Clemson University Extension offers canning, food preservation workshops

Published: April 26, 2011

CLEMSON — What was old school is now cool. Home canning is enjoying a revival. Clemson University Extension agents are offering home canning workshops for first-timers and long-timers, teaching the basics and updated techniques. On-campus courses start May 7. 

“More and more people are canning and freezing food,” said Susan Barefoot, who leads the Extension food safety and nutrition program. “Whether it is to save money in a tight economy, eat more homegrown and locally produced fruits and vegetables or to be environmentally conscious by eating regional foods that aren’t trucked across the country, there’s a resurgence of interest in food preservation. Canning is not hard to do, but it requires that you follow the directions and recipes to avoid winding up with a batch of dangerous, spoiled food.”

Barefoot will teach a series of canning workshops at Clemson University in May and June. At the Greenville Extension office classes will be held in June and July. Other classes will be scheduled if there is sufficient demand. Food safety and nutrition Extension agents in other counties will be holding workshops, too. The fee for each workshop is $30 and registration is limited to 15 per class. 

For details, contact Barefoot at 864-656-5682 or sbrft@clemson.edu. To register online and pay, go to https://shopping.clemson.edu and do a product search for “canning.” Follow Carolina Canning on Facebook for information on workshops and news about home canning and food preservation.

“We are excited to bring back this heritage skill, one that not only benefits families, but also growers,” said Barefoot. “It’s a great way to enjoy Certified SC Grown local fruits and vegetables all year long.”

Each workshop deals with one topic, including water bath canning, for tomatoes and other high-acid foods; pressure canning, for beans and other low-acid foods; jams and jellies; and pickles. There will be demonstrations of equipment and supplies, how-to techniques, safety and hands-on practice working in teams. Everyone should get to go home with a jar of preserved food.

“Canning goes back centuries, but research provides new information that makes canning safer and healthier,” said Barefoot. “What your mother or grandmother taught you is probably out of date. The National Center for Food Preservation and Safety at the University of Georgia in Athens routinely updates recipes and processing information. If you have old family canning recipes from before 1998, they are probably not as safe as newer versions. It pays to take a refresher course to make sure you are using the best practices.”

Old information is one problem. Old equipment is another, especially older pressure canners. Many Extension offices have pressure-canning gauge testers. It’s vital to know that the correct pressure is being maintained, along with proper time and temperature. Food in jars must be heated sufficiently to kill microbes that can make people seriously sick.

“Come winter, it’s a wonderful treat to open a jar of tomatoes or pickles or jam that you put up yourself. We want to help you make sure you do it safely and successfully,” said Barefoot.

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