Learning how to properly preserve the bounty from local fields and backyard gardens is essential to preventing spoilage and illness. The food preservation series taught by Cornell Cooperative Extension Master Food Preservers in Fulton and Montgomery Counties will come to a close in late August, but not before the final three classes are held. There’s ample time to learn how to preserve the fresh, local foods available all around the valley right now and through to fall.

“Pressure Canning”, “Jams, Jellies & More”, and “Preserving Herbs & Freezing” will provide opportunities for residents to learn the three major methods of food preservation. These aren’t your grandmother’s canning classes, though. The purpose of the classes are the same – to teach people how to safely preserve and enjoy local foods during the winter months – but you won’t find many full time homemakers as students. Women who work full-time jobs, men who love to garden and cook, young mothers who want to provide healthy food for their families describe a few of those who make up these classes in 2010. They are all learning to pressure can low-acid foods such as carrots and meats, how to prepare and can chutneys by the boiling water method, and how to preserve basil in vinegar and much more.

Each class costs $15 per person and each class stands alone. You may register for one or two classes or take all three classes. All classes are limited in size to provide an effective hands-on experience for everyone.

Shopping locally can be easy -- and fun now that local farmers markets and produce stands have opened in Fulton and Montgomery Counties. The summer markets began in late May and will continue through October offering fresh, locally grown foods. More information about local markets and other opportunities to buy locally grown foods is available by contacting Cornell Cooperative Extension in Fulton and Montgomery Counties. 

Here are some shopping tips for enjoying locally grown, fresh produce:

* Go early for best selection, and allow plenty of time to survey the market to see what's available before making buying. 

* Not all foods sold at local markets are locally grown. Talk with market vendors, who often are the growers, to learn more about how and where the food was grown, and how to choose, store, and prepare it.

* Shop with the idea of enjoying familiar foods and a willingness to try foods that may be less familiar, but good-tasting and health-promoting.

* Buy quantities that fit your needs. In other words, shop the markets regularly, rather than overbuying and running the risk that food may spoil or be wasted.

* Take reusable bags or baskets for purchases. 

* Take cash, as smaller markets and individual vendors may not be able to process credit or debit cards. Some markets will, however, be able to accepts Farmers Market coupons distributed through WIC and your county Office for Aging (to eligible recipients) as well as SNAP benefits (formerly called Food Stamps).

* If combining a stop at local markets with other errands, buy fresh, perishable foods last (before going home) to minimize the loss of food quality or safety. In hot weather, consider taking a cooler or insulated container chilled with ice, frozen ice packs or several bottles of frozen water to keep fresh perishable foods cool on the way home.

At home: 

* Store fresh foods as soon after purchase as possible. Generally speaking, foods should be washed just before being prepared or eaten. When bringing home fresh fruits and vegetables (and particularly local foods that come directly from the farm to the market), remove obvious dirt and garden debris that may include naturally occurring microorganisms that may be present in the soil in which the food was grown before storing.

* Keep raw foods separate from cooked foods, and keep food safe in the refrigerator as suggested Enjoying Summer Produce (PDF).

Cool and tart or crisp and sweet – you can find pickled vegetables, fruits, or even meats on almost every dinner table. Pickling is the oldest way to preserve the local harvest.

The Nutrition and Health Program of Cornell Cooperative Extension in Fulton and Montgomery Counties will present “Pickling” on Tuesday, July 20^th, 6:00-8:00 p.m. Nutrition Program Educators and Master Food Preservers Eileen Lang and Norma Maring will teach the class in the Extension Teaching Kitchen, 55 East Main Street, Lower Level,  Johnstown.

This class will focus on the pickling and boiling water canning process for pickled vegetables, relishes and chutneys. The basics of selecting and using proper food preservation supplies and equipment will be covered as well. This is the last time this class will be offered this year. 

Canning Tomatoes using Boiling Water class coming next Tuesday, July 13th. 6-8 p.m. Sign up by calling 518-762-3909 x 101. $15 per person. Learn the current USDA recommendations to avoid spoilage. Take this class before tomatoes become plentiful so you will be ready to can some of that great taste! Some space open yet, but register by Friday, July 9th.

Drinking water is the No. 1 strategy to rethink your drink. It is the perfect beverage – it is calorie-free, sugar-free, fat-free, and almost free (if you drink tap water).

Try these strategies to make water Number One:

• Keep water and other calorie-free beverages on hand at work, at home, and in the car. Make it easy for everyone to choose water.

• Don’t keep sugar-sweetened beverages at home or work. We tend to drink what is available, so make your home and office sugar-free.

• Carry a water bottle with you and refill it throughout the day.

• Add a slice of lemon, lime, or orange to jazz up your water. Make a pitcher of water with fruit slices and keep it in the refrigerator.

• Add a splash of fruit juice to still or sparkling water.


