Food Preservation Camp Oct. 7 In Springfield

SPRINGFIELD — As a follow-up to the popular summer food preservation class offered by University of Missouri Extension, Food Preservation Camp is being planned for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7, at the Springfield Botanical Center.

Lindsey Stevenson, a nutrition specialist with MU Extension, will cover food preservation by dehydration, freezing, pressure canning and pickling. Lunch will also be provided.

“These food preservation methods are all relevant to fall gardens and winter preparation,” said Stevenson. “I do recommend attendance at all three sessions because of the related topics.”

TOPICS COVERED

Interest in home food preservation has increased with the farm to table movement, according to Stevenson. As part of the food preservation classes, MU Extension provides up-to-date, research-based procedural recommendations, tested recipes and a hands-on experience that assists the consumer in safely preserving produce and other products.

As part of this fall camp, participants will learn how to pickle, dehydrate, freeze and can food.

The “Pressure Canning Low Acid Foods” portion of the class will start with fresh green beans and attendees will participate in the canning process until the jars are taken from the canner.

The session on “How to Pickle” will teach attendees how to prepare and process dilled green beans. There will also be a discussion on how to prepare and process fermented pickles and sauerkraut.

“Freezing and Dehydrating” will teach attendees how to get the best results when freezing produce. Attendees will also learn what to look for when purchasing a dehydrator, the process of preparing food for dehydration and how to store dehydrated foods. This class is lecture and discussion with sampling.

GET REGISTERED

Registration can be done online at http://extension.missouri.edu/greene or by calling the Greene County Extension office at (417) 881-8909. Pre-registration and payment is required.

There will be no refunds to those who miss because of costs incurred in offering the class.

Register early because seating is limited to 25 people. Attendees will receive a reminder phone call one day before the event. Those whose registration includes an email address will also receive a link to download all class materials online as a PDF for free.

Printed copies can be available the day of the camp for an additional fee of $5 per packet.