Monthly Articles To-date

Travis Alexander, UC Master Food Preserver Online Program CoordinatorHave you been enjoying Save the Season newsletter? Do you have ideas on how we can make it even better?Let us know by filling out this survey by January 10, 2025. We will select one respondent at random to receive a prize.This data is…

Ariel Patton, UC Master Food Preserver Online Program Volunteer  Hand picked cluster of grapes (Ariel Patton, used with permission). The thousandth grape drops into the bowl. As the wilting days of summer soften into crisp fall mornings, I pick bunches and bunches of grapes from my garden. I…

Monica Gross, UC Master Food Preserver Online Program VolunteerCounty of residence: Los Angeles Monica Gross (Used with permission).  Hi! My name is Monica Gross and I am a 2025 graduate of the UC Master Food Preserver (MFP) Online Delivery Program. I heard about the MFP Program when I first…

Robin Martin, UC Master Food Preserver Online Program Volunteer Although the best pumpkins for cooking are the smaller, sweeter varieties of pumpkin, pretty much any pumpkin can have its life extended after its role as an autumnal decoration is concluded. Prepare and freeze* pumpkin purée for soups,…

 Paige Weisskirch, UC Master Food Preserver Online Program Volunteer  Dried fruit bread (Photo caption: Paige Weisskirch, used with permission). Every November, I open my pantry and face the same situation: half-empty bags of dried apricots from the previous year’s baking; figs I…

Earl Weak, UC Master Food Preserver Online Program Volunteer In simple terms, pH is a measure of how acidic or alkaline (basic) a solution is. A pH below 7 indicates an acid solution A pH above 7 indicates an alkaline (basic) solution pH 7 is considered neutral In the context of food…

Tim Long, UC Master Food Preserver Online Program Volunteer Red Delicious apples at the market (Photo caption: Tim Long, used with permission).  If you’re looking for a native apple tree, you’ll to be disappointed. Apples, other than three varieties of crabapples, aren’t native to the Americas…

Henry Shaw, UC Master Food Preserver Online Program Volunteer Your Name Here MFP Badge (Photo caption: Henry Shaw, used with permission). Do you want to learn more about safe food-preservation techniques? Do you have a passion for sharing your knowledge with others? Are you willing to donate your…

Robyn Barker, UC Master Food Preserver Online Program Volunteer If you have a sunny spot in your garden or on your patio, chili peppers are fun and easy to grow. The plants don’t get too large; they can even be grown in a container. They are relatively disease and pest free. With limited space and…

Mary Nazara, UC Master Food Preserver Online Program VolunteerCounty of residence: Los Angeles Mary Nazara, used with permission.  I started preserving in the summer of 2022 after a phone call from my sister. She had a tree full of ripe plums and didn’t want them to go to waste. I already had…