Food Preparation

 Chocolate paired with cherries is a match made in heaven.  With the California cherry season approaching, consider making this delicious and decadent jam. Use it as an ice-cream topping, stir it into yogurt, use it to frost brownies, or top a cheesecake! The possibilities are endless.  …

Kirsten Hansen, UC Master Food Preserver Online Delivery Program Volunteer  The Master Food Preserve Online Delivery Program volunteers loved making preserved lemons this winter! Our Citrus 1: Citrus Without Canning class and Garden to Glass: Winter Mocktails classes featured two different…

Preserve It! Chicken Wing Season! The Super Bowl always means there is a grand feast of snack foods to plan and prepare. While the textures and flavors abound at this annual gathering (whether you watch the game or not), it seems a quintessential ingredient on the menu is the spicy-vinegary buffalo…

Preserve It! For a Lofty Dessert!  Seckel pears are crisp, juicy, and quite sweet with a slightly spicy flavor profile when ripe. They are very small in size (about one-inch diameter and three-inches in height – about the size of a small lemon), making them perfect for canning beautiful halves of…

Preserve It! A Fruit from the Bogs! From the bogs and swamps of the northeastern part of the country comes a fruit widely used for those family gatherings this time of year. Sure, in a pinch, you could purchase one of those iconic cans of cranberry sauce from the grocery, but why not can and preserve…

Preserve It! A Jam for the Ages Cozy up with what might be considered classic, comforting, winter flavors of onion, maple syrup, and apple juice. This jam sets up more like a spread and is quite delicious on a hamburger or as a glaze over a chicken or a pork roast. Try pouring it over cream cheese as a…

Autumn Glory Compote is as good as pie  This autumn compote is a delicious change of pace from eating pumpkin pie, but still evokes the flavors of the harvest, and this tested recipe is safe for boiling water canning as well as atmospheric steam canning*. A versatile condiment with festive…

Preserve It! Homemade Fruit Spread is a Freezer Delight!  What would you say to a fruit spread recipe with a low or no sugar option? Yes? Short on canning jars or just don’t want to deal with the processing? Freezer jam is the answer. A bonus is that freezer jam stays soft and can be scooped out as…

A new Child Nourish Lab research brief examines how often California schools serve scratch-cooked, quick-preparation, and convenience foods. School meals provide a major source of daily nutrition for children and have become healthier since the implementation of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010…