Food Preservation Resources

In order to know how to preserve your own fruits, vegetables and meats at home you'll need to know where to start.  Sometimes, the idea of home food preservation can seem overwhelming at times, especially if you have never done it before, or have little experience.

The following links will provide you with the safest methods and practices depending on what you are preserving.

• For complete instructions, from start to finish, for any kind of canning (water bath or pressure), dehydrating, pickling and more, we recommend you visit the National Center for Home Food Preservation's website.  They also have scientifically tested recipes that you can use for a safe product, every time.

• If you need to know how to get in touch with your local USDA Cooperative Extension Office, go to the following link http://nchfp.uga.edu/links/links_home.html.  Then click on the state that you live in.

• To directly access the USDA's Complete Guide to Home Canning click here.  This guide will give you all the information you need on how to get started or how to change your methods to make sure you keep you and your friends and family safe.

• To obtain a USDA approved 'how-to' DVD and book on canning and home food preservation, you can visit http://setp.uga.edu/index.html.  From there you can purchase the book So Easy to Preserve and companion demonstration DVD.  The 375-page book comes with over 185 tested recipes along with in-depth instructions.  The DVD has eight, 20-35 minute segments that provide how-to demonstrations of each type of preservation method.