NUTRITION, HEALTH AND fOOD sAFETY
“Lots of great info! Thanks!” was one of the comments written on a participant survey from our “Preserving Salsa: On the Plant and i the Jar” program in Independence on June 20.
The program was the second in a series of programs done in a collaboration between agents Jeri Geren, Jacob Weber and myself this spring and summer. This time Jacob discussed how to identify bugs and diseases common to garden plants, and Jeri led the group in learning about pesticides including how to read the labels and use them appropriately.
The science behind safe canning methods was the topic of my segment of the program. As a part of that, using vegetables Jeri and I had prepared in advance, we led the group in actually filling jars and water bath canning salsa. We also covered cooling and storage of canned produce.
According to the Participant Surveys returned, all in attendance agreed or strongly agreed that they had gained new knowledge as a result of attending our program. In addition, they
were now more aware of safe home food preservation techniques as well as more aware of reliable resources for safe home food preservation recipes. Also, all respondents indicated that they now feel more comfortable canning vegetables such as salsa after participating in our event.
Barbara Ames
Nutrition, Health,
and Food Safety
Preserving Salsa: On the Plant and in the Jar