practical skills

Canning class set Sept. 19 The Rupublican Wednesday, September 09, 2009

Carol Blake — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 14:06:52 -0400

By JIM KINNEY
Business writer
SPRINGFIELD - For home canning enthusiasts, juicy sun-ripened tomatoes from the garden are the taste of winter.

"It's fun," said Daniel J. Staub, of Springfield. "It makes you remember summer when you open that can."

Staub and his wife, Kristin M. Brennan, plan to put up 80 to 100 quarts of tomatoes by the end of harvest season plus an additional 50 quarts of apples, peaches, jams, jellies and other assorted foodstuffs, enough to keep Brennan, Staub and their three children ages 6, 3 and 7 months supplied until the next harvest.

Staub will teach one of 11 food preservation techniques sponsored by the Northeast Organic Farming Association/ Massachusetts Chapter all from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 19. His will be at his home at 127 Marlborough St. in Springfield. Other Western Massachusetts seminars will be that same day in Shelburne, Cummington, Northampton and Great Barrington. The cost is $50 for people who are not members of the association and $45 for association members. More information is available at www.nofamass.org

Besides canning, he'll cover drying, pickling, freezing, the use of a root cellar and ways hearty greens like kale and collared greens and root crops like carrots can be kept right in the garden under a blanket of mulch. Staub said he'll also teach a food storage method called lacto fermentation, the traditional method for making sauerkraut.

"Anybody who gardens knows that there are times of the year when you are just inundated with stuff and times when you just have nothing," Staub said. "Food preservation is a natural outgrowth of that."

And it is getting more popular, according to a survey released last month by the Web site allrecipies.com. The number of Web page views of canning instructions rose 109 percent in the past year, and 55 percent of the American home cooks surveyed planned to can something this year, according to that survey.

"I know there is a lot of interest in local food, so it follows that people would want to preserve that food," Eric A Decker, professor and department head in food science at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, said. "It's the economy. But people are also looking for a level of control. If you grow your own food, or have a supply of organic food, you can have that food year-round."

Staub said the actual canning costs only 15 cents a can for either a new lid or a new rubber seal for the kind of jar that comes with a glass lid. Even cooks who buy the produce from local farmers save money.

"Because you are buying in bulk and in height of the harvest season when supplies are high," he said.

Decker said canning acidic foods, like tomatoes, pickles, jams and jellies is a relatively easy process. But if you are canning vegetables like green beans, you need to use a pressure cooker in order to get the food and the materials hot enough and sterile enough.

"The fear is botulism," he said. "There is actually a magic pH, 4.6, below that you are OK."

Staub said he'll only cover high-acid foods in his canning seminar.

He encouraged people thinking of getting started to read the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Center for Home Food Preservation Web site at http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/index.html

Jim Kinney can be reached at jkinney@repub.com

NOFA Massachusets Press Room

Home food preservation makes a comeback in Winchendon

Carol Blake — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 13:42:30 -0400

Winchendon, MA – The Northeast Organic Farming Association/ Massachusetts Chapter (NOFA/Mass) is holding a workshop on how to preserve food from the fall harvest on September 19 from 9:00am to 3:00pm at the home of Beth Ingham on 96 Windsor Road in Winchendon Springs. The event is part of the Massachusetts Food Preservation Workshop Day, which has been organized to meet the resurgence of interest in local foods and self-reliance. Similar events will be held in 10 other towns and cities throughout the state on the same day.

“Every year people are making more backyard gardens and enjoying the tremendous wealth of produce available from local farms in the fall. To enjoy this bounty into the winter it’s helpful to re-learn some techniques for preserving food at home that our grandparents probably used but that many of us haven’t learned yet,” said Ben Grosscup, the event organizer. “With this event, we're offering the public an opportunity to learn from experienced food preservation educators basic skills they need to get started.”

The workshop in Winchendon will be taught by Beth Ingham, longtime NOFA member, gardener, and food preservationist. Along with her partner, Bob Jennings, Ingham says that during August and September she prepares the majority of her family’s food for the winter using produce from her garden. “Food preservation saves the summer's sun. We do this by canning, storing root crops in a root cellar, and also through the wonderful traditional process of lacto-fermentation.”

Lacto-fermentation is a food preservation method that uses salt to suppress bacteria species that cause food to spoil while also fostering the growth of beneficial lacto bacillus bacteria that produce the natural preservative, lactic acid. “We might not be aware, but beneficial microbes cover fresh vegetables everywhere. Lacto-fermentation works on the principle that given the right environment, these microbes multiply and then transform the sugars and the starches in produce into beneficial bacteria, yeasts, vitamins, and enzymes,” said Ingham.

