Food preservation (canning, dehydrating, freezing, etc), food recalls, handwashing, food handling and other safety topics.
Heat Sources for Stovetop Canners What Heat Source can I use for the Presto Stovetop Pressure Canner? This is a question we received from a Family and Consumer Sciences Agent. Quick answer—Presto stovetop canners are versatile and will work on gas, electric coil, and electric smooth top (glass top) ranges. There are though, some qualifiers […]
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Steam Canning Steam canning, also known as atmospheric steam canning, is a great alternative to water bath canning for most high-acid foods with a pH below 4.6. Examples include most fruits, jams, jellies, pickled products, sauerkraut, preserves, salsa and acidified tomatoes. Steam canning uses less water, which reduces the canner weight and efficiently heats it […]
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Spring Clean Your Freezer Once you have a full inventory list from your freezer, use this list for future planning. If the freezer is quite full, “grocery shop” and meal plan from the freezer to make space for the produce you want to preserve in the coming months. If you notice you still have a […]
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Growing season is just around the corner. We encourage you to look ahead to get prepared for canning season. For Consumers: Did you know? Canning has made a big comeback with sales of Presto canners increasing 15% over the last 10 years. UW-Madison Division of Extension agents work with local residents to test gauges to […]
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Preparing and Planning for the Year Ahead Welcome to 2025! Have you considered what you will be preserving later this year? While it seems early to think about, it is the time to plan for your future needs. Different varieties of produce have different results in different home-processed products. So, it is important to consider […]
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Helpful Hints for Gifting Home-Preserved Goodies Many home-preservers share their products with others. Holiday gifts might include a basket of home-canned foods such as jelly or salsa. However, remember that you are responsible for the safety of the foods you are sharing. That safety starts with a tested recipe from a trusted, reliable resource. If […]
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Pressure Cooker vs. Pressure Canner – Are They the Same? Does it matter which one you use to preserve your food? The answer is YES! A pressure cooker is not designed to preserve food. When food is preserved or “canned” a specific temperature is needed for a certain amount of time to reduce microorganism levels […]
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Presto received very positive feedback about the first issue of their newsletter Let’s Preserve Together, designed specifically for the Cooperative Extension community. Attached is their latest issue. They would like this newsletter to be a valuable resource for you. Please contact them with questions that they will answer in a future newsletter, or suggestions on […]
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Tips for Successful Water Bath Canning Water bath canning (also known as boiling water bath canning) is a method of food preservation where filled canning jars are submerged in boiling water for a specific time. While in the boiling water, two important things happen: 1) the food product is heated to sufficiently kill any potential […]
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Why is Dry Canning Not Safe? You may have heard about “dry canning” shared on social media. Maybe you heard acquaintances talking about it. “Dry canning” is not really “canning.” The practice of sealing flour, nuts, beans, oats or other foods in jars after heating them in some way, such as in an oven, is […]
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