New Food Preservation Committee Formed

Food Preservation Information

The Food Preservation committee is dedicated to helping gardeners preserve their bounty. One of the worst things that can happen to a gardener is to have a gorgeous crop only to see it go to waste or rot because it cannot be used before it goes bad. We hope to remedy this situation by giving you all the information we can on food preservation.

There are many ways of preserving food. Some of them are; dehydration, canning, pickling and freezing.

The main thing is to not be scared of the process. It is not necessary to put up an entire acre of food as was done in years past. It is possible to preserve a few jars or bags at a time. This is especially important these days when we all have to work at jobs away from home.

Some publications that might be helpful are the following.

Dry It You’ll Like It, by Gen Macmaniman. This is a self published book full of fun and neat ideas. It is available from amazon.com.. The last printing was 2000, and it may be only available as used. But if you are into drying food it is worth the effort to find it.

Ball Blue Book, Guide to Preserving, available online but not through the Ball canning jar company’s web site. This book has been around since 1909 and is still the definitive book on food preservation. It covers almost all aspects of food preservation from canning to pickling to freezing. All types of foods are included.

Preserve It Naturally, The Complete Guide To Food Dehydration. This book is put out by the Excalibur Dehydrator company and is available at www.excaliburdehydrator.com. This is an excellent guide to dehydrating all foods and is especially helpful by rating how well each food dries.

We will be having a table set up at the Sustainability Fair on Nov. 12. Be sure to stop by and see us.