A three day food preservation workshop was offered in Crittenden County with 12 participants.  During the workshop participants learned to use a pressure and water bath canners, along with freezing and drying methods of food preservation.  They Canned Green beans, salsa & tomatoes.  Dried apples and bananas and froze corn and freezer jam. Three months following the 2018 Crittenden County Food Preservation Program, four participants completed the Three-Month Follow-Up Survey.  All (100%) reported using the foods they had prepared during the program and that they had used the skills they had learned to preserve food at home.  One fourth of the participants reported growing over 1,250 square feet of gardens this year.  In addition to using food from their own gardens to utilize their food preservation skills, some participants reported using food from others’ gardens, farmers’ markets and grocery stores.  Using their food preservation skills, participants reported preserving 80 quarts of fruit, 76 quarts of vegetables, 12 pints of jams and jellies and 9 quarts of pickles this year.  

Three months following the program, all participants still (100%) strongly agree/agree they have better skills in home preservation methods, can identify the correct method for canning low and high acid foods, can identify the necessary equipment for home food preservation methods, can accurately prepare foods and containers for home food preservation and can identify spoilage in home preserved products.  Suggestions for program improvements included teaching how to use vacuum sealers.   Suggestions for future programs included including other vegetables to preserve such as okra and new potatoes.   Participants commented that they really enjoyed the program and felt comfortable asking questions of the instructors.