If this spring you decided since you were spending more time at home, you should try your hand at gardening, you might be trying to figure out how to save your bounty.

Well, you're in luck. Michigan State University Extension is offering free online courses on how to preserve your fruits and vegetables through Zoom.

The weekly Zoom classes called “Preserving Your Harvest”, are free and cover topics such as canning or freezing peaches, making salsa, different ways to keep tomatoes, making applesauce, and more. The classes started on August 13th and go through October 29th. They happen on Thursday with two different class times, one in the afternoon from 1:00 - 2:30 pm, and then an evening class from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm.

MLive says If you're interested in signing up for a class, you just need to register for the class 24 hours before it happens.

You can register and find out more about the classes offered "by experienced MSU Extension Food Safety Educators" HERE.

Here are the other classes being offered via the MSU website,

  • August 13, 2020 -  Safe Home Food Preservation-Traditions and Trends   
    • MSU Extension Food Safety Team members will weigh in on current trends as well as discussing traditional methods, what is safe and what practices should be avoided, sharing the research-based science that supports it.
  • August 20, 2020 - Preserving what's left in your Garden
    • What's left in the garden? Tired of canning? Let's try blanching and freezing. We'll also discuss taking care of herbs and making pesto.
  • August 27, 2020 - Peaches - Can or Freeze?
    • Discover how easy it is to can or freeze peaches and how to control the sugar in the syrup it's preserved in.
  • September 3, 2020 - Too Many Tomatoes
    • Learn several ways to use up those delicious tomatoes from the garden, including canning and freezing them as well as learning the importance of acidification.
  • September 10, 2020 - Salsa 101
    • Explore the Rules of Salsa and understand the importance of following research-tested recipes for safe salsa to enjoy all winter long
  • September 17, 2020 - Know your Canners
    • Review of your water bath, steam and pressure canners and processing methods.
  • September 24, 2020 - Basics of Sauerkraut
    • Making batches of sauerkraut is a tradition for many families. Join us to learn proper techniques to prepare cabbage, ferment, and process this delicious product.
  • October 8, 2020 - Preparing Soups for Winter
    • Do you have some leftover veggies in the garden? Then this program is for you! We'll discuss how to prepare and process soups for Winter using the pressure canner.
  • October 15, 2020 - Making Applesauce
    • Looking for an easy way to use your abundance of apples?  Let's explore the options of canning or freezing applesauce this harvest season.
  • October 22, 2020 - Preserving Food for Gifts
    • Don't put your water bath or steam canner away yet! There are several high acid items you can make for gifts. Join us for this session to learn what can be made for gifts to give in the coming weeks.
  • October 29, 2020 - Preserving Venison
    • Preserving venison must be done using a pressure canner. Discover how to preserve and learn where to find research-based recipes you can use to safely preserve venison. We'll also discuss freezing and dehydrating.

 

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