By Kathy Savoie, Extension Educator, University of Maine Cooperative Extension To say that I am excited for strawberry picking season is an understatement. I’ve missed out on Maine’s pick-your-own (PYO) strawberry season for the past two years and I can’t wait to get to the fields! If you’re wondering where to find local pick-your-own berries, […]
Read more
By Kate McCarty, Food Systems Professional, University of Maine Cooperative Extension 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 […]
Read more
By Kate McCarty, Food Systems Professional, University of Maine Cooperative Extension Now that the calendar has turned to a new year, it’s time to make sure you’re on track to use up last season’s canned goods. Whether you’re a novice or veteran canner, it’s important to use your home canned goods within one year for […]
Read more
— By Kathy Savoie, Extension Educator, University of Maine Cooperative Extension 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 […]
Read more
— 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. […]
Read more
— By Claire Schreiber, UMaine Extension Master Food Preserver Volunteer 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 […]
Read more
By Kate McCarty, Food Systems Professional, University of Maine Cooperative Extension 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 […]
Read more
— By Kathy Savoie, Extension Educator, University of Maine Cooperative Extension My husband didn’t seem that excited last fall when I brought home 6 chicks as an anniversary gift for him. His attitude has changed a lot now that he is enjoying fresh eggs for breakfast, and his personal favorite is a pickled egg! I […]
Read more
By Kate McCarty, Food Systems Professional, University of Maine Cooperative Extension Freezing rhubarb is a simple and easy way to use it later in cooking and preserving projects. Stocking my freezer with rhubarb is one of my favorite springtime preserving projects. Frozen rhubarb is so versatile. For instance, I just made Rhubarb Orange Chutney, using up […]
Read more
by Kate McCarty, UMaine Extension Food Systems Professional, University of Maine Cooperative Extension May means fiddlehead season in Maine, and many Mainers are excited to prepare and preserve fiddleheads—the coiled frond of the edible ostrich fern. These spring delicacies have a vegetal flavor, often compared to asparagus, and are harvested wild in the Maine woods. […]
Read more