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Home Food Safety and Preservation Program

Menu [Home Food Safety and Preservation Program]

Publications

Featured Catalog resources

OSU Extension Catalog has a number of publications that provide comprehensive information related to food safety and food preservation. These are featured on our topic pages that are organized for the public to see Catalog resources and then browse to find what else they need.

Dried produce must be stored in dry, cool and dark places. High temperatures will cause the quality of dried foods to decline.
Home Food Preservation
Plastic air-tights containers in a pantry containing rice, pasta, flour, and cereal.
Home Food Safety and Storage

Local services and checklists

County Gauge Testing Resources

Dial gauges should be checked for accuracy and overall condition every year prior to the beginning of canning season. If you use your dial gauge throughout the year, check it at the same time every year. Many of our Extension offices provide dial gauges tested for free! Click to view or download county specific information.

Home Food Safety and Preservation Program

Canning Timer & Checklist App

Select from over 50 popular foods used in home canning to generate a checklist and timer for processing. This app lets set you set your jar size, pack type, canning method, and elevation. It also reminds you of the steps necessary to prepare jars and canning pots.

Jeanne Brandt | Jun 2023 | Extension Catalog publication Peer reviewed (Orange level)

All Master Food Preserver resources

In addition, we have included publications here that are used by our Master Food Preservers for quick reference on a variety of topics. Note those without SP numbers are usually the Catalog publications.

  • Canned Vegetables — Problems and Solutions (SP 50-742): Home-canned vegetables can sometimes not turn out as planned — the liquid can be cloudy, the produce discolored or the odor unappetizing. Learn about the causes of common canning problems and how to avoid them.
  • Preserving Foods: Green, Italian or Wax Beans (SP 50-445): Green beans are often a family favorite. For consumption year-round, they can be preserved by canning, freezing, drying and pickling. For best results, select young, tender beans that are free from blemishes.
  • Enjoying Home-Dried Fruits and Vegetables (SP 50-587): Dried fruits and vegetables make excellent snacks and camping food but can also be added to a variety of both sweet and savory dishes, from fruit pies and cookies to soups and stews. Here are some tips and recipes.
  • The Laws of Salsa (SP-1003): Making salsa at home is a delicious way to use fresh tomatoes, chilies and onions. There are rules, however, to ensure a safe, healthy and tasty result. Here are the 10 laws of making and canning salsa along with recipes.
  • Making Garlic- and Herb-Infused Oils at Home: Describes safe and simple procedures for flavoring oils from spices in your own garden.
  • Storing Food for Safety and Quality: Proper food storage ensures that the food you bring home remains safe to eat and retains its high quality. Learn about storing meat, vegetables, fruit, leftovers, home-preserved food and more.
  • Drying Fruits and Vegetables: Written primarily for drying in an electric dehydrator, this guide applies as well to oven drying. Sections cover selecting, preparing, and pretreating foods for drying as well as storing and using dried foods. A...
  • You Can Prevent Foodborne Illness: What is a foodborne illness? What causes it? How can you reduce your risk of getting it? Known causes of foodborne illnesses, practicing good personal hygiene, cooking foods adequately, keeping foods at safe ...
  • Pickling Fish and Other Aquatic Foods for Home Use: Preserving seafood with vinegar or citrus juices is one of the easiest food preservation methods known, but can yield a dangerous product if not properly prepared. Fish with high oil content (Chinook salmon, ...
  • Freezing convenience foods that you've prepared at home: Learn techniques to freeze and prepare homemade convenience foods. Understand how to use your freezer for meal prep, including techniques for packaging, storage and reheating.
  • Freezing Fruits and Vegetables: Learn how to freeze fruits, vegetables and juices, and how to refreeze frozen foods. A chart lists freezing instructions for dozens of fruits and vegetables.
  • Canning Fruits: This publication explains how to ensure both safety and quality when canning fresh fruits. Details covered include selecting and preparing equipment; preparing apples, apricots, berries, cherries, peaches, pears, and plums; sweetening fruit; processing methods; and storage.

