it is.

Canning using the waterbath method

If you're ready to try your hand at preserving, the University of California and UC Cooperative Extension offer a wealth of information for home preservers.

First up, are UC ANR's free downloadable publications on home preservation and storage.  Included in this list is the series Safe Methods to Store, Preserve, and Enjoy. From apples to tomatoes, these handy publications include tips on food safety as well as recipes.  I made a very tasty jam from the publication Peppers: Safe Methods to Store Preserve, and Enjoy and wrote about it in an earlier blog post.

Also making a big comeback are the UC Master Food Preservers (MFP). Akin to the UC Master Gardeners, these UC-trained volunteers have completed a 12-week session led by UC-certified Master Food Preservers. Once trained, MFP's pass on their knowledge to the public and commit to completing 30 volunteer hours and 15 continuing education hours each year.

Volunteer Dennis Prendergast teaches a Master Food Preservers class about pressure canning.

At present, a limited number of UC Cooperative Extension offices offer the program, but it is growing strong. The web sites of these UC MFP programs also contain a wealth of information for home preservers.

Chef and Master Food Preserver Ernest Miller at the LA County Fair. Photo courtesy Karen Hobart.

If you can't get into a UC MFP class, the Ball website has an extensive list of classes.

The UC Center for Food Safety's website contains an exhaustive list of resources from universities, the USDA, as well as links to manufacturers of canning supplies. My favorite is the encyclopedic Judging Home-Preserved Foods from the University of Georgia. This would have come in handy for the plum jam contest!

By the way - if you have a favorite canning jar, I recommend buying early in the season to make sure you get your favorite while it is still in stock. My favorite, the half-pint wide mouth jar, is impossible to find after the end of June.

Posted on Tuesday, July 2, 2013 at 12:57 PM
Tags: home canning (6)

Comments:

1.
so happy to find this blog. am a Master Gardener and write for the gardening blog.

Posted by Cheryl Potts on July 6, 2013 at 10:17 AM

2.
This is a wonderful resource. Please keep the good work up!  
 
Luke  
Certified UC Master Gardener and UC Master Food Preserver

Posted by Luke on July 16, 2013 at 9:38 AM

3.
I am a Master Food Preserver dating back to 1987 in Solano County. I write articles for our Master Gardener newsletter. I am so glad that this resource is available for interested preserver. I was hoping that we would again have a MFP group in our county. Is there going to be one in Yolo County? Pearl

Posted by pearl eddy on July 20, 2013 at 1:18 PM

4.
We appreciate your commitment to spreading the word about food preservation and find that interest in the topic is growing tremendously throughout California. We are in the process of creating a statewide presence for the Master Food Preservers (similar in structure to the Master Gardeners). Your nearest Master Food Preserver program is in Sacramento County. If you would like to see a program hosted through Yolo County, please contact the County office at 530.666.8143 to make them aware of your interest.

Reply by Jeannette E. Warnert on July 25, 2013 at 4:08 PM

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