ISU Extension Plans Food Preservation Workshop and Pressure Canner Testing

Preserving the bounty of your garden harvest each fall can lead to enjoying the fruitsof your labor all winter long. It's important to keep food safety in mind every step of the way. Home food preservation is not difficult but it does require following specific directions exactly. Always use tested recipes and directions from a reliable source. Ignoring recommended procedures can result in home canned products that will makeyou and your family very ill.

Vera Stokes, ISU Extension Nutrition and Health Program Specialist, 563-210-0587, vstokes@iastate.edu is offering a workshop, Home Food Preservation 101, Friday, June 24, 10:30am - Noon at the Davenport Public Library on Eastern Avenue.

The workshop is intended for those wanting to learn how to safely preserve food and will also serve as a good refresher for those who have experience preserving food. The workshop is free and will cover canning, freezing, drying, pickling and making jams and jellies.

Pressure canner gauge testing will be from Noon - 2 p.m. at the same location. Pressure canners with a dial-type pressure gauge should be tested each year for accuracy. To have a dial-gauge tested, bring the canner lid only - the entire canneris not needed. It is not necessary to test weighted or rocker-type pressure regulators because they cannot be adjusted and will usually remain accurate.

Participants will receive current ISUE food preservation publications and additional research based resources will be on display.
To register for the Home Food Preservation workshop only, call the ISU Scott County Extension office at 359-7577 by June 23, 2011.

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