Spoonful

Close up of cucumbers covered in salt, pieces of garlic, and sprigs of dill

News Flash: Vinegar Concerns for Home Food Preservers

— By Kathy Savoie, Extension Professor, University of Maine Cooperative Extension As we prepare for the summer preserving season by gathering ingredients, please remember the importance of always checking that the acidity level of vinegar is 5%. The acid from vinegar helps to ensure the safety of your home canned products. The National Center for Home […]

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Blueberry shake in a mason jar with frozen blueberries on the top

Mainely Dish: Creamy Blueberry Shake

— By Alex Gayton, Assistant EFNEP Coordinator & Social Media Coordinator, Expanded Food Nutrition and Education Program (EFNEP), University of Maine Cooperative Extension Visit EFNEP’s recipe website for the Creamy Blueberry Shake recipe and recipe video. Even though we have had a rainy summer in Maine so far, a refreshing frozen drink is always nice! […]

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Beans, dill, garlic, and canned dilly beans.

Dilly Beans for Your Pantry

— By Kathy Savoie, Extension Professor, University of Maine Cooperative Extension Make the most of the upcoming bounty of green beans from your garden or local farm by preserving dilly beans! Dilly beans are typically pickled green beans, but you can also use any other variety of bush/pole beans like yellow or purple beans. The […]

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Washing an apple in the sink.

A Guide for Best Produce Washing Practices

— By Kayla Parsons, MS, RDN, Ph.D. Student, University of Maine Cooperative Extension Eating a diet filled with various fruits and vegetables has many health benefits, but produce should always be washed prior to eating. Consuming unwashed produce can cause foodborne illness, such as E. Coli, Listeria, and Salmonella. Washing produce is quick, it takes […]

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Vegetables on a cutting board

Ask EFNEP: Vegetable Stock

— By Alice Cantrell, EFNEP Community Education Assistant – Somerset County, ME Making your own stock to use in cooking is a great habit to get into. Not only will you be reducing food waste but also creating a healthy base that is widely versatile for many recipes. You can avoid throwing away your onion […]

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Two rhubarb muffins on a plate with two stalks of rhubarb on the side

Mainely Dish: Rhubarb Muffins

— By Alex Gayton, Assistant EFNEP Coordinator & Social Media Coordinator, Expanded Food Nutrition and Education Program (EFNEP), University of Maine Cooperative Extension Visit EFNEP’s recipe website for the Rhubarb Muffins recipe and recipe video. Growing up, my grandparents always had a rhubarb plant growing at their camp. I never really knew what it was. […]

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Canning jar lids in a pan on a stove with a red circle with a line through it.

No Need to Preheat Canning Jar Lids

— By Kate McCarty, Food Systems Professional, University of Maine Cooperative Extension Dome lids play an important role in home canning. They, along with a screw band, protect your food from spoilage by creating a vacuum seal that forms during the canning process. So it’s important to prepare and apply dome lids and screw bands […]

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Preserving the Maine Harvest: Low sugar strawberry jam. Photo of strawberries and canned strawberries.

Savor Strawberry Season with Low-Sugar Jam

— By Kathy Savoie, Extension Professor, University of Maine Cooperative Extension With any luck, the late May frosts haven’t damaged the upcoming, highly anticipated strawberry season in Maine. I live in a town that has an amazing pick-your-own (PYO) strawberry field, and you know it’s open by the volume of cars driving through our small […]

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Leaves of chard

Ask EFNEP: Using Leafy Greens

— By Laurie Colton, EFNEP Community Education Assistant You might often hear, eat your greens! Today I love most greens but I haven’t always. Growing up, the only way I would eat Swiss chard was to mix it in fresh mashed potatoes and butter. I’ve since learned to love leafy greens and if I had […]

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