Nearly all U.S. households use some form of food preservation to extend the shelf life of perishable foods, stretch food budgets and prevent waste. A 2024 nationwide survey found that 49% of households preserved food through basic methods like refrigeration or freezing, while 51% also used more advanced techniques such as canning, dehydrating or fermenting.
By providing science-based information and practical training, OSU Extension supports Oregonians in saving money, preventing food waste and reducing the risk of foodborne illness.
Food preservation is also relied on by people experiencing food insecurity. More than half of U.S. households that qualify for food assistance use multiple strategies to preserve food at home. For many families, safely storing seasonal produce, bulk purchases or donated foods can help stabilize household food supplies and reduce grocery costs.
When done safely, home food preservation can be an important support for household food security. But safety gaps remain. As many as one-third of U.S. households rely on unsafe techniques that can lead to wasted food and increased risk of foodborne illness.
Across Oregon, the Oregon State University Extension Service is helping close that gap with research-based education, consultation and community partnerships focused on safe, high-quality food preservation and storage.
OSU Extension staff and Master Food Preserver volunteers provide education through hands-on workshops, phone consultations, online videos and webinars. They work with home cooks, food bank volunteers, gleaners clubs, public libraries, cottage food producers, small-scale farmers, community gardens, schools and youth groups to help make the best use of available food resources.
A statewide effort to improve safety, reduce waste
In 2025, OSU Extension had 206,574 contacts with individuals and groups seeking advice and education on safely storing and preserving food.
The program’s primary point of contact remains its website, which drew more than 129,000 unique visitors in 2025. The most popular resources included step-by-step instructions for preserving foods such as garlic, plums, pears, figs and tomatillos, as well as timely guidance on raw milk, power outages and lacto-fermentation of vegetables.
Feedback on the most-visited web resources was more than 95% positive. Visitors cited clear instructions and timely information from a reliable source.
In addition to online engagement, OSU Extension provides in-person education across the state. In 2025, 260 hands-on workshops were offered in 25 counties and in partnership with seven federally recognized Tribes, reaching 4,266 individuals with practical training in food preservation.
Extension staff and volunteers also connected with 16,529 Oregonians at community fairs and farmers markets to answer questions about safe food preservation. Another 1,102 home preservers visited one of 37 Extension offices offering free pressure canner gauge testing to verify that their equipment accurately measures the pressure required to safely can low-acid foods.
Direct consultation remains an important part of the program’s work. In 2025, staff fielded 1,736 phone calls to county offices and the Food Safety and Preservation Helpline, along with 355 questions submitted through the Ask Extension system. More than 70% of these inquiries involved a food safety issue that was successfully mitigated through Extension guidance.
By providing science-based information and practical training, OSU Extension supports Oregonians in saving money, preventing food waste and reducing the risk of foodborne illness.
Through a combination of digital resources, local workshops and responsive consultation, the program continues to serve as a trusted source for safe home food preservation across the state.
Learn more about the OSU Extension Home Food Safety and Preservation Program.
