Family and Consumer Sciences
The goal of Family and Consumer Sciences professionals is to improve the quality of life for adults, children and families through research-based information, specifically in the areas of healthy lifestyles, nutrition and food safety.
Food Safety and Preservation
University of Idaho Extension serves as the trusted source for up-to-date, research-based information and personalized advice on the safest methods of home food preservation and storage. We offer testing of dial pressure canner gauges. There is no cost for gauge testing. Make sure to reference research-based sources for altitude adjustments in pressure and processing times. Also make sure to use reliable sources for food preservation recipes and instructions.
Recommended Resources:
- USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning (download for free, purchase a print copy at our office for $17 or order a print copy from Purdue University)
- National Center for Home Food Preservation
- So Easy to Preserve (purchase a print copy at our office for $34)
- Recommended Ball Canning Guides
The following are available for purchase in our office:- Ball Canning Back to Basics: A Fool Proof Guide to Canning Jams, Jellies, Pickles & More (2017): $12
- Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving (2020): $20
- The All-New Ball Book of Canning and Preservation (2016): $16
- Ball Blue Book, Guide to Preserving (Edition 38, 2024): $15
- A number of Food Safety and Preservation publications are available for download from University of Idaho Extension’s publication catalog (select publications are available to purchase in print)
Food Preservation Class
Preserve@Home is an online, six-week food preservation course.
Participants will be introduced to food safety and food preservation science; gain an understanding of the principles and science behind foodborne illnesses and food preservation methods; and be able to apply these principles to safely preserve food by methods of boiling water canning, pressure canning, pickling, freezing and drying.
For more information, contact Laura Sant, University of Idaho Extension, at lsant@uidaho.edu or visit the Preserve@Home website.