Preserving Food

Do you have asparagus in abundance, more berries than you know what to do with, freshly caught fish? Why not preserve them for later when they aren’t so easy to find? Home canning is easy, but for safety’s sake it should be done using the latest research-based recommendations.

Home canning has changed greatly in the 170 years since it was introduced as a way to preserve food. Scientists have found ways to produce safer, higher quality products. For the latest information on canning techniques, equipment, ingredients and procedures, and how to use them to achieve safe, high-quality canned products visit or call our office.

Cornell Cooperative Extension has dozens of fact sheets and recipes for home canning. Resources include detailed directions for making sugar syrups; and for canning fruits and fruit products, tomatoes and tomato products, vegetables; and pickling. The USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning is available for purchase at our office.

Or you may want to visit the USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning web site at www.foodsafety.org/canhome.htm.

For all your food preservation questions contact Diane Whitten, Nutrition Educator, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Saratoga County.

Pictured left to right:  Diane Whitten, Nutrition Educator, and Tammy Osborne, Nutrition Teaching Assistant.