  • Preserving cherries (SP 50-883): Fresh cherries have been eaten since prehistoric times. Today, preserving them allows their flavor to be enjoyed beyond their all-too-short season. Here's a guide to canning, freezing and drying sweet and sour varieties.
  • Preserving Figs (SP 50-648): Many types of figs are grown in the Northwest with some ripening in early summer and others in the fall. They're best when they ripen on the tree. They can be canned, frozen, dried or made into a variety of preserves.
  • Preserving Kiwifruit (SP 50-832): Kiwifruit is native to southeast Asia but is now grown around the world with some commercial production in the Northwest. Kiwifruit makes great jams, jellies and preserves, and can be preserved by freezing and drying.
  • Preserving Peaches (SP 50-444): The sweet flavor of summer peaches can be captured for year-round enjoyment through canning, freezing, drying, pickling, and by making them into jams and preserves. Starting with firm, ripe fruit helps to ensure success.
  • Preserving Pears (SP 50-678): All varieties of pears are good candidates for preserving, but some are better than others for specific uses. Pears are best canned, dried, or made into butters, relishes and chutneys. Freezing pears isn't recommended.
  • Preserving Asian Pears (SP 50-694): Asian pears are usually picked ripe and ready to eat. They'll last about a week at room temperature and up to three months in the refrigerator. They can also be preserved by either canning or drying. Here's how.
  • Preserving Plums & Prunes (SP 50-586): Plums and prunes are often confused with one another and understandably so — a prune is a plum that can be satisfactorily dried. Both are excellent candidates for preserving by canning, freezing, drying or making jam.
  • Preserving Rhubarb (SP 50-882): Rhubarb — that tart, reddish vegetable that's used like a fruit — is most often found in pies and sauces but is quite versatile. It can be canned, frozen, dried and made into jams, chutney, relish and fruit leather.
  • Preserving cranberries (SP 50-929): Cranberries are a native American fruit and have long been a part of the Thanksgiving table. But cranberries aren't just for sauce and juices — they also make nutritious fruit spreads, chutneys, relishes and even catsup.
  • Preserving Fruits: Mangoes (SP 50-1006): Mangoes have been around for thousands of years and are becoming more and more popular in the U.S. They can add a tropical touch to salsas and chutneys and can be preserved by canning, freezing and drying.
  • Fruit Butters (SP 50-304): Fruit butters are an old-fashioned spread with less sugar than jams, jellies and other preserves. They can be made from most fruits or mixtures of fruits. Apple is probably the most popular butter, but apricot, peach, pear, plum, fig, quince and crab apple are also suitable.
  • Remaking Soft Jellies (SP 50-604): If your homemade jam or jelly comes out too soft or runny, there are remedies. Reprocessing the jam or jelly with more pectin or acidic fruit juice will firm them up and make them fit for your morning toast.
  • Jams and Jellies: Problems and Solutions (SP 50-746): Sometimes, homemade jams, jellies and preserves don't turn out as expected. They can be cloudy or runny, too soft or too hard, or have off smells or flavors. Here's a troubleshooting guide for common problems.
  • Preserving Foods: Apples (SP 50-446): Apples lend themselves to preserving whether they're canned, frozen, dried or made into jelly or butter. Here's a how-to guide with recipes for apple sauce, spiced apple rings, apple butter and more.
  • Preserving foods: Berries (SP 50-780): Oregon is rich in berries. Strawberries are first to arrive every year, followed by raspberries, currants and the many varieties of blackberries. Here's how to preserve that bounty, either whole or as spreads and syrups.
  • Preserving Fruits: Wild Berries and Fruits (SP 50-536): Blackberries aren't the only wild berries in Oregon that produce delicious jams, jellies and pies. Salal and Oregon grape berries, huckleberries and gooseberries also can be used for tasty preserves and pies.
  • Preserving for Special Diets (SP 50-646): Sugar and salt often play a vital role in canning fruits and vegetables at home. But sugar and salt can often be eliminated or reduced if special care is taken to account for their absence. Here's a how-to guide.
  • Uncooked Freezer Jam (SP 50-763): Freezer jams are easy to make because they don't require high-temperature processing and have few ingredients — usually just fruit, sugar, pectin and water. Recipes are simple but require strict adherence.
  • Low-Sugar Jams & Jellies/Fruit Spreads (SP 50-765): For people watching their sugar intake, the amount of sugar called for in traditional recipes for jams and jellies might give them pause. But by using specially modified pectins, sugar can be reduced or eliminated.
  • Preserving Foods: Fruit Juice & Apple Cider (SP 50-455): Making and preserving fruit juice at home can be easy and economical. Use the juices as breakfast beverages, soft drink substitutes, bases for punch and for making jelly. Here's a guide to making fruit juice at home.
  • Storing Food for Safety and Quality: Proper food storage ensures that the food you bring home remains safe to eat and retains its high quality. Learn about storing meat, vegetables, fruit, leftovers, home-preserved food and more.
  • Canning Fruits: This publication explains how to ensure both safety and quality when canning fresh fruits. Details covered include selecting and preparing equipment; preparing apples, apricots, berries, cherries, peaches, pears, and plums; sweetening fruit; processing methods; and storage.
  • Freezing convenience foods that you've prepared at home: Learn techniques to freeze and prepare homemade convenience foods. Understand how to use your freezer for meal prep, including techniques for packaging, storage and reheating.

