Food Preservation

Monica Gross, Los Angeles Co., Online Delivery Program VolunteerDehydration is one of the earliest preservation methods developed by humankind. There is evidence from Middle Eastern and Asian cultures that dehydration was used as a method of preservation as far back as 12,000 BCE. The hot sun was harnessed…

 Chocolate paired with cherries is a match made in heaven.  With the California cherry season approaching, consider making this delicious and decadent jam. Use it as an ice-cream topping, stir it into yogurt, use it to frost brownies, or top a cheesecake! The possibilities are endless.  …

 Living in California has given me a deep appreciation for food, gardening, and seasonality. Fresh produce is available year-round, from winter citrus to summer berries and the abundance of warm-season vegetables that follows. Gardening here makes it possible to experience food not just…

The California Nutrition Incentive Program (CNIP) supports Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) shoppers in purchasing fruits and vegetables by providing a dollar-for-dollar match to SNAP dollars spent on produce. Nutrition Policy Institute researchers conducted a mixed-methods study utilizing…

Tim Long, UC Master Food Preserver Online Program Volunteer    Dehydration preserves food by removing 80–95% of its moisture, which inhibits the growth of bacteria, yeasts, and molds that require water to grow. It is one of the oldest preservation methods, dating back to 12,000 BCE.  This…

Monica Gross, UC Master Food Preserver Online Program Volunteer  For most of human history, feeding a family involved navigating times when food was plentiful, such as at harvest time, and periods when it was scarce. Before methods of food preservation were developed, food insecurity was a…

Earl Weak, UC Master Food Preserver Online Delivery Program VolunteerCounty of residence: Alameda Earl Weak relaxes at his home after an orange harvest (used with permission)My name is Earl Weak. I became UC Master Food Preserver (MFP) in 2024 as a member of the first class of the Online Delivery…

Preserve It! Chicken Wing Season! The Super Bowl always means there is a grand feast of snack foods to plan and prepare. While the textures and flavors abound at this annual gathering (whether you watch the game or not), it seems a quintessential ingredient on the menu is the spicy-vinegary buffalo…

Preserve It! For a Lofty Dessert!  Seckel pears are crisp, juicy, and quite sweet with a slightly spicy flavor profile when ripe. They are very small in size (about one-inch diameter and three-inches in height – about the size of a small lemon), making them perfect for canning beautiful halves of…

Preserve It! A Fruit from the Bogs! From the bogs and swamps of the northeastern part of the country comes a fruit widely used for those family gatherings this time of year. Sure, in a pinch, you could purchase one of those iconic cans of cranberry sauce from the grocery, but why not can and preserve…