Bucks County Foodshed Alliance offers Food Preservation Workshop

The Bucks County Foodshed Alliance and the Bucks County chapter of Buy Fresh Buy Local® present the opportunity to learn the art of food preservation at their workshop, Fearless Food Preservation.

On Saturday, September 13, BCFA members, Bucks BFBL partners and all interested individuals are invited to the Plumsteadville Grange to learn the basics of canning, fermenting and freezing the summer and fall bounties. Some previous food preservation skills are helpful but not required.

The workshop runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Participants should bring a cutting board and chopping and slicing knives to assist in making and canning applesauce and tomato sauce, freezing green beans and fermenting a variety of vegetables. Each participant will take home a pint of tomato sauce or fermenting vegetables.

Ace Hardware has donated three dozen canning jars for the event. Ingredients and additional equipment are covered by the nominal fee of $10 for BCFA members and BFBL Partners and $25 for all others. Space is limited; registration is requested.

Susan Pierson, a director for the Bucks County Foodshed Alliance, will be leading the workshop. Her mother taught her how to can, freeze and ferment and she has been supplementing her diet steadily with these skills ever since. Some common items in Susan’s pantry and freezer are frozen corn and berries and canned peaches, applesauce, pureed squash, tomatoes and homemade salsa. This year, she says her own freezer is filling up fast with the fruits of local farms and her own garden.

Plumsteadville Grange is at 5901 Old Easton Road, Plumsteadville. For more information and to register: 215-621-8967 or BucksFoodshed.org.