Master Food Preserver Program of San Diego County

Become a Master Food Preserver

The UC Master Food Preserver Program is open to individuals looking to increase community knowledge in home food preservation methods. Applicants for the UC Master Food Preserver Program must be willing to share knowledge and skills learned from certification training through local community outreach. Prior food preservation knowledge is not a requirement; willingness to teach others is.

Examples of community outreach from UC Master Food Preservers:  

  • Classes and workshops
  • Hands-on demonstrations
  • County fairs
  • Websites and blogs
  • Print and digital media

How UC Master Food Preservers make a difference:

  • Teach safe and food preservation methods in local communities
  • Share knowledge about preserving fresh and healthy produce
  • Prevent botulism in home canning
  • Promote research-based methods of food handling and food preparation 

How to Apply

 

 

Training Program Overview

The goal of this training program is to equip volunteers with essential food safety knowledge and core food preservation skills. Graduates will be prepared to teach the general public how to safely preserve food at home using both short-term and long-term methods.

Training Format

This is a hybrid learning program consisting of:

  • Virtual learning: Pre-recorded videos, reading assignments, quizzes, live classes, and case studies completed with a mentor. Students use Google Classroom to track assignments and access class links.
  • Hands-on learning: In-person labs conducted locally at participating program offices.
  • View the 2027 Syllabus (coming soon) for details about the training program.

Applicant Requirements

  • Applicants must be available to attend the live online classes listed in the class schedule below.  Each local program will post its local in-person lab dates.
    • The live online classes are offered twice per topic. Applicants will sign up for either the Thursday evening track (6:30-8:30 pm) or the Friday afternoon track (2:00-4:00 pm).
  • Applicants must be comfortable navigating the web, utilizing the features of Zoom, and accessing assignments on Google Classroom; class communication is via email. 
  • Accepted applicants must be fingerprinted for DOJ clearance in California.

How to Apply

  1. Attend/watch the required information session to learn about expectations during the training process. Attend one or both of the optional Q&A sessions to address unanswered questions.
    • Required Training Information Session: 
      • Thursday, September 10, 2026: 6:30–7:30 pm
    • Optional Q&A Sessions(please attend/watch the recorded training information session before attending):
      • Thursday, October 8, 2026:  6:30–7:30 pm 

      • Friday, October 23, 2026: 2:00–3:00 pm 

        REGISTER HERE

  2. Submit your application by the end of Sunday, November 8, 2026. To prevent data loss, please complete the application in one session or prepare your answers in a separate document before pasting and submitting.

    Application NOW open, Click here to apply

Next Steps

  1. Selected applicants will be contacted for an in-person interview and short demo presentation in November or early December.
  2. If accepted, submit your training fee to your county's survey by December 2026. We'll need time to order and ship training materials before the start of training in January. 
  3. Complete the Live Scan fingerprinting process.
  4. Training begins! Attend online classes and in-person labs from January through June.
  5. Once training is complete, you will be expected to complete 50 volunteer hours in your first year as a UC Master Food Preserver. Every year thereafter, you will be expected to complete 25 volunteer hours plus 12 continuing education hours. 

2027 Class Schedule

Live online (Zoom) classes are on Thursdays from 6:30-8:30 pm or Fridays from 2:00-4:00 pm, unless otherwise specified. In-person labs are scheduled by the local programs at a county location near you. See your program's training page for more information on labs. 

Please note: class topics may shift before January 2027. 

  • Jan 7 (6:30-7:30 pm)/ Jan 8 (2-3 pm)— Zoom Preparation Class (optional)
  • Jan 14/15— Class 1: Training Orientation
  • Jan 21/22— Class 2: Food Safety
  • Jan 28/29—  Class 3: Cold Storage & Being an MFP Pt.1
  • Local program dates— Lab 1: Site Orientation & Cold Storage
  • Feb 4/5— Class 4: High-Acid Canning
  • Feb 12— Completed Fingerprint Forms Submitted
  • Local program dates— Lab 2: High-Acid Canning
  • Feb 25/26— Class 5: Educating Our Community
  • Mar 11/12— Class 6: Pickling & Fermenting
  • Local program dates— Lab 3: Pickle/Ferment/Spreads
  • Mar 18/19— Class 7: Fruit Spreads
  • Local program dates— Lab 4: Fruit Spreads
  • Apr 8/9— Class 8: Low-Acid Canning
  • Local program dates— Lab 5: Low-Acid Canning
  • Apr 22/23— Class 9: Dehydration & Being an MFP Pt. 2
  • Local program dates—Lab 6: Dehydration
  • May 6/7— Class 10: Kitchen Pest Management
  • May 20/21— Class 11: Being an MFP Pt. 3
  • Jun 3/4— Class 12: Putting it all Together
  • Local program dates— Student Presentations & Certification Ceremony