Source: Make Water Your Number 1 Beverage www.extension.org, Last Updated: November 19, 2009

Many people are returning to home canning or joining the movement for the first time. However, many are making a mistake that can be deadly:  canning their green beans and other vegetables in boiling water instead of under pressure with a properly researched procedure.  In the past two years, there have been at least 3 events of botulism poisoning from improperly processed home canned green beans. 

Canning low-acid vegetables, meats, fish and poultry requires the use of a pressure canner.  Spores of Clostridium botulinum bacteria, as found naturally in soils, are very, very heat resistant.  Even hours in the boiling water canner will not kill them if they are inside your jars of beans.  Left alive after canning, they will eventually germinate into actively growing bacterial cells that will produce a deadly human toxin when consumed.  The bacteria like the conditions inside closed jars of low-acid foods (such as vegetables and meats) sitting at room temperature, so they must be killed during the canning process for safe storage.

Whole grains are not hard to find once you know a few simple facts. First, whole grains are grains that include the bran, endosperm, and germ. There are not that many grains that we consume as whole grains. Look at the food label for clues as to whether the food does indeed contain whole grains.

Usually, just looking for the word "whole" is a good start - for example, "whole wheat" or "whole oats." There are several other grains that are whole grains - corn, popcorn, brown rice, barley, wild rice, buckwheat, bulgur, and quinoa.

Grains are called “refined grains” when only certain parts of the seed are used. Look at the food label for “100% whole grain," "100% whole wheat," or "100% whole oats.” A phrase like “multi grain," "wheat bread," or "made with whole grain” doesn’t mean the product is made entirely with whole grain. The color of the product is no help either. Sometimes brown coloring is added to a refined grain product to give you the impression that it’s whole grain. Other times, a white variety of whole grain wheat is used, making the whole grain product white.

Another place to look on the food label is the ingredients list. If the first ingredient listed is whole wheat or other whole grain and it’s the only grain or flour listed in the ingredients list, the product is whole grain. If several grains are listed in the ingredients list, check to see if they are all whole grain.

Whole grains lose 25% of their protein along with 17 other nutrients when they’re refined. Even if refined grain products have been enriched by adding some vitamins and minerals, they are not as healthy as whole grains. Experts recommend that whole grains make up at least half the grains we consume. Researchers have shown that whole grains lower your risk for diabetes, heart disease, cancer, stroke, and obesity.

Remember that a product made with whole grain may have other ingredients that make it less than ideal. A product can be made from whole grain and also contain large amounts of sugar, unhealthy fats, or sodium.

Source: How to Spot Whole Grains, www.extension.org, updated, November 2009.

Families Invited to Learn Together in Snack Attack

The next class in the Spring/Summer Cooking Series will be Snack Attack on Tuesday, June 22, 6:00-7:30 p.m. The series is presented jointly by Cornell Cooperative Extension in Fulton and Montgomery Counties and Mohawk Harvest Cooperative Market. It will take place in the Cooperative Extension Teaching Kitchen, 55 East Main Street, Lower Level, Johnstown.

In an environment where both youth and adults are faced with innumerable food choices, it is important to learn ways to practice choosing healthy meals and snacks. This class will focus on techniques and recipes for quick, simple and healthy snacks that youth and adults can enjoy making and eating.

The class, which includes demonstrations, tastings, hands-on activities and take-home information, is open to adults and children 10 years and older.

To ensure an interactive experience, class size is limited and pre-registration by June 20  is required. A cost of $10 per adult and $2 per child includes instruction, all materials and supplies.

To register or for questions, contact Cornell Cooperative Extension in Fulton and Montgomery Counties at 518-762-3909 x 118.

The June 15th class, "Preserving Herbs", is filling up, but has a few spaces still available. Please register soon to be sure you will get a seat at this interesting and unique class. Learn how to freeze and dry a variety of herbs and garlic. Trained and experienced Nutrition Program Assistants will demonstrate and instruct participants in several techniques, including important safety information. Work together in small groups to prepare and preserve herb vinegars and pesto. $15 per person includes instruction, supplies and all materials. Take home a packet containing recipes, nutrition information and safe storage tips. Class is limited to ensure a hands-on experience for all. Call before June 14th. 518-762-3909 x 101.

Solutions to health care delivery problems cannot be found without collaboration among every sector involved in health care delivery, said Cornell President David Skorton in opening the Industrial Labor Relations School's health care reform conference May 11 at the Italian Academy in New York City.

More than 200 health care practitioners, researchers, frontline workers, labor leaders and policymakers from around the world convened for the two-day conference, "A Time for Change: Restructuring America's Healthcare Delivery System," to explore the future of health care delivery.

"I do think it's a very important time for ILR and Cornell to step up," Skorton said. "The world of work is superimposable on health care. ILR is very well suited to ask the questions, to listen to others ... to develop and test hypotheses and move forward" as the nation grapples with improving the ways health care is delivered.