  • Preserving dry beans: Dry edible bean varieties grow well in home gardens in many regions. Learn about proper ways to preserve various types of bean types and methods.
  • Preserving Peas & Edible Pea Pods (SP 50-305): Sugar snap peas, snow peas and shell peas do well in Oregon home gardens and are good candidates for preserving. Sugar snap and snow peas are best preserved by freezing while shell peas can be canned, frozen or dried.
  • Preserving Corn (SP 50-443): Fresh corn is best eaten as soon as possible after it's picked to savor its sweet flavor. Of course, that's not always possible, so preserving it is often the way to go. Corn can be canned, frozen, dried or pickled.
  • Preserving Mushrooms (SP 50-919): The savory goodness of mushrooms isn't confined to those fresh from the saute pan — they can be preserved by canning, freezing, drying and pickling. Here's a guide to how to expand your mushroom repertoire.
  • Preserving Peppers (SP 50-454): With so many varieties of peppers grown in Oregon, it is fortunate that they can be preserved to enjoy all year long by canning, freezing, drying or pickling. Here's a how-to guide for all four preservation methods.
  • Preserving Summer Squash (SP 50-447): Any home gardener who has planted summer squash such as zucchini knows that harvests can be prodigious. Although not suitable for canning by themselves, there are several ways to preserve summer squash for later use.
  • Preserving Pumpkins and Winter Squash (SP 50-767): Fall and winter squash and pumpkin can be preserved by canning, freezing and drying, and their seeds can be roasted. Squash and pumpkin also can be stored for several months under the right conditions.
  • Preserving Tomatillos: The tomatillo, a native of Mexico, looks like a green tomato but its flavor is closer to a tart, green apple. They can be preserved much like tomatoes and used to make salsa verde, the green sauce in many Mexican dishes.
  • Preserving Horseradish (SP 50-793): Horseradish is well known for its pungency and the zip it adds to food. It can be grown at home but requires cold temperatures in the fall and winter. Here's a guide to growing horseradish and how to preserve it.
  • Preserving Foods: Green, Italian or Wax Beans (SP 50-445): Green beans are often a family favorite. For consumption year-round, they can be preserved by canning, freezing, drying and pickling. For best results, select young, tender beans that are free from blemishes.
  • The Laws of Salsa (SP-1003): Making salsa at home is a delicious way to use fresh tomatoes, chilies and onions. There are rules, however, to ensure a safe, healthy and tasty result. Here are the 10 laws of making and canning salsa along with recipes.
  • Drying Herbs (SP 50-921): Growing and drying your own herbs ensures that you have a constant fresh supply to use in the kitchen. Dried herbs can keep for up to a year if kept in a cool, dark and dry place. Here's how to dry herbs at home.
  • Herbs and Vegetables in Oil (SP 50-701): It’s important to keep food safety in mind when storing herbs or vegetables such as garlic, mushrooms and chili peppers in oil. The combination of these low-acid foods and oil create an environment for deadly bacteria.
  • Low-Salt Pickles (SP 50-533): Salt can be removed from most fresh-pack or "quick" pickles without affecting the safety of the product. The key is to use at least as much vinegar as water or other liquid. Here's a how-to guide with recipes.
  • Preserving for Special Diets (SP 50-646): Sugar and salt often play a vital role in canning fruits and vegetables at home. But sugar and salt can often be eliminated or reduced if special care is taken to account for their absence. Here's a how-to guide.
  • Safely Canning Foods: Pressure Canners, Pressure Cookers and Electric Pressure Cookers: This illustrated fact sheet explains the difference between pressure canners, pressure cookers and electric pressure cookers. Pressure canners are recommended for food preservation but pressure cookers and electric pressure cookers are not.
  • Making Garlic- and Herb-Infused Oils at Home: Describes safe and simple procedures for flavoring oils from spices in your own garden.
  • Storing Food for Safety and Quality: Proper food storage ensures that the food you bring home remains safe to eat and retains its high quality. Learn about storing meat, vegetables, fruit, leftovers, home-preserved food and more.
  • Pickling Vegetables: Describes the equipment and ingredients needed for pickling, and how to pack jars, process vegetables, and store the pickled results. Includes 17 recipes, processing times for various altitudes, and a safety checklist.
  • Canning tomatoes and tomato products: Get the most out of your tomatoes when you learn how to select and use equipment, complete the canning process, and store your creations safely. This guide includes six delicious recipes to try.
  • Salsa Recipes for Canning: This popular publication has been updated with 5 new scrumptious-yet-simple salsa recipes and enough approved variations to please even the pickiest salsa makers. We've added detail on key ingredients and safety ...
  • Freezing convenience foods that you've prepared at home: Learn techniques to freeze and prepare homemade convenience foods. Understand how to use your freezer for meal prep, including techniques for packaging, storage and reheating.

  • Fruit Butters (SP 50-304): Fruit butters are an old-fashioned spread with less sugar than jams, jellies and other preserves. They can be made from most fruits or mixtures of fruits. Apple is probably the most popular butter, but apricot, peach, pear, plum, fig, quince and crab apple are also suitable.
  • Remaking Soft Jellies (SP 50-604): If your homemade jam or jelly comes out too soft or runny, there are remedies. Reprocessing the jam or jelly with more pectin or acidic fruit juice will firm them up and make them fit for your morning toast.
  • Jams and Jellies: Problems and Solutions (SP 50-746): Sometimes, homemade jams, jellies and preserves don't turn out as expected. They can be cloudy or runny, too soft or too hard, or have off smells or flavors. Here's a troubleshooting guide for common problems.
  • Pectin Facts (SP 50-808): Pectin is an essential ingredient in making any jam, jelly or other fruit spread. But their make-up and uses vary. Here's a look at the different pectins available to home cooks and how they should be used.
  • Preserving foods: Berries (SP 50-780): Oregon is rich in berries. Strawberries are first to arrive every year, followed by raspberries, currants and the many varieties of blackberries. Here's how to preserve that bounty, either whole or as spreads and syrups.
  • Preserving Fruits: Wild Berries and Fruits (SP 50-536): Blackberries aren't the only wild berries in Oregon that produce delicious jams, jellies and pies. Salal and Oregon grape berries, huckleberries and gooseberries also can be used for tasty preserves and pies.
  • Canned Lemon Curd (SP 50-922): Think of lemon curd as the citrus cousin of other fruit jams. It's creamy, tangy and enhances what it touches — cakes, scones, tarts and pastries. All you need to make it are lemons, juice, eggs, butter and sugar.
  • Uncooked Freezer Jam (SP 50-763): Freezer jams are easy to make because they don't require high-temperature processing and have few ingredients — usually just fruit, sugar, pectin and water. Recipes are simple but require strict adherence.
  • Low-Sugar Jams & Jellies/Fruit Spreads (SP 50-765): For people watching their sugar intake, the amount of sugar called for in traditional recipes for jams and jellies might give them pause. But by using specially modified pectins, sugar can be reduced or eliminated.
  • Jams, Jellies and Preserves With No Added Pectin (SP 50-777): When making jams, jellies and preserves with fruits that contain natural pectin, it's not necessary to add more pectin. Learn how to make fruit spreads without adding pectin, including blackberry, strawberry and fig.
  • Making Jams, Jellies and Fruit Spreads (SP 50-764): Jams, jellies, preserves and marmalades can add zest to meals and are a good way to use fruits that are not suitable for canning and freezing. Here's a look at the basic principles for making them at home.
  • Safe canning practices for jam?: My daughter told me she and her friends made strawberry jam that they processed in a dishwasher rather than in a boiling water bath. This sounds dangerous to me, and I wanted to know your opinion.

