August 11, 2004
Class teaches can-do attitude
Workshop covers basics of canning and preserving food
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
During the dark days of winter, a jar of tomatoes can be your sunshine.
Preserving the summer's bounty by canning, freezing or drying can bring taste, nutrition, freshness and sunshine into the kitchen during winter.
Eighteen area residents learned the basics of food preservation Saturday during the Preserving Our Local Bounty class presented by the MSU Extension and co-hosted by Oryana Natural Foods Market.
Participants learned everything from hot water baths, blanching and vacuum sealing to freezing basics, cold packing and trim loss. The extension agents also thoroughly discussed safety and spoilage issues, warning about yeasts, molds and bacteria as well as improper processing, cooking or storage practices. They guided students on the proper steps for handling a variety of produce to make products such as jams, jellies, salsas, juices, frozen food or dried items.
Christine and Jeff Tibbets of Cedar attended the seminar prompted by an abundance of peaches in 2001. That year, the three peach trees in their yard produced an overwhelming crop and the Tibbets consumed multiple peaches at every meal.
"We ate peaches at breakfast, lunch and dinner because I didn't know what to do with them," said Christine Tibbets, who was determined that next time she would save some of the bounty for winter months. "We also joined a CSA [community supported agriculture] this year and they give you so much food, we just want to extend the life of our food."
"I could have just asked Jeff's mom for this information but this class is more precise in terms of safe canning," she added.
Kay Roush and Jennifer Berkey, the extension agents teaching the class, emphasized to attendees that these are not your grandmother's canning practices. Times and technology have marched on since canning and preserving food were a way of life two or three generations ago. Safety issues dictate strict attention to modern rules, Berkey noted.
"Our grandmother knew a lot of the resources and materials to use, but the resources and materials have changed," she said.
In addition to numerous handouts, class members went home with a copy of "So Easy To Preserve" by the Cooperative Extension Service of the University of Georgia.
Theo Anderson of Traverse City is a veteran food preserver who has been canning for decades. He has an extensive garden and makes a variety of pickles, puts up jams, jellies, sauces and juices as well as makes his own wine and grape juice.
"What really opened my eyes was what I learned about what I thought I was doing right," he noted. "I just got done making raspberry jam and I sealed it all with paraffin. Put the first layer on and let it cool, then put on the second layer, but I found out that's a no no."
Sandi McArthur, education outreach coordinator at Oryana, said the class was part of Oryana's Local Foods Initiative founded this spring. The organization is promoting seasonal eating, local foods and local farms. A class on preserving such locally grown food was a natural fit.
"The best way for people to eat locally and eat seasonally is to preserve their food," said McArthur, who was very encouraged by the turnout at the class. "We just worked together collaboratively with the Extension and with this success, we're hoping to offer the workshop again next year."
She sees a growing interest in and demand for quality food by consumers, who are also looking for economically ways to eat better.
"Food's expensive and when you purchase good quality food locally, food that is grown locally, without lots of harmful chemicals and picked ripe, you can save money to put it up and save it for another season," McArthur noted.
She also believes that most people would rather support local farmers if given a choice.
"People are also really connecting to the flavor and taste of their food," she added. "When something is picked ripe and sold locally versus picked unripe and transported hundreds or thousands of miles, they are interested in the difference."