With the spread of COVID 19 in spring and summer of 2020, many more citizens grew home gardens and many preserved their harvest for the first time. Critical home canning equipment (including canners, jars, and lids) and ingredients (vinegar) were in short supply. (https://source.colostate.edu/home-canning-can-be-challenging-for-first-time-produce-preservers/) Combine the bountiful harvest with limited knowledge and lack of needed supplies it was evident that education on reliable information on safe and effective ways to preserve food was needed as much as ever. Traditional in-person and hands-on classes, however, were out of the question due to guidelines from the federal government for safe interactions and food handling. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), many cases of food borne botulism have happened after people ate home-canned, preserved, or fermented foods that were contaminated with the toxin. The foods became contaminated because they were not properly canned or processed. They continue, “The best way to prevent foodborne botulism is by carefully following instructions for safe home canning as directed by the USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning and your local county extension office." 

Noting these two important facts, the Boone and Kenton County Cooperative Extension developed a four-part, virtual series on food preservation basics. Videos were created for pressure canning, boiling water bath canning, freezing, and dehydrating methods. Each video was featured during a live virtual program that allowed for participants to ask questions and clarify information presented. The videos are now housed on the Kenton County Extension YouTube channel for access by clients needing the information on their schedule. The Boone County Family and Consumer Sciences Extension Agent presented the sessions on pressure canning and freezing foods.

University of Kentucky food preservation publications were sent to all participants following the virtual sessions. The publications feature research-based recipes and guidelines for properly processing foods for safety. 

The virtual sessions were advertised through social media, the Boone County Extension mass mailing, the local newspaper, and newsletters. More than 40 adult men and women attended one or more of the virtual programs. As of June 20, 2021, more than 950 views of the YouTube videos have been recorded.

Post-session evaluations completed immediately following the four-part series revealed: 

94 percent had a better understanding of safe food handling and storage.
71 percent learned the correct length of time home preserved foods should be stored to maintain quality
66 percent learned the correct way to prepare foods before and after dehydrating
66 percent learned all the steps that must be included when canning any food
3 percent discovered why some items need to be canned in water bath while others require pressure canning

Surveys were mailed to 44 participants about four months after the live program. With an almost 50 percent return rate, the following was shown:

67 percent now use containers appropriate or approved for freezing

62 percent now blanch foods for the proper amount of time prior to freezing

57 percent now leave the proper amount of head space when canning or freezing foods

43 percent use only recipes from reliable sources

19 percent now vent their pressure canner according to guidelines

Participants reported freezing 782 pints of food and pressure canning 328 pints of food after the program. Many shared their bounty with others.

Participants shared “The classes were very informative. Several past practices are now going to be replaced with safe choices, i.e. green beans in pressure canner not water bath, inconsistent head space carefully measured.”

“The classes made it clear that water bath was not as safe as we thought. So my daughter and I did less canning and more freezing. We tried, but pressure canners were outrageous in price or out of stock. I finally found and bought one in December for us to share beginning next season.”

Preventing just one case of botulism could save up to $100,000¹ in hospital costs and an unknown amount of money related to time lost from work or the effect on families and the future health challenges of the individual. Additionally, the increased knowledge and skills surrounding food preservation will last a lifetime.

¹https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6837762/