food,  local

Canning: How Not to Poison Your Family

You Can Keep These in Your Bomb Shelter

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.

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