Canning: How Not to Poison Your Family
Have you always wanted to learn how to can vegetables, but you’re afraid of killing your family with botulism? (Fun fact: the word “botulism” comes from the Latin word “botulus,” which means “sausage.” Um, gross.) Fear no more! If you don’t have a cool mother-in-law, grandma, or farmer friend to teach you, the Madison Area Community Supported Agriculture Coalition (MACSAC) has got you covered. They are offering classes on food preservation for $25 (check out MACSAC’s website). They will also offer classes on freezing and dehydrating for $10. And for those of you who don’t know your turnips from your rutabaga (which includes me), there will be a “Cooking with Root Vegetables” class in the fall.
If you don’t live in Madison, ask at your local Whole Foods. Many of them offer a Canning 101 class. Or, if you are self-motivated, check out the USDA’s extensive Home Preservation Guidelines. Although, I have to admit that reading these guidelines is what freaked me out in the first place… so proceed with caution.