Orange City, Iowa — With the summer season officially underway, produce is starting to pop up in area gardens and will soon become much more abundant. If you’d like to safely preserve some of that peak of the season freshness, there’s a guide to food preservation coming up in Orange City.
Iowa State University (ISU) Extension and Outreach and the Orange City Public Library are offering the free program, which will benefit both beginning and experienced food preservers. Food Preservation 101 will be held Tuesday, June 28, 2016, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the Orange City Public Library.
Renee Sweers, program presenter and human sciences specialist in nutrition and wellness with ISU Extension and Outreach says that canning, drying and preserving food is an old art that is making a comeback. She says it’s all part of the trend to know where your food comes from, what is in it, and to eat fresh, local foods. She says it’s also a wonderful way to extend the taste and nutrition of the garden throughout the whole year.
She says that even if you know how to do canning, freezing, and other techniques, it may be a good idea to attend, because some recommendations have changed. She says her experience is that people are often surprised when they hear the most current recommendations.
Sweers says they’ll talk the most about canning, since that’s where the majority of food safety issues occur, however it’s not limited to canning.
She says these days many people get their information from others or from social media. While sometimes the information is good, sometimes it’s not, and that’s why she encourages people to attend this program.
There is no charge for the program, but pre-registration is recommended. To pre-register, call the Orange City Public Library at 712-707-4302.
