Henry Shaw, UC Master Food Preserver Online Program Volunteer Part 1: When is a tablespoon not a tablespoon?Common salt, sodium chloride (NaCl), is the most widely used condiment worldwide. It’s also the only rock we normally eat. (“Halite” is the geological term for rock salt.) Today, you can buy a…

Travis Alexander, UC Master Food Preserver Online Program Coordinator In our funding agreement with the California Department of Food and Agriculture, we committed to conducting periodic evaluations (6-month, 12-month, 18-month) of our monthly newsletter. We would greatly appreciate it if each of…

Melisa Spence, UC Master Food Preserver Online Program Volunteer When I heard that we were highlighting strawberries this month, my mind immediately went to this cornmeal olive oil cake with a strawberry jam swirl from pastry chef Teresa Finney*. Finney suggests using any jam you like or have on hand,…

Penny Pearson, UC Master Food Preserver Online Program TraineeCounty of residence: Placer Image credit: Penny Pearson, 2025.  Some of my earliest—and most vivid—memories are tied to jars. Not just any jars, but the gleaming, jewel-toned jars that lined the walls of my grandparents' root cellar…

Bobbie Green, UC Master Food Preserver Online Program VolunteerCounty of residence: Stanislaus  My name is Bobbie Green. I’m a fairly new Master Food Preserver, having completed the training in 2024. I'd been looking for an opportunity to get involved with the MFP program for several years, since…

Paige Weisskirch, UC Master Food Preserver Online Program Volunteer  Home canning has an incredible story. What started as a way to feed hungry soldiers — facing the critical challenge of preventing food spoilage during long campaigns — has evolved into a practical skill and a beloved hobby for…

Monica Benavides, UC Master Food Preserver Online Program Volunteer  So you found mold on your preserved food. Is it safe to cut or scrape off? Should you toss the whole thing? What is a home food preserver to do?Here’s your research-based guide to help you make the safe choice. Mold is a…

Kirsten Hansen, UC Master Food Preserver Online Program VolunteerCounty of residence: Out of State  My name is Kirsten Hansen. I joined the inaugural class of the University of California Master Food Preserver (UC MFP) Online Delivery program in December 2023, graduated in the summer of 2024, and…

Henry Shaw, UC Master Food Preserver Online Program Volunteer “Water activity” or “the activity of water” (typically abbreviated as “aw”) is a critical parameter in food science that influences microbial growth and chemical reactions (including enzymatic processes) in food products. Unlike moisture…

Travis Alexander, UC Master Food Preserver Online Program Coordinator Thank you to everyone who participated in the three-month process of finding a name for our monthly newsletter.After receiving 34 submissions for names, dwindling the list down internally to the top three, and then collecting public…