  • Preserving dry beans: Dry edible bean varieties grow well in home gardens in many regions. Learn about proper ways to preserve various types of bean types and methods.
  • Drying and Roasting Seeds (SP 50-534): Home cooks can make their own roasted sunflower, pumpkin and squash seeds by following a few simple steps — wash, dry and roast. And they'll keep for a long time if they are frozen or refrigerated.
  • Preserving Peas & Edible Pea Pods (SP 50-305): Sugar snap peas, snow peas and shell peas do well in Oregon home gardens and are good candidates for preserving. Sugar snap and snow peas are best preserved by freezing while shell peas can be canned, frozen or dried.
  • Preserving Corn (SP 50-443): Fresh corn is best eaten as soon as possible after it's picked to savor its sweet flavor. Of course, that's not always possible, so preserving it is often the way to go. Corn can be canned, frozen, dried or pickled.
  • Preserving Peppers (SP 50-454): With so many varieties of peppers grown in Oregon, it is fortunate that they can be preserved to enjoy all year long by canning, freezing, drying or pickling. Here's a how-to guide for all four preservation methods.
  • Preserving Summer Squash (SP 50-447): Any home gardener who has planted summer squash such as zucchini knows that harvests can be prodigious. Although not suitable for canning by themselves, there are several ways to preserve summer squash for later use.
  • Preserving Pumpkins and Winter Squash (SP 50-767): Fall and winter squash and pumpkin can be preserved by canning, freezing and drying, and their seeds can be roasted. Squash and pumpkin also can be stored for several months under the right conditions.
  • Preserving cherries (SP 50-883): Fresh cherries have been eaten since prehistoric times. Today, preserving them allows their flavor to be enjoyed beyond their all-too-short season. Here's a guide to canning, freezing and drying sweet and sour varieties.
  • Preserving Figs (SP 50-648): Many types of figs are grown in the Northwest with some ripening in early summer and others in the fall. They're best when they ripen on the tree. They can be canned, frozen, dried or made into a variety of preserves.
  • Preserving Kiwifruit (SP 50-832): Kiwifruit is native to southeast Asia but is now grown around the world with some commercial production in the Northwest. Kiwifruit makes great jams, jellies and preserves, and can be preserved by freezing and drying.
  • Preserving Peaches (SP 50-444): The sweet flavor of summer peaches can be captured for year-round enjoyment through canning, freezing, drying, pickling, and by making them into jams and preserves. Starting with firm, ripe fruit helps to ensure success.
  • Preserving Pears (SP 50-678): All varieties of pears are good candidates for preserving, but some are better than others for specific uses. Pears are best canned, dried, or made into butters, relishes and chutneys. Freezing pears isn't recommended.
  • Preserving Asian Pears (SP 50-694): Asian pears are usually picked ripe and ready to eat. They'll last about a week at room temperature and up to three months in the refrigerator. They can also be preserved by either canning or drying. Here's how.
  • Preserving Plums & Prunes (SP 50-586): Plums and prunes are often confused with one another and understandably so — a prune is a plum that can be satisfactorily dried. Both are excellent candidates for preserving by canning, freezing, drying or making jam.
  • Preserving Rhubarb (SP 50-882): Rhubarb — that tart, reddish vegetable that's used like a fruit — is most often found in pies and sauces but is quite versatile. It can be canned, frozen, dried and made into jams, chutney, relish and fruit leather.
  • Preserving cranberries (SP 50-929): Cranberries are a native American fruit and have long been a part of the Thanksgiving table. But cranberries aren't just for sauce and juices — they also make nutritious fruit spreads, chutneys, relishes and even catsup.
  • Preserving Fruits: Mangoes (SP 50-1006): Mangoes have been around for thousands of years and are becoming more and more popular in the U.S. They can add a tropical touch to salsas and chutneys and can be preserved by canning, freezing and drying.
  • Drying Herbs (SP 50-921): Growing and drying your own herbs ensures that you have a constant fresh supply to use in the kitchen. Dried herbs can keep for up to a year if kept in a cool, dark and dry place. Here's how to dry herbs at home.
  • Preserving Foods: Apples (SP 50-446): Apples lend themselves to preserving whether they're canned, frozen, dried or made into jelly or butter. Here's a how-to guide with recipes for apple sauce, spiced apple rings, apple butter and more.
  • Preserving Vegetables: Tomatoes (SP 50-920): Tomato season is short in Oregon but tomatoes can be made to last year-round by preserving them. There are many options — canning, freezing, drying or making sauce, paste, salsa or catsup. Here's a guide with recipes.
  • Preserving Fruits: Wild Berries and Fruits (SP 50-536): Blackberries aren't the only wild berries in Oregon that produce delicious jams, jellies and pies. Salal and Oregon grape berries, huckleberries and gooseberries also can be used for tasty preserves and pies.
  • Making Jerky at Home Safely: Traditional jerky preparation methods, in which raw meat is dried at about 140 to 155 degrees Fahrenheit won't kill pathogens present in the meat. Learn the steps in making tasty meat jerky at home, including a choice of three techniques that ensure your jerky is safe to eat.
  • Pickling Fish and Other Aquatic Foods for Home Use: Preserving seafood with vinegar or citrus juices is one of the easiest food preservation methods known, but can yield a dangerous product if not properly prepared. Fish with high oil content (Chinook salmon, ...

