PRESS RELEASE:

Do you have a garden? Do you buy local produce? It is that time of the year again when we begin thinking of preserving this bounty but uncertain as to where to start?

Done properly, food preservation can be a fun and rewarding way to enjoy summer’s harvest throughout the year. Join ECO, the Environmental and Conservation Organization and Renay Knapp, Henderson County Cooperative Extension, on Tuesday, July 12, and Thursday, July 24, on the “in’s and out’s” of how to safely preserve some of summer’s bounty.

Whether you are an experienced canner or not, "Part I, Food Preservation: Canning High and Low Acid Foods" will cover all the latest canning methods. In "Part II, Food Preservation: Soft Spreads, Pickling, Freezing and Drying," Renay will instruct participants on a variety of preservation methods to transform the harvest into jams, jellies, pickles and relishes. Learn to safely prepare those fruits of the harvest by way of soft-spreads, pickling, freezing and drying.

Pre-registration for the workshops is required, as class size is extremely limited. Food-preservation workshops can be purchased together for $25 or individually for $15 each to support ECO. The Food Preservation workshops will be held at the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Office, 740 Glover Street, Hendersonville (near Jackson Park).

ECO is a grassroots environmental organization dedicated to protecting the natural heritage of WNC.