Food Preservation: Overview

With the resurgence of home gardening and preserving food at home, more and more novice are trying their hand at putting the bounty away for the winter. Food preservation can be easy but in order to be done safely, specific guidelines must be followed to ensure the food you “put up” is safe and wholesome. Be sure to learn these guidelines before trying to preserve food without the skills and knowledge necessary. Following unscientifically tested recipes and methods can be dangerous plus wastes lots of nutritious and expensive ingredients, supplies and time.

This is the first in a series of news articles designed to introduce you to the basics of the food preservation methods of: Pressure Canning, Boiling-Water Bath Canning, Freezing, Jelly and Jams, Pickles and Relishes, and Drying. The different methods will be highlighted, giving you the basics of that method and directing the readers as to where to get more information.

Below is a chart, providing the pros and cons of each food preservation method to be discussed in the coming weeks.

PRESERVING BY VARIOUS METHODS
Method - Ease of Method - Cost - Nutrient Retention - Shelf Life
Canning - Intermediate - Best - Intermediate - Best
Freezing - Best - Worst - Best - Intermediate
Drying - Worst - Intermediate - Worst - Worst
Jellies/Jams - Generally, very high in sugar, but there are some recipes available with little or no added sugar.
Pickles/Relishes - Generally, high in sodium content. Some are also high in sugar content. Revisions can be made with limited success.

Most Extension Offices in Western North Carolina are offering Food Preservation workshop this summer. To find out the details on workshops offered in your county, call your County Extension Office. Contacts in the far western NC counties are:

-Cherokee County, NC - Teresa Wiley - teresa_wiley@ncsu.edu - 828-837-2210
-Cherokee Reservation, NC - Kathy Dugan - KATHDUGA@nc-cherokee.com - 828-554-6930
-Clay County, NC - Pam Staton - pam_staton@ncsu.edu - 828-389-6305
-Graham County, NC - Eve Rogers = eve_rogers@ncsu.edu - 828-479-7992
-Jackson County, NC - Cheryl Beck - cheryl_beck@ncsu.edu - 828-586-4009
-Macon County, NC - Sherrie Peeler - sherrie_peeler@ncsu.edu - 828-349-2048
-Swain County, NC - Renee Cassidy - renee_cassidy@ncsu.edu - 828-488-3848

In Clay and Cherokee Counties we are offering a Food Preservation Series.
Session 1 - Hot Water Bath Canning - including Jams, Jellies & Pickles
May 3 - Cherokee 2-4 pm or 6-8 pm
May 4 - Clay 2-4 pm or 6-8 pm
Session 2 - Pressure Canning, Freezing and Drying
May 20 - Cherokee 2-4 pm or 6-8 pm
May 24 - Clay 2-4 pm or 6-8 pm
Session 3 - Hands-on Workshop - Each participant will leave with 4 pints of food! (Low-Acid, High Acid, Pickle, & Jelly)
June 28 - Cherokee 6-9:30 pm
June 29 - Clay 1-4:30 pm

Cost for session 1 & 2 are $5.00 each. Session 3 is $20. If paid in advance - All 3 session are only $25. Locations of workshop will be announced upon pre-registration. Call Cherokee County Extension at 837-2210 or Clay County Extension at 389-6305 to pre-register.

Enjoy the news article series, feel free to call/email for more information or with questions and/or to pre-register for Workshops.
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