  • Preserving Peas & Edible Pea Pods (SP 50-305): Sugar snap peas, snow peas and shell peas do well in Oregon home gardens and are good candidates for preserving. Sugar snap and snow peas are best preserved by freezing while shell peas can be canned, frozen or dried.
  • Preserving Corn (SP 50-443): Fresh corn is best eaten as soon as possible after it's picked to savor its sweet flavor. Of course, that's not always possible, so preserving it is often the way to go. Corn can be canned, frozen, dried or pickled.
  • Preserving Mushrooms (SP 50-919): The savory goodness of mushrooms isn't confined to those fresh from the saute pan — they can be preserved by canning, freezing, drying and pickling. Here's a guide to how to expand your mushroom repertoire.
  • Preserving Peppers (SP 50-454): With so many varieties of peppers grown in Oregon, it is fortunate that they can be preserved to enjoy all year long by canning, freezing, drying or pickling. Here's a how-to guide for all four preservation methods.
  • Preserving Summer Squash (SP 50-447): Any home gardener who has planted summer squash such as zucchini knows that harvests can be prodigious. Although not suitable for canning by themselves, there are several ways to preserve summer squash for later use.
  • Preserving Pumpkins and Winter Squash (SP 50-767): Fall and winter squash and pumpkin can be preserved by canning, freezing and drying, and their seeds can be roasted. Squash and pumpkin also can be stored for several months under the right conditions.
  • Preserving cherries (SP 50-883): Fresh cherries have been eaten since prehistoric times. Today, preserving them allows their flavor to be enjoyed beyond their all-too-short season. Here's a guide to canning, freezing and drying sweet and sour varieties.
  • Preserving Figs (SP 50-648): Many types of figs are grown in the Northwest with some ripening in early summer and others in the fall. They're best when they ripen on the tree. They can be canned, frozen, dried or made into a variety of preserves.
  • Preserving Kiwifruit (SP 50-832): Kiwifruit is native to southeast Asia but is now grown around the world with some commercial production in the Northwest. Kiwifruit makes great jams, jellies and preserves, and can be preserved by freezing and drying.
  • Preserving Peaches (SP 50-444): The sweet flavor of summer peaches can be captured for year-round enjoyment through canning, freezing, drying, pickling, and by making them into jams and preserves. Starting with firm, ripe fruit helps to ensure success.
  • Preserving Pears (SP 50-678): All varieties of pears are good candidates for preserving, but some are better than others for specific uses. Pears are best canned, dried, or made into butters, relishes and chutneys. Freezing pears isn't recommended.
  • Preserving Plums & Prunes (SP 50-586): Plums and prunes are often confused with one another and understandably so — a prune is a plum that can be satisfactorily dried. Both are excellent candidates for preserving by canning, freezing, drying or making jam.
  • Preserving Rhubarb (SP 50-882): Rhubarb — that tart, reddish vegetable that's used like a fruit — is most often found in pies and sauces but is quite versatile. It can be canned, frozen, dried and made into jams, chutney, relish and fruit leather.
  • Preserving cranberries (SP 50-929): Cranberries are a native American fruit and have long been a part of the Thanksgiving table. But cranberries aren't just for sauce and juices — they also make nutritious fruit spreads, chutneys, relishes and even catsup.
  • Preserving Fruits: Mangoes (SP 50-1006): Mangoes have been around for thousands of years and are becoming more and more popular in the U.S. They can add a tropical touch to salsas and chutneys and can be preserved by canning, freezing and drying.
  • Herbs and Vegetables in Oil (SP 50-701): It’s important to keep food safety in mind when storing herbs or vegetables such as garlic, mushrooms and chili peppers in oil. The combination of these low-acid foods and oil create an environment for deadly bacteria.
  • Preserving Foods: Apples (SP 50-446): Apples lend themselves to preserving whether they're canned, frozen, dried or made into jelly or butter. Here's a how-to guide with recipes for apple sauce, spiced apple rings, apple butter and more.
  • Preserving foods: Berries (SP 50-780): Oregon is rich in berries. Strawberries are first to arrive every year, followed by raspberries, currants and the many varieties of blackberries. Here's how to preserve that bounty, either whole or as spreads and syrups.
  • Preserving Fruits: Wild Berries and Fruits (SP 50-536): Blackberries aren't the only wild berries in Oregon that produce delicious jams, jellies and pies. Salal and Oregon grape berries, huckleberries and gooseberries also can be used for tasty preserves and pies.
  • Foods That Do Not Freeze Well (SP 50-766): Some foods don't take well to freezing: lettuce and cabbage lose texture, egg whites get tough and cooked macaroni becomes mushy. Learn more about which foods to keep out of the freezer.
  • Making Garlic- and Herb-Infused Oils at Home: Describes safe and simple procedures for flavoring oils from spices in your own garden.
  • Storing Food for Safety and Quality: Proper food storage ensures that the food you bring home remains safe to eat and retains its high quality. Learn about storing meat, vegetables, fruit, leftovers, home-preserved food and more.
  • Home Freezing of Seafood: Explains how stiffening (rigor mortis) and oxidation of unsaturated oils and pigments in freshly caught fish impact frozen fish quality. Describes how to clean and prepare fish (dressed, pan-dressed, steak, and fillet...
  • Freezing convenience foods that you've prepared at home: Learn techniques to freeze and prepare homemade convenience foods. Understand how to use your freezer for meal prep, including techniques for packaging, storage and reheating.

