There is new interest in traditional food preservation methods among consumers. The decision to preserve food at home could be driven by several reasons, including but not limited to preserving home-grown foods, sustainability, controlling ingredients found in foods (e.g., sodium, added sugar), saving money, or the simple enjoyment of reviving family traditions. With food preservation, food safety and research-based practices are critical to ensure consumer health and wellness.

To ensure local clients are implementing research-based recommendations, the Extension Agent for Family and Consumer Science in Fayette County offered a four-part food preservation series during the summer 2023 season. The initial lesson was an in-depth lecture that covered food preservation basics, food safety, and a hands-on exploration of canning equipment. After the first informational session, the classes were hands-on in the teaching kitchen. The second class covered water bath canning, in which participants made grape jelly. Next, we covered pressure canning by making stewed tomatoes. To finish the series, we taught the participants about dehydrating and freezing. We had samples of dehydrated fruits and vegetables to sample and participants made vegetable soup to freeze at home. FCS agents were pleased to have join us a dietic intern for one of the session as she gained so hands on experience and built her knowledge base of food preservation. 

We had 10 total participants at the start of the four class series. Seven participants completed the full post-evaluation for the program and shared they gained knowledge about four different food preservation methods: pressure canning, water bath canning, freezing, and drying foods. Four of the seven participants disclosed they grew a garden at home ranging in size from 12 square feet to a quarter acre.

Participants answered several questions on a four-point Likert scale with 4 being Strongly Agree and 1 being Strongly Disagree. For all questions, 100% of participants reported agree or strongly agree demonstrating a high level of agreement regarding knowledge and skills gained. Averages from the Likert scale are provided below:

1. Identify safe, research-based methods of home food preservation: 3.9
2. Understand the differences between low and high acid foods: 3.7
3. Identify the correct method of canning for low and high acid foods: 3.7
4. Improved skills in home food preservation methods: 4.0
5. Identify necessary equipment: 4.0
6. Prepare foods and containers for food preservation: 3.9
7. Identify spoilage in home preserved products: 4.0

100% of participants reported an intention to share information they learned with others. They also shared ideas for future programming including drying leaves and herbs for homemade teas, preserving meals in a jar, information about gardening and composting, and interest in the seasonality of local foods and harvest times.