Serv-Safe for Safe Food!

I'm one step closer to firing up the stove in the CK! I have now completed (and have a certificate suitable for framing) the four hour Serv-Safe class offered by the Health Department. This particular class was sponsored by the Franklin County Virginia Cooperative Extension, but I think the classes are offered randomly through all our local VCE offices. Sharon Ortiz, a Senior Environmental Health Specialist for the Health Department, taught the class. The four hours literally flew by. There is a more intensive sixteen hour class that will be offered after the holidays, but this was the perfect place to begin. Plenty of information to digest before delving deeper into food safety.

The fact that 95% of foodborne illnesses can be prevented, coupled with the fact that foodborne diseases cause more than 76million illnesses each year, is enough to make you want to pay attention! Maybe this class should be required when purchasing a marriage license. The rules apply, whether in your home kitchen or feeding the public.

All the participants in the class attended the Community Kitchen Seminar and Open House with different ideas about using the kitchen to begin or expand a food-based business.

Sharon was very encouraging, and while she certainly wore the hat of enforcer of the regulations, she is excited about helping us succeed with safe food practices.

Canning Class in the Community Kitchen

The Patrick County and Henry County offices of the Virginia Cooperative Extension joined forces to lead a canning workshop in the Community Kitchen today. Melanie Barrow (Henry County), her Mom, Judy Williams (aka 'Yoda of Canning'), Amanda Wingfield (Patrick County) and her sister Hannah Sullivan gave thirteen willing students a full day of canning instruction, including pressure canning, cold pack, hot pack, and water bath techniques. The students had a wide range of previous experience, from none (me) to extensive. This was the third canning class for one of my table mates.

I was struck by how many of my fellow students talked about canning years ago with their mothers or grandmothers, and now wanted to continue the tradition. I've never actually 'canned' with anybody, but I have enjoyed the work of lots of friends and family. Armed with all the information from today's class, I'm ready to fire up the stove and move into the world of Ball jars and pressure cookers.

We all agreed that canning from start to finish is much more fun as a group endeavor, and that having experts available to answer the many questions that will arise builds confidence and ensures a positive outcome. The tip of the day was to precisely follow the instructions laid out in the Bible of the canning world: the 'Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving'.

The next canning class will be later this month at the Armory in Martinsville. Call the Henry County Extension Office for more information. I don't think canning is hard, but for your end product to be safe and delicious, you need to know the rules. These ladies have all the answers!

It was a fun day filled with great information, and to top it off, we all went home with jars filled with preserved locally grown green beans, tomatoes and peach jam!

Amanda Wingfield, Family Consumer Science Agent from Patrick County, and her sister Hannah, get things ready for the next step.

Melanie Barrow from the Henry County Extension Office leads us through the mysteries of pressure canning meat.

Classic 'hands-on' technique preparing Peach Jam.

Green Beans, from start to finish, with instruction from the 'Yoda of Canning', Judy Williams.

Waiting for the tomatoes to seal--we want to hear that happy 'ping'!