  • Kimchi basics: Kimchi is a flavorful mix of fermented vegetables and seasonings that plays an important role in Korean culture. Kimchi dates back thousands of years. Its original name, chimchae, translates to "salted vegetables."
  • Understanding and Making Kombucha: Kombucha is a lightly effervescent, cider-like beverage, made by fermenting sweetened tea. It is produced using a starter culture of bacteria and yeasts called a SCOBY (Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast). A mature SCOBY resembles a flat, jelly-like pancake, often referred to as a ‘mushroom’ or ‘tea fungus’ due its unique appearance, although it is not a mushroom.
  • Benefits of Fermenting Fruits and Vegetables - UC Davis: Short fact sheet explains the benefits of fermented foods and vegetables.
  • Preparing Fermented Fruits and Vegetables at Home - UC Davis: Tips for home food preservers on preparing fermented fruits and vegetables at home.
  • Safely Ferment Fruits and Vegetables at Home - UC Davis: Tips for safely fermenting fruits and vegetables at home.
  • Common issues with fermented fruits and vegetables - UC Davis: Publication discusses the common issues you may find when working with fermented fruits and vegetables.
  • Small Batch Sauerkraut Tips (SP 50-1009): Making small batches of sauerkraut in quart- to gallon-sized jars streamlines the process of transforming cabbage into kraut. It can be prepared, fermented, and then refrigerated and eaten while another batch ferments.
  • Pickles and Relishes: Problems and Solutions (SP 50-744): Did your homemade pickles not turn out as you expected? Are your pickles hollow, off-color, shriveled, or soft and slippery? Here's a look at common pickling problems, their probable causes and how to fix them.
  • Flavored Vinegars (SP 50-736): Flavored vinegars are easy and fun to make at home. They can be used in marinades, cooked dishes, salad dressings and even beverages. The vinegars can be made with herbs, garlic, peppers, onions and a variety of fruit.
  • Fruit Pickles and Chutney (SP 50-757): Fruit pickles and chutneys are both delicious condiments for meat, poultry, fish and sandwiches, and can be easily made and canned at home. They both bring sweet, sour and spicy components to whatever they touch.
  • Pickle Fact Sheet (SP 50-466): The Pickle Fact Sheet provides what you need to know to pickle vegetables and fruits at home, from selecting the best produce to what type of salt, vinegar and spices to use, plus tips for processing and storing.
  • Preserving Corn (SP 50-443): Fresh corn is best eaten as soon as possible after it's picked to savor its sweet flavor. Of course, that's not always possible, so preserving it is often the way to go. Corn can be canned, frozen, dried or pickled.
  • Preserving Mushrooms (SP 50-919): The savory goodness of mushrooms isn't confined to those fresh from the saute pan — they can be preserved by canning, freezing, drying and pickling. Here's a guide to how to expand your mushroom repertoire.
  • Preserving Peppers (SP 50-454): With so many varieties of peppers grown in Oregon, it is fortunate that they can be preserved to enjoy all year long by canning, freezing, drying or pickling. Here's a how-to guide for all four preservation methods.
  • Preserving Summer Squash (SP 50-447): Any home gardener who has planted summer squash such as zucchini knows that harvests can be prodigious. Although not suitable for canning by themselves, there are several ways to preserve summer squash for later use.
  • Preserving Horseradish (SP 50-793): Horseradish is well known for its pungency and the zip it adds to food. It can be grown at home but requires cold temperatures in the fall and winter. Here's a guide to growing horseradish and how to preserve it.
  • Preserving Kiwifruit (SP 50-832): Kiwifruit is native to southeast Asia but is now grown around the world with some commercial production in the Northwest. Kiwifruit makes great jams, jellies and preserves, and can be preserved by freezing and drying.
  • Preserving Rhubarb (SP 50-882): Rhubarb — that tart, reddish vegetable that's used like a fruit — is most often found in pies and sauces but is quite versatile. It can be canned, frozen, dried and made into jams, chutney, relish and fruit leather.
  • Preserving Fruits: Mangoes (SP 50-1006): Mangoes have been around for thousands of years and are becoming more and more popular in the U.S. They can add a tropical touch to salsas and chutneys and can be preserved by canning, freezing and drying.
  • Preserving Foods: Green, Italian or Wax Beans (SP 50-445): Green beans are often a family favorite. For consumption year-round, they can be preserved by canning, freezing, drying and pickling. For best results, select young, tender beans that are free from blemishes.
  • Sauerkraut: Problems and Solutions (SP 50-745): Homemade sauerkraut can sometimes go wrong — too soft, too slimy, off-color or just plain moldy or rotten. Here's a guide to common problems with homemade sauerkraut and how to address them the next time around.
  • Low-Salt Pickles (SP 50-533): Salt can be removed from most fresh-pack or "quick" pickles without affecting the safety of the product. The key is to use at least as much vinegar as water or other liquid. Here's a how-to guide with recipes.
  • Preserving for Special Diets (SP 50-646): Sugar and salt often play a vital role in canning fruits and vegetables at home. But sugar and salt can often be eliminated or reduced if special care is taken to account for their absence. Here's a how-to guide.
  • Use, Care and Operation of Your Pressure Canner: Pressure canning is the only safe way to can meat, poultry, seafood, and vegetables. This booklet explains how to keep your pressure canner in top condition and use it safely.
  • Pickling Vegetables: Describes the equipment and ingredients needed for pickling, and how to pack jars, process vegetables, and store the pickled results. Includes 17 recipes, processing times for various altitudes, and a safety checklist.

  • Curing and Smoking Poultry Meat (SP 50-693): Cured and smoked poultry, especially smoked turkey, is popular during the holidays, especially Thanksgiving. Curing and smoking impart a delicate flavor and pink color to poultry. Here's a DIY guide to smoking poultry.
  • Summer Sausage & Deli-Style Meats (SP 50-735): Making summer sausage at home allows you to adapt the ingredients to make it leaner than its commercial counterparts and to adjust the seasonings to tailor the flavor to your liking.

