Iowans can learn how to “Preserve the Taste of Summer” during online lessons and hands-on workshops from Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. The online lessons already are available and workshops are planned for July and August, 2015, including a jam and jelly workshop August 8th from 9 am to 12 noon, at the Cass County Fairgrounds.

Preserve the Taste of Summer is a comprehensive food preservation education program including online lessons, hands-one workshops and printable resources and recipes. The two-part educational series includes online classwork, covering topics such as food safety, canning basics, canning acid foods, pressure canning low-acid foods, preparation and canning of pickled and fermented foods, making and preserving fruit spreads, freezing foods, storage of frozen and refrigerated foods, and drying foods. The lessons can also be taken in a group session at the Extension Office by prior arrangement.

Once the “classroom” sessions are completed, participants can choose from four different hands-on workshops, each lasting approximately three hours, where they will practice specific preservation skills in a kitchen and take home a freshly preserved product. The four workshop choices include Hot water bath canning (salsa making) and freezing, Jams and dehydrating, Pickle making and Pressure canning.

The home food preserver registration fee is $35 and covers all eight online lessons and one hands-on workshop. The professional level of “Preserve the Taste of Summer” qualifies as continuing education for Iowa teachers and registered dietitians. The registration fee is $100 and covers all eight online lessons and two hands-on workshops.

Cass County Extension will be hosting a Jams and Dehydrating workshop in the Cass County Fair Foodstand on Saturday, August 8th from 9 AM to Noon. Other upcoming classes include a July 30yh Pressure Canning workshop in Adair County, an August 13 Pickling workshop in Carson, and an August 20th Salsa workshop in Adair County. All of these workshops require completion of relevant classroom sessions prior to attending the workshop.

For more information on cost and getting enrolled in the classes, visit the Preserve the Taste of Summer website at www.extension.iastate.edu/humansciences/preserve-taste-summer. You can also call the Cass County Extension Office at 712-243-1132 to learn more about the program, to inquire about the Group Viewing option for the classwork, or to pick up food preservation publications.

Food Preservation publications, covering 8 different types of home food preservation, with detailed recipes, can also be downloaded at no cost from the ISU Extension Online Store (https://store.extension.iastate.edu/).