(05/06/24) POLLOCK, La. — In a kitchen normally used to prepare meals for hungry 4-H campers, participants in a different type of camp looked on with interest and anticipation as LSU AgCenter nutrition and community health agent Breanna Staab stirred a saucepan containing a bubbling blend of pureed bell and serrano peppers, sugar and vinegar.

Staab was guiding the adult campers through the process of making and canning pepper jelly as part of an April 30 food preservation camp at the Grant Walker 4-H Educational Center in Pollock. Attendees of the daylong session heard lessons on safely canning foods and got to try their hand at three recipes: pepper jelly, pickles and salsa.

Staab read instructions out loud as the students worked together to add pectin to the cooked pepper jelly mixture, ladle it into jars, remove air bubbles, wipe the rims clean and screw on lids. Finally, they carefully lowered the filled jars into a pot of boiling water for a water bath — a method for canning foods that have acidic ingredients.

Some members of the class live near the Grant Parish camp facility while others drove in from as far away as Lafourche and West Feliciana parishes. This was the second year the event has been held.

“We really saw a resurgence of canning needs and wants during COVID and then it continued,” said Jennifer Duhon, nutrition and community health coordinator for the AgCenter Central Region. “We saw the need for people to have accurate food safety information. People were out there finding a lot of classes or lessons or even just blogs on the internet, and they were not following food safety practices. We in extension realized the need to keep our communities healthy and safe.”

Before taking the participants into the kitchens at Grant Walker to make their own canned goods, Duhon and Staab went over the equipment needed for canning and safety practices. Their colleagues Shannan Chevallier, Cindy Upton and Madison Willis helped lead the class.

The agents emphasized the importance of using the correct method for processing, or heating jars of food to a certain temperature for a set amount of time to kill bacteria. While acidic foods such as the jelly, pickles and salsa the camp participants made can be boiled in a water bath, vegetables and meats should be processed in a pressure canner.

Water bath canning doesn’t require much specialized equipment; some jars, two-piece lids and a large pot will get the job done. But pressure canning requires a dedicated, well-maintained pressure canner. Internet fads such as canning in pressure cookers and ovens are unsafe.

The AgCenter also urges following tried-and-true recipes from reputable sources such as the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the University of Georgia National Center for Home Food Preservation to prevent food safety problems. Ingredient measurements as well as cooking and processing times should be followed to the letter, and care should be taken to ensure that jar lids seal completely.

Botulism is one of the most concerning risks of improper canning. A life-threatening illness that attacks the nervous system, botulism is caused by a toxin that cannot be tasted, seen or smelled.

“It’s something you do not want to mess with,” Staab warned.

Less serious — but nevertheless discouraging — consequences can occur.

“Sometimes people just run into ruining their crop,” Duhon said. “If they’re not following those specific safe practices, when they go to open that can, they may find something such as mold.”

Canning, however, is nothing to be scared of when done correctly. It can offer a way to store food for the long term — even years. It’s especially useful for people who grow gardens and find themselves with an overabundance of fresh produce, Duhon said.

While freezing food is often an easier option, the appeal of canning lies in being able to store jars on a shelf without the need for electricity or taking up freezer space.

“Here in Louisiana, we are prone to hurricanes and storms where people’s electricity goes out, and their freezers may be out for a long amount of time,” Duhon said.

Canning is also an enjoyable pursuit, she said. She particularly likes making jams and jellies.

“I find that they’re fun,” Duhon said. “You can have such variety. With pepper jelly especially, you can combine so many different types of fruits with that pepper for that little bit of heat. It’s something that goes over well with so many people.”

AgCenter nutrition and community health agents around Louisiana have been trained in safe canning practices. They can answer questions about canning and even test gauges on pressure canners for accuracy. For more information, contact your parish AgCenter office.

Breanna Staab, left, LSU AgCenter nutrition and community health agent in St. Landry Parish, guides participants in making pepper jelly during a food preservation camp April 30, 2024, at the Grant Walker 4-H Educational Center in Pollock. Photo by Olivia McClure/LSU AgCenter

Jennifer Duhon, second from right, nutrition and community health coordinator for the LSU AgCenter Central Region, talks with an attendee while others add sliced cucumbers to a pot to make pickles during a food preservation camp April 30, 2024, at the Grant Walker 4-H Educational Center in Pollock. Photo by Olivia McClure/LSU AgCenter

Breanna Staab, left, LSU AgCenter nutrition and community health agent in St. Landry Parish, talks about equipment used in canning during a food preservation camp April 30, 2024, at the Grant Walker 4-H Educational Center in Pollock. Looking on at right is Jennifer Duhon, nutrition and community health coordinator for the AgCenter Central Region. Photo by Olivia McClure/LSU AgCenter

A participant in an LSU AgCenter food preservation camp places a lid on a jar of freshly made pepper jelly. The event was held April 30, 2024, at the Grant Walker 4-H Educational Center in Pollock. Photo by Olivia McClure/LSU AgCenter

Participants in an LSU AgCenter food preservation camp watch as a classmate uses a funnel and ladle to fill a jar with freshly made salsa. The event was held April 30, 2024, at the Grant Walker 4-H Educational Center in Pollock. Photo by Olivia McClure/LSU AgCenter