Cooperative Extension: Food & Health

Freezing is the unsung workhorse of summertime preserving. Freezing fruits and vegetables can take less time than canning and results in a product that is closer to fresh than a canned product. A few tips will help make sure your frozen foods are top-quality when you use them months later. Tips for Freezing Vegetables Many […]

Green beans and cucumbers are starting to appear in Maine gardens and at farmers markets, which means it’s time to kick off pickling season. Our tips will help you create high-quality and delicious pickled vegetables of all kinds, from classics like dill pickles and bread and butter to pickled green beans, beets, or carrots. The […]

Pressure canning is the only way to achieve home canned jars of our favorite Maine vegetables like corn, peas, potatoes, and carrots. Due to vegetables’ low acidity, improperly home canned jars of these foods can create the conditions for the hazardous botulinum toxin to grow. Using a pressure canner to can low-acid foods, like vegetables […]

Now that the calendar has turned to 2022, it’s time to make sure you’re on track to use up last year’s canned goods. Whether you’re a novice or veteran canner, it’s important to use your home canned goods within one year for best quality. Foods older than one year are still edible, but may lose […]

As I transition to a new season in my new home, I find myself pondering the best space to store my winter squash cache. After having lived in the same older home for 25 years, where I had nailed down the best microclimates for winter storage (think drafty old house), I expect I’ll have some […]

By Eva Holmes, UMaine Extension Master Food Preserver Volunteer If you are looking for a low-carb, low-calorie alternative to potato chips, give dehydrated cucumber and zucchini slices a try! I was very skeptical but now I find these hard to stop eating once I start. Recipe Cut a cucumber or two into thin slices. I […]

I read all the nutrition books when my youngest was an infant. We did all the “right” things and were so proud to have a little one who would eat beet greens like candy! Then, it happened—somewhere between the ages of 2 and 3 her taste buds changed and suddenly, overnight, she became a picky […]

Canning season is just beginning in Maine with some of the summer’s best produce appearing in our gardens and at farmers’ markets: cucumbers and beans for pickling, tomatoes for salsa, and fruit for jams. Now is also a great time to make sure you’re ready for canning and preserving by checking that your equipment is […]