1. Safe, Simple, Easy to Learn Preserving Food at Home can be Rewarding
Empowerment Through Education

2. Today’s Topics Reasons for preserving food at home
When to harvest produce
Costs of preserving and storing food
Today’s Topics
Reasons for preserving food at home. Ask the audience why they choose to preserve food at home or why they are attending this program.
When to Harvest Produce
Resource for Educator – Ohio Proud Produce Availability chart
Cost of Preserving and Storing Food
Resource for Educator: From Colorado State University, Extension Fact Sheet, Cost of Preserving and Storing Food.

3. Before preserving any food consider the types of foods your family enjoys and the usefulness of the preserved product in your lifestyle.
Preserving food at home may require significant time, energy and money.
Before starting your preservation, it is important to consider the types of foods you plan to preserve and how they will fit into your family’s lifestyle. Only preserve those foods your family will consume within 1 year.

4. “Food Safety Always Comes First”
Why do we Preserve Food?
Preserve garden produce for later use
Control quality and ingredients
Personally fulfilling
Have food on hand
Family activity
Share with others
We preserve foods for different reasons:
Some of us want to preserve our garden produce for later use.
Some of us want to know and manage what is in our food, the ways it is grown, or the ingredients we use in preservation.
Other individuals receive great personal satisfaction from doing food preservation as an activity.
Another reason is the stored food is a convenience, it is food we have on hand when we need it.
Many times Family and Consumer Sciences Educators are told that families enjoy getting together and canning, freezing, or drying.
Sometimes neighbors have fun working together.
Many people will distribute their food as a gift to loved ones. Note: In Ohio it is not legal to sell home canned products except in specific situations under cottage food industry regulations.
“Food Safety Always Comes First”

5. Keep it Fresh From the Garden
Poor handling of produce causes 5-25% loss of nutrients after harvest
Handle food safely and preserve within 24 hours of harvest
Keep it Fresh from the Garden
It is estimated that harvested produce lose 5-25% of nutrients. This is most often because of poor handling practices resulting in damage and disease.
Knowing how to handle produce to prevent spoilage is the key in food preservation. Try to preserve the food you harvest within 24 hours.

6. Consumer Perception of Quality
How does it look? Is the prettiest produce the best?
Does it have a firm texture?
Does it smell good?
How fresh is it?
Is where it was grown important?
Consumers want high quality produce they perceive as fresh. What do you look for? Ask audience members to describe produce which is fresh.
Perception of quality is based on:
Appearance and feel
Size, color, shape
Firmness
Eating quality
Texture
Flavor
Juiciness
Freshness
Water content
Gloss or sheen
Aroma

7. Harvested Produce are Living Systems that “Age”
Fresh produce is a living system which continues to change. Produce will continue to age and will eventually spoil.
Produce quality can be maintained to as close to when picked (slow the aging process) by using good growing and postharvest handling practices.
GOAL: Slow down the aging process!

8. Grower’s and Preserver’s
Postharvest
Care
Harvest or
Purchase
Planting &
Growing
Consumption
Variety
Selection
Soil
Preparation
Food
Preservation
Grower’s and Preserver’s
Responsibility Cycle
Grower’s responsibilities are:
Variety selection (characteristics genetically programmed)
Choose for superior flavor, texture, color
Look at shelf life, storage potential
Soil preparation (postharvest problems—too much nitrogen, too little calcium)
Planting and growing
Spacing, thinning
Timing planting
Trellising
Pruning
Water and nutrition management
Pest and disease control
Food Preserver’s responsibilities are:
Harvest own produce or purchase produce
Postharvest care
Storage
Food Preservation
Canning
Freezing
Drying
Pickling
Food Consumption
Postharvest quality is directly related to decisions and practices from variety selection by the grower to food preservation by the consumer. These principles are the same whether you are growing your own or purchasing from a local market.

9. Harvest Pick early in the morning Keep produce in the shade Keep moist
Store where air can circulate
Choose mature produce
Handle gently
Discard damaged product
When to Harvest Produce
Resource for Educator: download Clemson University fact sheet at

10. Methods of Food Preservation
Freezing
Canning
Water Bath Canning
Pressure Canning
Drying
Methods of Food Preservation:
Freezing slows down the spoilage process by changing water into ice, a form that the bacteria cannot use.
Canning destroys bacteria through heating.
Drying removes water from the food which stops spoilage by preventing bacteria from being able to grow and reproduce.

11. Costs of Food Preservation
Produce and Ingredients
Equipment and Supplies
Fuel and Water Usage
Large Equipment
e.g., Freezer, pressure canner, etc.
Time and Energy
Resource for Educator: From Colorado State University, Extension Fact Sheet, Cost of Preserving and Storing Food.

12. Advantages of Food Preservation
Year round availability of foods
Less spoilage
Eliminate or reduce microbial hazards
Increased convenience
Advantages: The immediate benefits of preserving food are the elimination/reduction of spoilage microorganisms and inactivation of enzymes that cause further ripening. Long term benefits include the convenience of using your preserved foods and the ability to enjoy produce at its peak of freshness all year long.

13. Summary
Consider the type and use of the food to be preserved to meet your family’s needs.
Consider ALL of the costs involved in preserving food.
Start with high quality produce for a high quality product.
Use recommended, up-to-date resources.
Enjoy the process!
In summary, home food preservation can be rewarding.

14. Questions? Contact your local OSU Extension Office extension.osu.edu
Ohio State University Extension embraces human diversity and is committed to ensuring that all research and related educational programs are available to clientele on a nondiscriminatory basis without regard to age, ancestry, color, disability, gender identity or expression, genetic information, HIV/AIDS status, military status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status. This statement is in accordance with United States Civil Rights Laws and the USDA.
Roger Rennekamp, Associate Dean and Director, Ohio State University Extension
For Deaf and Hard of Hearing, please contact Ohio State University Extension using your preferred communication ( , relay services, or video relay services). Phone between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. EST Monday through Friday. Inform the operator to dial

15. This material has been peer-reviewed for statewide distribution.
Developed by OSU Extension Food Preservation Team:
Lisa Barlage, Educator, Ross County
Melinda Hill, Educator, Wayne County
Shawna Hite, Healthy People Program Specialist
Sanja Ilic, Food Safety State Specialist
Christine Kendle, Educator, Tuscarawas County
Katharine Shumaker, Educator, Holmes County
Nancy Stehulak, Educator, Henry County
Treva Williams, Educator, Scioto County

16. References:
Bush, D. and Keener, K. (February, 2007) Food Entrepreneurship Series: Food Preservation and Processing Technologies. Department of Food Science, Purdue Extension, Bulletin No. FS-15-W
Kendall, P. and Payton, L. (August, 2008) Food and Nutrition Series: Cost of Preserving and Storing Food. Colorado State University Extension, Bulletin No
Tanner, C. (August, 2010) Harvesting Vegetables. Clemson Cooperative Extension, Bulletin No. HGIC 1262

17. Photo Credits Slides 4, 9 and 11: Pixabay
Slide 5: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Slide 6: National Center for Home Food Preservation
All other photos were taken by the Food Preservation Team.
Updated May 2016