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'!

Great Information Day for Community Kitchen!

(Notes from 'Starting a Food-Based Business')

A big thank you to Mary Jordan, Robert Donnan and all the participants in today's festivities!

After a full day of information ranging from technical to personal, I drove home with my head swirling, trying to put everything in order. I don't think a stone was left unturned--all the information was there, but where to begin?

Here's what I'm thinking:

1. First I need to take the Food Safety course. That's a requirement before using the Community Kitchen, and will be helpful no matter what I do. The course is offered at Spencer Penn on August 26^th. Note to self: Call to reserve a spot.

2. Meanwhile, I need to work on firming up my food idea: Jars of my best soup recipes, I think three different kinds, ready to market.

   * While it could be left until much later, I want to come up with a logo, and get a label in mind. It helps me if I have a visual image, as well as taste expectation, of the finished product. Virginia's Best is part of my plan. I'm very interested in using local products, and I want my soups to be healthy. I have recipes I've been working on for several years, but until I take them through the canning process, I won't know if my seasoning quantities are right.

* Once I get into the kitchen and can some test jars, and feel happy with the results, I think the next step will be to contact Joell Eifert (Virginia Tech Food Science and Technology) and see where my recipes fall on the ph and water scales. That could call for more changes to make the recipe safe for canning.

* At the same time, I need a Business Plan. Lisa Fultz gave us plenty of information on how to get started with the FastTrac program. Could it really take $25,000 to $100,000 a year for the first few years just to get these products launched? So much money. I'm going to have to be prepared with a good business plan if I want to even think of approaching a lending institution.

Having a certified kitchen to use makes all this possible. Once I have a safe, and delicious recipe to work with, I can go into the kitchen, can jars, and begin taste testing with my projected market at the Farmer's Market and even local stores. By this time, I'll want to have business cards and a website up and running. The label information will need to be approved. And then 'real' production.

That's a long way down the road, but the plan is formulating, and with all the information from the Community Kitchen Open House, I have a much better idea of what's ahead.

While I want to use the CK to make a marketable food product, there were many other ideas floating around the room from catering to opening a restaurant. It's going to be interesting to see how many different ways the CK will be used.

My final thought is that everyone seemed to be ready to help, from the experts on the various aspects of the food business to those who have already gone down this road and succeeded. It's a good feeling to know there is a solid support group!

From vine to kitchen, to shelf, to table...

Could this tomato be waiting to become a Community Kitchen ingredient?

Soup?

Sauce?

Condiment?

Tomato sandwich?

Welcome to Apron Strings!!

 

I'm going to be posting 'tales' from the new Community Kitchen opening at the Spencer Penn Centre next Wednesday, July 22!  We'll explore together the many ways a Community Kitchen (CK, for short) can be used to benefit our community.  Do you have aspirations to cater, turn your secret family recipe into a marketable product, can in large quantities, make food items to sell at the Farmer's Market?  Whatever your need, we're here to help! 

 

I hope this site will offer interesting and helpful information, as well as give you the opportunity to ask questions or make comments!  I certainly won't know all the answers, but I am fortunate to have a good support group of experts, so I can at least direct you to the information you're seeking.

I think it will be a great place to discuss the progress of those using the CK.  We'll all be learning together, sharing our experiences, and moving forward to make each venture a success.

The people who made this CK a reality have gone to other similar operations in NC and VA to learn the ins and outs of getting started, and that's what we'll do, too!  We'll turn to those who have already been down this road as well as each other for help to make the process a little easier.  No need to reinvent the wheel!

So, join us on Wednesday, July 22nd, 8:45-3:00, for the Open House--a day of information about the many ways this kitchen can be used to meet your needs.

Call 634-4650 Henry County/Martinsville Cooperative Extension to make your reservations now!  We're serving lunch, so we need to know you're coming!

I can't wait to get started on my very own project!