- Campuses :
- Twin Cities
- Crookston
- Duluth
- Morris
- Rochester
- Other Locations
Preserving Food
Buying local vegetables and fruits in their season of availability is a great way to get fresh, local foods without breaking your food budget.
Trouble is, in Minnesota, that season of availability doesn't last very long. Our growing season is short.
What can you do? Preserve it! Canning, freezing, pickling, and drying are all ways to capture the flavor and nutrients of local foods to feed your family all year long.
If you are interested in preserving food for sale at a farmers' market, please also see the fact sheets and other information under Fruit & Vegetable Sales
Resource Websites for Food Preservation
National Center for Home Food Preservation
University of Minnesota Extension -- Food Preservation
Useful Fact Sheets
Blanching Vegetables Chart
(PDF, 35 kB) University of MN Extension
Safe Home Canning of Fruits, Vegetables, and Meats
University of MN Extension)
Canning Quick Reference Chart
(PDF, 107 kB) University of MN Extension
Charts for quantities of raw fruit/vegetable needed for canning or freezing
Book Reference
Ball Blue Book of Preserving -- Available where canning supplies are sold, or search online for "ball blue book."
Minnesota Contact People
Suzanne Driessen
Extension Educator, Food Science
St. Cloud Regional Office
3400 1st St. N, Suite 400
St. Cloud, MN 56303
email: driessen@umn.edu
Phone: 320-203-6057
Find your County or Regional Extension Educator using the Extension Office Locator.
Jane Grimsbo Jewett
MISA's unofficial food preservation expert
email: jewet006@umn.edu
