Food Preservation

Master Food Preserver Michele Pryse teaches food preservation techniques in the Medford, Oregon area. Photo by Lynn Ketchum.

OSU Extension Family and Community Health provides publications and resources to help you preserve and store food. Extension also provides classes in food preservation and safety. Contact your local Extension office for information about classes.

For answers to your food safety questions contact:

USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-674-6854
7 am – 1 pm PST, M-F
FDA Food Safety Hotline at 1-888-723-3366
7 am – 1 pm PST, M-W and F
https://www.foodsafety.gov/experts/other/index.html

or go to Oregon State Extension Ask an Expert

FREEZING TEMPERATURES?
Safety of Canned Food that Freezes (SP 50-695)

Emergency Food Storage Publications

General Canning

Pressure Canner Use and Care – SP50-649 (PDF)
Safely Canning Foods - Pressure Canners, Pressure Cookers, and Electric Pressure Cookers - EM9152 (PDF)
Using and Caring for Your Pressure Canner – PNW 421 (PDF)
Storing Food for Safety and Quality - PNW 612 (PDF)
Guidelines of using an Atmospheric Canner for Home Food Preservation - (SP50-1004) (PDF)
Where to Get Your Pressure Gauge Tested in Oregon - 2016 (PDF)

Fruits and vegetables

Canning Vegetables – PNW 172 (PDF)
Guardado de vegetales en conserva - PNW 172S (PDF)
Canning Fruits – PNW 199 (PDF)
Guardado de frutas en conserva - PNW 199S (PDF)
Canning Tomatoes and Tomato Products (PNW 300)
Elaboración de conservas de tomates y productos de tomates (PNW 300-S)
Salsa Recipes for Canning – PNW 395 (PDF)
Recetas para el Envasado de Salsas PNW-395S (PDF)
Fruit Pie Fillings – SP50-616 (PDF)
Problems and Solutions: Canned Vegetables – SP50-742 (PDF)
Problems and Solutions: Canned Fruit and Tomatoes SP50-743 (PDF)

Meat, poultry, game, seafood

Canning Seafood – PNW 194 (PDF)
Canning Smoked Fish at Home – PNW 450 (PDF)
Canning Meat, Poultry & Game – PNW 361 (PDF)
Problems and Solutions: Canned Meat, Poultry and Fish - SP50-741 (PDF)
Canning Soups - SP50-931 (PDF)

Pickling

Fruit Pickles and Chutney - SP50-757 (PDF)
Low Salt Pickles - SP50-533 (PDF)
Pickling Vegetables - PNW 355 (PDF)
Pickling Fish and Other Aquatic Foods for Home Use - PNW 183 (PDF)
Problems and Solutions: Pickles and Relishes - SP50-744 (PDF)
Problems and Solutions: Sauerkraut - SP50-745 (PDF)
Flavored Vinegars - SP50-736 (PDF)

Jams, Jellies, Preserves

Low Sugar Jams, Jellies/Fruit Spreads - SP50-765 (PDF)
Making Jams, Jellies, and Fruit Spreads - SP50-764 (PDF)
Remaking Soft Jellies - SP50-604 (PDF)
Problems and Solutions: Jams and Jellies - SP50-746 (PDF)
Canned Lemon Curd (SP 50-922) (PDF)
Making Berry Syrups at Home - SP 50-632 (PDF)
Fruit Butters - SP 50-304 (PDF)

Freezing

Drying

Drying Fruits and Vegetables – PNW 397 (PDF)
Drying and Roasting Seeds - SP50-534 (PDF)
Making Dried Fruit Leather – FS 232 (PDF)
Drying Herbs - SP50-921 (PDF)
Harvesting, Handling & Storing Nuts from the Home Orchard - FS 146 (PDF)

Smoking and curing

Making Jerky at Home (PNW 632) (PDF)
Smoking Fish at Home – PNW 238 (PDF)

Preserving Specific Foods

Fruits

Apples - SP50-446 (PDF)
Apple Cider and Fruit Juices - SP50-455 (PDF)
Asian Pears - SP50-694 (PDF)
Berries - SP50-780 (PDF)
Cherries - SP50-883 (PDF)
Preserving Cranberries - SP50-929 (PDF)
Figs - SP50-648 (PDF)
Preserving Kiwi Fruit - SP50-832 (PDF)
Peaches - SP50-444 (PDF)
Pears - SP50-678 (PDF)
Plums and Prunes - SP50-586 (PDF)
Rhubarb - SP50-882 (PDF)
Wild Berries and Fruit - SP50-536 (PDF)

Vegetables

Beans (Green, Italian or Wax) - SP50-445 (PDF)
Corn - SP50-443 (PDF)
Dried Beans - SP50-955 (PDF)
Garlic - SP50-645 (PDF)
Horseradish - SP50-793 (PDF)
Peas & Edible Pea Pods - SP50-305 (PDF)
Peppers - SP50-454 (PDF)
Preserving Mushrooms - SP50-919 (PDF)
Pumpkins & Winter Squash - SP50-767 (PDF)
Storing Pumpkin and Winter Squash - SP50-713 (PDF)
Tomatillos - SP50-768 (PDF)
Tomatoes - SP50-920 (PDF)

Other

Food Safety Tips for Older Adults (SP-50-872)
Food Safety Tips for Pregnant Women (SP-50-838)
It Must Have Been Something I Ate (SP-50-784)
Using Preserved Foods Safely (SP-50-494)
Making Garlic- and Herb-Infused Oils At Home (PNW 664)
Herbs & Vegetables in Oil (SP-50-701)
Shipping Food Gifts (SP-50-933)
Home Pasteurization of Raw Milk (SP-50-932)
Sweeteners: Nutritive and Non-Nutritive (SP-50-935)
Farm Direct, Value Added - A Resource Guide to Making and Selling Food in Oregon (pdf)

Holiday Fact Sheets!
Turkey Basics - SP50-1000 (PDF)
Turkey Fact Sheet - SP50-880 (PDF)
Preparación del Pavo - SP50-880S (PDF)
Preserving Cranberries - SP50-929 (PDF)
Canning Lemon Curd - SP50-922 (PDF)

Volunteers

Master Food Preserver (MFP) and Family Food Education (FFE) Volunteers educate the public about safe food handling/preservation over the phone and at workshops and exhibits.

In 2015, 396 new and veteran Master Food Preserver / Family Food Education volunteers contributed more than 26,494 hours of time in 26 counties, including Central Oregon (Deschutes, Crook, Jefferson); Baker, Clackamas, Coos, Curry, Douglas, Harney, Hood River, Jackson / Josephine, Klamath, Lake, Lane, Linn / Benton, Lincoln, Marion, Polk, Tillamook, Union, Washington, Wasco and Yamhill. Volunteers educated the public about safe food handling and preservation over the phone, at workshops, and at exhibits and demonstrations at sites such as farmers markets and county fairs. Over 41,408 contacts were made by volunteers, faculty and Extension staff, with 3,386 of these from callers seeking assistance from the Food Safety / Preservation Hotline. The Hotline is operated with volunteer assistance during the food preservation and holiday season. In addition, an estimated 149,930 Oregonians were reached by our faculty and volunteers through radio and television broadcasts, social media sites, and newspaper articles related to food preservation topics.

Other Food Preservation Resources

USDA's Complete Guide to Home Canning publication guide
The National Center for Home Food Preservation (University of Georgia)

Content Contact: Jeanne Brandt

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