“Every year, we make over 150 quarts of sauerkraut, kimchee, salsa and ginger carrots. The fermentation actually increases the nutrition of this already wonderful food,” she said.

“This workshop is an invitation to see how each person makes food preservation work for them. There is no prescription for preserving the harvest. All you need is a few basic safety points and recipes, along with encouragement to trust your inner knowing and envision your own rhythm. This is empowering, because you can improve your health and the health of the earth by not relying on profit-driven agribusinesses.”

The workshop will also cover the basics of root cellaring for storing root crops throughout the winter by providing appropriate moisture levels. Participants will have a chance to see the root cellaring system Ingham uses. And, there is an attached greenhouse in which greens are grown until the coldest months of January and February. Attendees are also encouraged to bring their own questions to the workshop.

"Incorporating these food preservation techniques into your life helps you save money, lessen your dependence on the global corporate food chain, and provide wonderful flavor and nutrition all year round for your family,” said Grosscup. “The best time to preserve food is the same as when backyard gardens and local farm stands reach the height of the season’s harvest. Savoring fresh summer flavors is an enjoyable way to make it through the winter.”

In addition to Winchendon Springs, workshops are also being held in the following communities: Brookline, South Natick, Concord, Groton, Princeton, Shelburne, Cummington, Northampton, Springfield, and Great Barrington.

For information on how to register, visit www.nofamass.org, or contact Ben Grosscup 413-658-5374, <ben.grosscup@nofamass.org>. The workshop cost is $50, and there is a $5 discount for membership in NOFA/Mass. There is also a $5 discount for registration on or before September 5, 2009. Pre-registration is requested, but on-site registration is available for an extra $5 charge. If you plan to do a walk in registration, please call in advance to find out if there is space availability. A potluck lunch will be shared at the event, and registrants are invited to bring something to share or bring their own lunch.

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NOFA Massachusets Press Room

CREATING SCHOOL GARDENS AND COMPOSTING SYSTEMS

Carol Blake — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 13:59:44 -0400

A workshop on creating school gardens and composting systems will be held on Sunday, September 28 from 10am " 2pm in Hubbardston. Led by Karen DiFranza, participants will learn how to start a student-powered composting program that recycles cafeteria leftovers and schoolyard organic materials. There will be discussion on starting, running and funding a program and also curriculum lessons that use both the garden and the school composting system.

The Hubbardston program is maintained by the students and was developed by Ms. DiFranza several years ago using grant money. This year she started a similar program at the Quabbin Regional High School in Barre.

This workshop is one of a series of Practical Skill Workshops offered NOFA/Mass. The cost is $46 for NOFA/Mass Members and $51 for non-members. For complete information on this and the other workshops in the Series, and to register online visit http://www.nofamass.org/programs/skills.php#veggie or call Practical Skills Coordinator Tom Szekely at 781-894-4358 or seedpotato@yahoo.com Pre-registration is highly recommended as workshops sometimes fill up quickly. Another practical skills workshop, Putting Food By at Many Hands Organic Farm in Barre on September 27, has been filled but Tom Szekely will add names to the wait list. NOFA/Mass is sponsored by Stoneyfield Farm Inc. and Whole Foods Market.

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NOFA Massachusets Press Room

HOT WATER WITH THE SUN AT 21ST CENTURY FOODS

admin — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 01:00:00 -0400

Jamaica Plain – A workshop on heating hot water with the sun will be held at 21st Century Foods at 30A Germania St from 10AM-12:30PM on Saturday, June 21, 2008. Led by Rudy Canale, this workshop will explain how to pre-heat hot water using copper or plastic solar heaters.

Canale made the decision to use solar hot water to pre-heat his water and cut down on the energy needs for his business. This is often regarded as the most efficient use of solar power. Canale will explain how he made his collectors and offer suggestions as to how people can cut their own energy needs.

Rudy has been manufacturing and distributing tofu and tempeh at 21st Century Foods since 1981. He also makes wine. This workshop is one of a series of Practical Skill Workshops offered by the Northeast Organic Farming Association, Massachusetts Chapter (NOFA/Mass).

The cost is $27 for NOFA members and $32 for non-members. Pre-registration is recommended as workshops sometimes fill up quickly. For complete information on this and the other workshops in the Series, and to register online visit http://www.nofamass.org/programs/skills.php#veggie or call Practical Skills Coordinator Tom Szekely at 781-894-4358 or seedpotato@yahoo.com.

NOFA/Mass is sponsored by Stoneyfield Farm Inc. and Whole Foods Market. ###

NOFA Massachusets Press Room