Food Safety and Preservation
UI Extension, Boundary County offers programming focused on canning, freezing and drying at home and food safety for future restaurant employees.
Canning, freezing and drying have long been used as safe methods for food preservation. Using correct techniques ensures the quality and safety of the food.
You can find current, research based recommendations from The National Center for Home Preservation and the UI Extension, Boundary County office.
Dial Pressure Gage Testing
Planning on canning? As a safety precaution, dial gauges need to be tested yearly, and more often if you are using your pressure canner all year long. You can bring your canner into the UI Extension, Boundary County office for testing. Cost is $2 and you should plan on leaving the canner with us for 24 hours.
This online class provides research-based food preservation education. Participants learn how to produce high quality preserved foods and the science behind food preservation and safety. Anyone with an interest in food preservation and food safety, even those with little or no previous experience, are welcome.
Each lesson includes information that can be downloaded and printed, an online discussion board to facilitate interaction, a real-time chat with classmates and open book lesson quizzes to assess what you learned.
Required Lessons
- Causes and Prevention of Foodborne Illness
- Spoilage and Canning Basics
- Canning Acid Food – Boiling Water Bath
- Canning Low Acid Foods Pressure Canner Dial/Weighted
- Canning Specialty Foods (jams, jellies and preserves; salsas; pickled and fermented foods)
- Drying and Freezing
Supplemental Materials
- Nutritional Value and Cost of Preserved Foods
- Miscellaneous Food Safety and Preservation
- Preparing for and Coping with Emergencies and Disasters
- High Altitude Canning
- Starting Right — Gardening for Success
- Root Cellaring: Storing Your Garden Harvest