Master Food Preserver Training!

University of Nevada Cooperative Extension (UNCE) is announcing its first-ever Master Food Preserver class in southern Nevada. An outreach of Utah State University’s volunteer program, Master Food Preservers are taught, through hands-on classroom training, the basics of canning, drying and freezing fresh fruits and vegetables. In exchange for this valuable information, volunteers are required to teach these basics to others in the community through a variety of educational opportunities.

The Master Food Preserver class is being offered from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. for three consecutive days, March 21-23, at UNCE’s Lifelong Learning Center at 8050 Paradise Road in Las Vegas near the intersection of Windmill and I-215. The registration fee of $100 covers canning supplies, learning materials such as binders and manuals, and training by Utah State University Extension faculty. After becoming a certified Master Food Preserver, participants are expected to give back through volunteer service.

The Master Food Preserver class teaches the fundamentals of home food preservation in six sections: canning, drying, freezing, pressure canning, pickles and relishes and jams and jellies. The course uses researched-based methods to train volunteers on proper food preservation techniques following USDA guidelines. Some seats will be available for nonvolunteers at $150 per person.

Anyone interested in learning more about food preservation can apply but class size is limited. For more information email Robert Morris at morrisr@unce.unr.edu or call the Master Gardener helpline at 702-257-5555.

University of Nevada Cooperative Extension is an outreach arm of the University that extends unbiased, research-based knowledge from University of Nevada—and other land-grant universities—to local communities. Educational programs are developed based on local needs, sometimes in partnership with other agencies and volunteers. For more information about University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, please visit the website at www.unce.unr.edu.