  • Turkey Basics (SP 50-1000): Turkey is a low-cost, low-fat, nutritious food you can serve year around. But preparing a whole turkey requires care to ensure it's safe and delicious. From thawing, stuffing and roasting, here's how to do it.
  • It Must Have Been Something I Ate! (SP 50-784): Food poisoning is a common cause of illness and is often mistaken for the 24-hour flu. It has many causes with symptoms lasting for a day or a week or more. Here's a primer on food poisoning and how to avoid it.
  • Frozen Food Storage Guide (SP 50-711): If you keep a freezer full of food, it can be difficult to know how long all the different foods will maintain their quality. Here's a guide to how long foods will keep before texture, flavor and color deteriorate.
  • Curing and Smoking Poultry Meat (SP 50-693): Cured and smoked poultry, especially smoked turkey, is popular during the holidays, especially Thanksgiving. Curing and smoking impart a delicate flavor and pink color to poultry. Here's a DIY guide to smoking poultry.
  • Summer Sausage & Deli-Style Meats (SP 50-735): Making summer sausage at home allows you to adapt the ingredients to make it leaner than its commercial counterparts and to adjust the seasonings to tailor the flavor to your liking.
  • Canned Meat, Poultry, and Fish: Problems and Solutions (SP 50-741): If you preserve fish, poultry or meat by canning, get answers to common problems such as fish with pinholes, chicken with black deposits or meat that is too dry. Find out the reasons why and what you can do about it.
  • Filleting Tuna for Canning (SP 50-739): The “raw pack” method for canning tuna at home does away with cooking the fish beforehand and delivers the unique flavor of tuna cooked in its own juices. Either fresh or frozen tuna can be used.
  • Canning Soup (SP 50-931): Homemade soups containing vegetables, beans, meat or seafood can be canned for future use if a few guidelines are followed. Learn how to prepare soups for canning and what can and can't be included.
  • Using Preserved Foods Safely (SP 50-494): Before eating home-preserved foods, it's always best to examine them for possible spoilage. Foods that have been frozen, dried or canned should be handled according to guidelines to prevent foodborne illness.
  • Preserving for Special Diets (SP 50-646): Sugar and salt often play a vital role in canning fruits and vegetables at home. But sugar and salt can often be eliminated or reduced if special care is taken to account for their absence. Here's a how-to guide.
  • Foods That Do Not Freeze Well (SP 50-766): Some foods don't take well to freezing: lettuce and cabbage lose texture, egg whites get tough and cooked macaroni becomes mushy. Learn more about which foods to keep out of the freezer.
  • Making Jerky at Home Safely: Traditional jerky preparation methods, in which raw meat is dried at about 140 to 155 degrees Fahrenheit won't kill pathogens present in the meat. Learn the steps in making tasty meat jerky at home, including a choice of three techniques that ensure your jerky is safe to eat.
  • Storing Food for Safety and Quality: Proper food storage ensures that the food you bring home remains safe to eat and retains its high quality. Learn about storing meat, vegetables, fruit, leftovers, home-preserved food and more.
  • Big Game from Hunt to Home: Describes techniques to handle game in the field, to butcher, and to store meat.
  • You Can Prevent Foodborne Illness: What is a foodborne illness? What causes it? How can you reduce your risk of getting it? Known causes of foodborne illnesses, practicing good personal hygiene, cooking foods adequately, keeping foods at safe ...
  • Freezing convenience foods that you've prepared at home: Learn techniques to freeze and prepare homemade convenience foods. Understand how to use your freezer for meal prep, including techniques for packaging, storage and reheating.
  • Canning Meat, Poultry, and Game: Canning meats is made more simple using this easy-to-follow guide! Wonderful and tasty recipes within.

