canning tomatoes

Food Preservation and Safety

About Food Preservation and Safety

Whether you're preserving your own harvest or working with locally grown fruits and vegetables, canning, freezing, and drying let you enjoy harvest-fresh flavor later in the year. Following tested, science-based guidelines is essential to making sure preserved foods are safe. CCE Broome offers information and hands-on, small-group training in home food preservation, along with resources to help you keep your family safe from foodborne illness.

Food safety matters well beyond the kitchen, too: one in six Americans gets sick from contaminated food each year, making good practices essential at home and for any food business. CCE Broome offers ServSafe classes and certification - contact us to learn more.

Interested in starting a food-based business? The Cornell Food Venture Center (CFVC) provides comprehensive assistance to beginning and established food entrepreneurs to help enhance food safety, satisfy regulatory compliance and promote economic development. The CFVC provides access to educational materials, industry resources, workshops and direct assistance for product and process validation for safety and stability, as well as guidance in local, state and federal regulations for food manufacturers.

Food Preservation FAQ's

So Easy to Preserve (University of Georgia Cooperative Extension, 6th Edition) is a widely recommended guide for beginners and experienced preservers alike, with step-by-step instructions based on the latest USDA recommendations. Order a copy here. The University of Maine also has a series of "how-to" videos.

It depends on what you're preserving. Learn more about canning equipment from the University of Illinois Extension website.

The National Center for Home Food Preservation is the go-to source for tested guidelines on canning, freezing, drying, and more. Penn State's Food Preservation Database offers approved recipes and answers to common preservation questions.

Yes - we offer information and small-group, hands-on training in home food preservation topics. Watch our events page for opportunities.

Food Safety FAQ's

About one in six Americans gets sick from contaminated food each year. Knowing and practicing good food safety habits is one of the most effective ways to protect your family from foodborne illness.

Food safety comes down to four core practices: Clean, Separate, Cook, and Chill. Each addresses a different risk point in handling food, from washing hands and surfaces to cooking meat to a safe internal temperature. 

The Partnership for Food Safety Education and the CDC's food safety site are both trusted resources.

Yes - we offer ServSafe classes. Contact our office to learn more.