Preserving MI Harvest

Online via Zoom
Thursdays, May 2 - November 21, 2024

Join the MSU Extension Food Safety Team to learn how to preserve food safely at home using current preservation methods and research-based resources. Let us help you fill your pantry and freezer by preserving food at home. Join online via Zoom using your laptop, tablet, smartphone, or any device with internet access. Classes are free and we invite you to register for any sessions you are interested in.

Classes are offered on Thursdays from 1-2 p.m. or 6-7 p.m. ET. Sessions include:

• May 2 - The Fungi Among Us-Foraging and Preserving
  • Interested in mushrooms? Explore tips on foraging, preserving, and using mushrooms safely with us.

• May 9 - Using and Preserving Herbs and Edible Flowers
  
  • Explore ways to preserve herbs and edible flowers from your garden.

• May 16 - Debunking Food Preservation Myths-To Can or Not To Can?
  
  • Social Media can be fun, but is it a safe place to find food preservation information? Let's take a look at some of the most recent trends and myths.

• May 30 - Preserving for Outdoor Adventures 
  
  • Interested in hiking and backpacking? Explore food preservation tips to dehydrate foods for snacks and meals and get some good recipe ideas.

• June 6 - Strawberries-More Than Just Jam
  
  • It's strawberry season. Explore how to can, freeze, and make jam with this popular fruit. Preserve your strawberries now to enjoy all year long.

• June 13 - Celebrating Juneteenth: African American Cuisine 
  
  • African American cuisine has influenced American cooking for decades. Join us as we discover the history of Juneteenth, safe food preservation methods, and recipes.

• June 20 - Veggies-From Garden to Freezer
  
  • Learn how to freeze your garden fresh vegetables by blanching and freezing. We'll discuss what is blanching, what to blanch, and tips for freezing veggies.

• July 11 - Green Beans and Pressure Canning
  • Green beans are a popular vegetable for canning but they must be pressure canned. Join us and experience how easy it is to pressure can green beans and other vegetables.

• July 18 - MI Mixers
  • Create mixers for your favorite drinks by preserving mixers or using preserved items that you can add to a mixer or use as garnish.

• July 25 - Picked a Peck of Peppers, Now What?
  • Sweet peppers and hot peppers, what can you do with them all? They can be frozen, canned, pickled, or dehydrated!

• August 1 - Preserving Fresh Summer Fruits 
  • Delicious berries, peaches, and pears are in season. Explore a variety of recipe ideas to preserve these tasty fruits.

• August 8 - In a Pickle-How to Pickle Lots of Veggies
  
  • Join us to learn the proper steps to pickling produce including cucumbers, carrots, brussels sprouts, making relish and so much more.

• August 15 - Too Many Tomatoes 
  
  • What to do with your bounty of tomatoes? We'll share a variety of ways to preserve them to enjoy year-round.

• August 22 - Preserving Sweet Corn, It's "A-maizeing"
  
  • Corn is a summer produce staple. This session will discuss various ways to preserve corn-freezing, canning, and dehydrating.

• August 29 - Sweet and Savory Salsas
  
  • Salsa is a great way to preserve your tomatoes and peppers. Join us to learn the science of preserving sweet and savory salsas!

• September 12 - Top it Off with Condiments and Dressings
  
  • There's nothing better than having homemade condiments to top off your favorite burger or sandwich. Discover some tasty homemade preservation recipes for relishes, mustard, hot sauce, BBQ sauce, ketchup, and more. Learn to make flavorful homemade dressing using your herbs to spice up your salad.

• September 19 - Sauerkraut, a Fermented Favorite
  • Making batches of sauerkraut is a tradition for many families. Join us to learn the proper techniques to prepare cabbage, ferment, and process this delicious product.

• September 26 - Preserving Apples
  • It's apple season in Michigan. What can you do with an abundance of apples? Let's explore ways to freeze and can those apples.

• October 3 - Pumpkin / Squash
  • Discover how to safely freeze and can pumpkin and winter squash.

• October 10 - Preserving MI Venison 
  • Preserving venison must be done using a pressure canner. Learn how to safely can, freeze, and dehydrate venison and where to find research-based recipes. 

• October 24 - Preserving Fall Produce Left in the Garden 
  • Time to put your garden to rest for the season. What can you preserve and make with a little bit of everything?

• November 7 - Holiday Baking
  
  • Do your holiday baking with the bounty you preserved. Holiday pies can dress up any meal.

• November 14 - Tips for Preserving Soup
  
  • Warm up with us and learn how to preserve soup by canning or freezing. We will share safe methods, recipes, and helpful tips so you can start preserving soup at home.

• November 21 - The Gift of Preservation
  
  • The season of giving is right around the corner! Join us for ideas on what you can preserve for gifts to give. Ideas for gifting preservation equipment for safe home preservation will also be shared.