  • Kimchi basics: Kimchi is a flavorful mix of fermented vegetables and seasonings that plays an important role in Korean culture. Kimchi dates back thousands of years. Its original name, chimchae, translates to "salted vegetables."
  • Dates on Food Products (SP 50-877): Dates on food labels help you judge how long the product will be at top quality (good flavor, texture, odor and nutritional value). Dates are not an indicator of the product’s safety and are not required by Federal law. More than 20 states have their own food dating regulations.
  • Benefits of Fermenting Fruits and Vegetables - UC Davis: Short fact sheet explains the benefits of fermented foods and vegetables.
  • Preparing Fermented Fruits and Vegetables at Home - UC Davis: Tips for home food preservers on preparing fermented fruits and vegetables at home.
  • Safely Ferment Fruits and Vegetables at Home - UC Davis: Tips for safely fermenting fruits and vegetables at home.
  • Common issues with fermented fruits and vegetables - UC Davis: Publication discusses the common issues you may find when working with fermented fruits and vegetables.
  • Guidelines for Refrigeration of Foods (SP50-677): Understanding which foods need to be refrigerated and how long they'll keep is crucial to preventing foodborne illness and reducing food waste. Here's a look at what to keep in your refrigerator and for how long.
  • Canned Fruits and Tomatoes: Problems and Solutions (SP 50-743): Missteps in the process of canning fruits and tomatoes at home can result in unappetizing and sometimes unsafe products. Here's a look at common canning problems, their causes and possible remedies.
  • It Must Have Been Something I Ate! (SP 50-784): Food poisoning is a common cause of illness and is often mistaken for the 24-hour flu. It has many causes with symptoms lasting for a day or a week or more. Here's a primer on food poisoning and how to avoid it.
  • Flavored Vinegars (SP 50-736): Flavored vinegars are easy and fun to make at home. They can be used in marinades, cooked dishes, salad dressings and even beverages. The vinegars can be made with herbs, garlic, peppers, onions and a variety of fruit.
  • If Your Home Freezer Stops (SP 50-470): Freezer failure can mean the loss of a large investment in food, time and money. Here's a guide to being prepared for freezer failure, what to do if it happens, and which foods you can save and which you should toss.
  • Sauerkraut: Problems and Solutions (SP 50-745): Homemade sauerkraut can sometimes go wrong — too soft, too slimy, off-color or just plain moldy or rotten. Here's a guide to common problems with homemade sauerkraut and how to address them the next time around.
  • Food Storage for Emergencies (SP 50-833): Emergency planners say every household should have a 72-hour supply of food and water on hand to get through the first days of a disaster. Here's how to assemble a disaster supply kit and how to store it.
  • Jams and Jellies: Problems and Solutions (SP 50-746): Sometimes, homemade jams, jellies and preserves don't turn out as expected. They can be cloudy or runny, too soft or too hard, or have off smells or flavors. Here's a troubleshooting guide for common problems.
  • Drying Herbs (SP 50-921): Growing and drying your own herbs ensures that you have a constant fresh supply to use in the kitchen. Dried herbs can keep for up to a year if kept in a cool, dark and dry place. Here's how to dry herbs at home.
  • Summer Sausage & Deli-Style Meats (SP 50-735): Making summer sausage at home allows you to adapt the ingredients to make it leaner than its commercial counterparts and to adjust the seasonings to tailor the flavor to your liking.
  • Herbs and Vegetables in Oil (SP 50-701): It’s important to keep food safety in mind when storing herbs or vegetables such as garlic, mushrooms and chili peppers in oil. The combination of these low-acid foods and oil create an environment for deadly bacteria.
  • Preserving Vegetables: Tomatoes (SP 50-920): Tomato season is short in Oregon but tomatoes can be made to last year-round by preserving them. There are many options — canning, freezing, drying or making sauce, paste, salsa or catsup. Here's a guide with recipes.
  • Preserving foods: Berries (SP 50-780): Oregon is rich in berries. Strawberries are first to arrive every year, followed by raspberries, currants and the many varieties of blackberries. Here's how to preserve that bounty, either whole or as spreads and syrups.
  • Canned Meat, Poultry, and Fish: Problems and Solutions (SP 50-741): If you preserve fish, poultry or meat by canning, get answers to common problems such as fish with pinholes, chicken with black deposits or meat that is too dry. Find out the reasons why and what you can do about it.
  • Preserving for Special Diets (SP 50-646): Sugar and salt often play a vital role in canning fruits and vegetables at home. But sugar and salt can often be eliminated or reduced if special care is taken to account for their absence. Here's a how-to guide.
  • Should I Vacuum Package Food at Home? (SP 50-603): On the surface, vacuum-packing food at home appears to be an effective storage method. But its use is limited — it's not a substitute for canning, refrigeration or freezing and can actually promote harmful bacteria.
  • Foods That Do Not Freeze Well (SP 50-766): Some foods don't take well to freezing: lettuce and cabbage lose texture, egg whites get tough and cooked macaroni becomes mushy. Learn more about which foods to keep out of the freezer.
  • Uncooked Freezer Jam (SP 50-763): Freezer jams are easy to make because they don't require high-temperature processing and have few ingredients — usually just fruit, sugar, pectin and water. Recipes are simple but require strict adherence.
  • Low-Sugar Jams & Jellies/Fruit Spreads (SP 50-765): For people watching their sugar intake, the amount of sugar called for in traditional recipes for jams and jellies might give them pause. But by using specially modified pectins, sugar can be reduced or eliminated.
  • Making Garlic- and Herb-Infused Oils at Home: Describes safe and simple procedures for flavoring oils from spices in your own garden.
  • Making Jerky at Home Safely: Traditional jerky preparation methods, in which raw meat is dried at about 140 to 155 degrees Fahrenheit won't kill pathogens present in the meat. Learn the steps in making tasty meat jerky at home, including a choice of three techniques that ensure your jerky is safe to eat.
  • Home Freezing of Seafood: Explains how stiffening (rigor mortis) and oxidation of unsaturated oils and pigments in freshly caught fish impact frozen fish quality. Describes how to clean and prepare fish (dressed, pan-dressed, steak, and fillet...
  • Storing Food for Safety and Quality: Proper food storage ensures that the food you bring home remains safe to eat and retains its high quality. Learn about storing meat, vegetables, fruit, leftovers, home-preserved food and more.
  • Big Game from Hunt to Home: Describes techniques to handle game in the field, to butcher, and to store meat.
  • Pickling Vegetables: Describes the equipment and ingredients needed for pickling, and how to pack jars, process vegetables, and store the pickled results. Includes 17 recipes, processing times for various altitudes, and a safety checklist.
  • Canning tomatoes and tomato products: Get the most out of your tomatoes when you learn how to select and use equipment, complete the canning process, and store your creations safely. This guide includes six delicious recipes to try.
  • Freezing convenience foods that you've prepared at home: Learn techniques to freeze and prepare homemade convenience foods. Understand how to use your freezer for meal prep, including techniques for packaging, storage and reheating.
  • Salsa Recipes for Canning: This popular publication has been updated with 5 new scrumptious-yet-simple salsa recipes and enough approved variations to please even the pickiest salsa makers. We've added detail on key ingredients and safety ...
  • Canning Fruits: This publication explains how to ensure both safety and quality when canning fresh fruits. Details covered include selecting and preparing equipment; preparing apples, apricots, berries, cherries, peaches, pears, and plums; sweetening fruit; processing methods; and storage.
  • Smoking Fish at Home Safely: This guide succinctly explains how to prepare and preserve any type of fish to use as part of a delicious, safe, and healthy meal. Specific temperatures, quantities, and timings are provided for optimal results.
  • Canning Meat, Poultry, and Game: Canning meats is made more simple using this easy-to-follow guide! Wonderful and tasty recipes within.
  • Canning Seafood: This publication provides research-tested processing recommendations for various types of seafood. It gives step-by-step instructions for canning tuna, all other fish, whole and minced clams, crab, oysters, and shrimp. It...
  • Pickling Fish and Other Aquatic Foods for Home Use: Preserving seafood with vinegar or citrus juices is one of the easiest food preservation methods known, but can yield a dangerous product if not properly prepared. Fish with high oil content (Chinook salmon, ...

How to find Spanish resources

Go to the Spanish version of this webpage to see all these resources: https://extension.oregonstate.edu/es/mfp/publications

Or just click on the Español link at the top of the page.

All articles will be translated, but there are some resources on this Spanish version of the web page that are only in English. Look for (en inglés).

From the English version of the web page, also look for (Spanish.....) or Español references with a link. Click the link to see just that resource in Spanish.

Additional resource

National Center for Home Food Preservation (NCHFP) is the leading resource for home food safety and preservation in the USA. Research for these recipes was conducted at the NCHFP or by leading experts and researchers at land-grant universities, including Oregon State University.

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