Home food preservation will be the focus of UW Extension online course

How to safely preserve a variety of foods is being taught through a six-week online course by the University of Wyoming Extension in partnership with the University of Idaho.

Registration for “Preserve@Home” ends Jan. 14, with the course opening Jan. 17, said Laura Balis, UW Extension nutrition and food safety educator.

Participants will learn how to produce high quality, preserved foods and the science behind food preservation and food safety, she said.

All lessons include online text that can be downloaded and printed, an online bulletin board to facilitate participant discussion and a real-time weekly chat to interact with classmates and instructors, said Balis.

The first lesson opens 1 p.m. Jan. 17. The first weekly online chat session is 1 to 1:45 p.m. Jan. 24.

Course topics include: Foodborne illness—causes and prevention; spoilage and canning basics; canning high acid foods; canning specialty high acid foods—pickles, salsa, jams, jellies, etc.; canning low acid foods; and freezing and drying.

Supplemental materials include information about planting varieties for food preservation, cold storage and root cellaring.

The cost is $35 and class size is limited. Register online at bit.ly/PreserveAtHome or by contacting Balis at 307-332-2363 or [email protected], or extension nutrition and food safety educator Julie Balzan at 307-322-3667 or [email protected].