Become a Master Food Preserver

The UC Master Food Preserver Program is open to individuals looking to increase community knowledge in home food preservation methods. Applicants for the UC Master Food Preserver Program must be willing to share knowledge and skills learned from certification training through local community outreach. Prior food preservation knowledge is not a requirement; willingness to teach others is.

Examples of community outreach from UC Master Food Preservers:  

• Classes and workshops
• Hands-on demonstrations 
• County fairs 
• Websites and blogs
• Print and digital media

How UC Master Food Preservers make a difference:

• Teach safe and food preservation methods in local communities 
• Share knowledge about preserving fresh and healthy produce 
• Prevent botulism in home canning 
• Promote research-based methods of food handling and food preparation 

Find a Local Program to sign up on their training interest list >>>

Interested in the Online Only program where volunteers provide all outreach activities online?  Sign up here to be added to their training interest list.

Master Food Preserver Training Courses

Once accepted into the UC Master Food Preserver program from a local UCCE county office, applicants will receive more than 50 hours of training over the course of 16 weeks from University of California division of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

Training topics include:

• Food safety
• Equipment
• Boiling water and pressure canning
• Canning jams and jellies
• High acid foods 
• Low acid foods 
• Pickling
• Dehydration
• Freezing and refrigeration
• Teaching and program implementation

In exchange for education and certification, new UC Master Food Preservers are required to volunteer a minimum of 50 hours in the first year and 25 hours each year subsequently. UC Master Food Preservers must complete a minimum of 12 hours of continuing education per year, starting their second year.