Master Food Preservation at Home with Our Online Course

Course Overview

LARAMIE, WY - The six-week "Preserve@Home" course, organized by Idaho extension educators, is an annual offering. It commences on January 16, 2025, and concludes on February 27, 2025. Real-time discussions take place every Thursday at 1 p.m. Mountain Time, providing a platform for participants to engage and share their experiences.

Food preservation not only helps consumers reduce food waste but also enables them to create high-quality food products. It gives individuals more control over food additives like salt or sugar. The course covers various aspects of food preservation, including foodborne illnesses, spoilage and canning basics, canning acidic and low-acid foods, canning specialty foods, and drying and freezing.

Course Content and Benefits

The "Preserve@Home" course presents one lesson each week, teaching current research-based food safety practices suitable for participants of all experience levels. As Vicki Hayman, a course instructor and UW Extension community vitality and health educator, emphasizes, "Not all internet practices are safe for consumers. We are teaching the current USDA guidelines - properly preserving food through canning, freezing, or drying."

For each lesson, class members read assigned materials, respond to a discussion board prompt, and take a quiz on the lesson topic. Weekly real-time Zoom sessions allow for in-depth discussions and addressing other food preservation questions with instructors. All meetings are recorded and made available during the six-week course, ensuring that participants can review and reinforce their learning.

In addition to the core food preservation topics, the course provides supplementary information on other subjects such as canning at high altitudes, using root cellars to store food, and the nutritional value of preserved foods. This comprehensive approach equips participants with a well-rounded understanding of food preservation.

Course Details and Registration

Preserve@Home is a non-credit course and cannot be taken for college credit. However, participants have the opportunity to earn a certificate of completion. The registration fee for the course is $35 and closes on Monday, January 13. Registration can be completed here.