Food preservation classes planned in four Southcentral communities

Jars of home-canned vegetables, including corn, carrots and beans
Photo by Kara Gebhardt, iStock
Learn the fundamentals of safely preserving meat and vegetables in jars such as these in Cooperative Extension Service workshops in April in four Southcentral Alaska communities.

Julie Stricker
907-474-5406
March 19, 2024

Residents in four communities in Southcentral Alaska can learn how to preserve meat and vegetables in workshops led by the University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service. 

Instructor Julie Cascio will teach participants how to safely preserve meat, poultry and vegetables in jars. These in-person workshops will focus on heat processing low-acid foods, the equipment needed, how to select and prepare the food, and how to use and care for a pressure canner. 

The classes are scheduled for:

  • Palmer, Thursday, April 11, 1-5 p.m. at the Matanuska Experiment Farm, 1509 S. Georgeson Drive. The cost is $20. Register at https://bit.ly/PalmerCanningClass.
  • Glennallen, Saturday, April 13, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at Prince William Sound College: Copper Basin CRSD District Office Building, 1976 Aurora Drive, Glennallen. The cost is $20. Register at https://bit.ly/GlennallenCanning. 
  • Soldotna, Friday, April 19, 3:30-7:30 p.m. at the Kenai Peninsula Food Bank, 33955 Community College Drive, Soldotna. The cost is $20. Register at https://bit.ly/SoldotnaCanning.
  • Homer, Saturday, April 20, noon-4 p.m. at The Classic Cook, 378 East Pioneer Ave., Homer. The cost is $25. Register at https://bit.ly/HomerCanning.

An additional food preservation workshop focusing on making pickles and sauerkraut is scheduled for 1-5 p.m. on Thursday, April 25, in Palmer at the Matanuska Experiment Farm and Extension Center. This class will cover pickling as a method of food preservation, types of pickles, and the equipment and methods used to process pickles. Participants will make quick-pack pickles using a boiling water bath. Cascio also will discuss the process of making sauerkraut, appropriate fermentation vessels and methods. The cost is $20. Register at https://bit.ly/PalmerSauerkraut.

Participants can also register for any of these classes by calling the Mat-Su District Cooperative Extension Service office, 907-746-9481. Youths under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.

Accommodation requests related to a disability should be made seven days in advance to Cascio, jmcascio@alaska.edu, 907-746-9481.

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