Food Preservation

Gardeners and other lovers of fresh produce are often interested in extending the season's bounty by learning more about home-preserving fruits and vegetables. Ohio State University Extension Family and Consumer Sciences home food preservation workshops focus on teaching the basics of home canning and preservation. We emphasize the science behind preservation so than everyone who cans or freezes fresh fruits and vegetables understands why certain procedures must be followed precisely to ensure a high-quality, safe product that they and their family can enjoy.

Home Food Preservation educational programs typically address:

  • Basic food safety principles.
  • How to use a water bath canner and a pressure canner.
  • Canning tomatoes, pickling, and making jams and jellies.
  • Freezing fruits and vegetables.
  • Accessing reliable research-backed resources from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, OSU Extension, and others.

All pressure canner dial gauges should be tested for accuracy each year. Testing for dial gauge canners are available at no cost by appointment. Contact Shannon Carter at 740-653-5419 or email carter.413@osu.edu to schedule.

Click HERE for OSU Extension's Home Food Preservation page, which contains several videos about canning!

Please visit go.osu.edu/preservefranklin to view Food Preservation 101 videos about food preservation methods including water bath canning, pressure canning, pickling and fermentation, freezing fruits and vegetables and dehydration. You will also find many preservation resources available there.

Food Safety

Ohio State University Extension Family & Consumer Sciences professionals offer a variety of food safety programming throughout the state.  The manner in which people handle and prepare food is a major reason why foodborne illness occurs.  People must alter their food handling behavior, but they must first have the knowledge and skills that are known to protect food from contamination with pathogens before they have the capacity to change their behavior.  Education provides the knowledge and skills Ohio citizens need to reduce incidence of foodborne illness and to reduce the impact on health care costs.

Select Food Safety Resources for additional links to information. 

Watch the video below about the importance of food safety and Extension resources available right here in Fairfield County...

Contact Shannon Carter at 740-653-5419 or carter.413@osu.edu with questions, for more information about upcoming classes, or to schedule a workshop for your group/organization.

Click HERE to go to OSU Extension's webpage to read more on food safety.