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Food preservation classes planned in four Southcentral communities

Residents in four communities in Southcentral Alaska can learn how to preserve meat and vegetables in workshops led by the Â鶹¹ÙÍø Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service. 

Instructor Julie Cascio will teach participants how to safely preserve meat, poultry and vegetables in jars. These in-person workshops will focus on heat processing low-acid foods, the equipment needed, how to select and prepare the food, and how to use and care for a pressure canner. 

The classes are scheduled for:

• Palmer, Thursday, April 11, 1-5 p.m. at the Matanuska Experiment Farm, 1509 S. Georgeson Drive. The cost is $20. Register at .
• Glennallen, Saturday, April 13, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at Prince William Sound College: Copper Basin CRSD District Office Building, 1976 Aurora Drive, Glennallen. The cost is $20. Register at . 
• Soldotna, Friday, April 19, 3:30-7:30 p.m. at the Kenai Peninsula Food Bank, 33955 Community College Drive, Soldotna. The cost is $20. Register at .
• Homer, Saturday, April 20, noon-4 p.m. at The Classic Cook, 378 East Pioneer Ave., Homer. The cost is $25. Register at .

An additional food preservation workshop focusing on making pickles and sauerkraut is scheduled for 1-5 p.m. on Thursday, April 25, in Palmer at the Matanuska Experiment Farm and Extension Center. This class will cover pickling as a method of food preservation, types of pickles, and the equipment and methods used to process pickles. Participants will make quick-pack pickles using a boiling water bath. Cascio also will discuss the process of making sauerkraut, appropriate fermentation vessels and methods. The cost is $20. Register at .

Participants can also register for any of these classes by calling the Mat-Su District Cooperative Extension Service office, 907-746-9481. Youths under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.

Accommodation requests related to a disability should be made seven days in advance to Cascio, jmcascio@alaska.edu, 907-746-9481.

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