In August 2017, 26 individuals (23 female, 3 male) participated in the Magoffin County Food Preservation Workshop series. Less than half of the participants had food preservation experience, with a percentage of those with experience still utilizing improper preservation practices, and only five owning their own pressure canner.  During the two-day workshop, participants were eager to learn the newest food preservation techniques to ensure that they were following correct procedures and getting research-based information to allow the preservation of a safe, nutritious, and delicious product. 

During the workshop series, discussion and hands-on activities were led by Peggy Helton, retired FCS agent. Participants learned home canning basics, as well as how to use a pressure canner, boiling water bath, dehydrator, and freezer to preserve fresh fruits and vegetables. Participants canned green beans in a pressure canner, tomatoes and salsa in a boiling water canner, dried apples in a dehydrator, and prepared peach freezer jam. In addition, Peggy demonstrated how to blanch and prepare sweet corn for the freezer.

At the conclusion of the workshop, participants said they felt equipped with the latest food preservation information and commented that they were definitely more confident in using food preservation equipment, especially the pressure canner. All participants also said they plan to use their Food Preservation books and follow the recipes and instructions to provide safe, high quality foods for their families.