Healthy Living 4-H Food Preservation North Dakota 4-H Project Sheet 4-H food preservation projects are Exhibit Ideas designed to help you do fun experiments, learn the fundamentals  Make a portfolio or display on of preserving foods, prepare flavor- how to preserve foods safely or filled recipes and reflect on what the importance of head space, finger-tight seals and you’ve learned. You’ll have fun preventing oxidation. learning about safely preserving  Make a portfolio or display food. about food labels for preserved foods or kitchen equipment needed to preserve foods.  Understand why food is preserved.  Make a portfolio or display  Understand the science of safe food about your favorite food preservation. preservation recipes.  Learn how to prepare, preserve and store foods safely.  Canned food exhibits—jams,  Develop math and science problem-solving skills by preparing recipes and jelly, pickles, fruits, tomato calculating the cost per jar. product

Here’s what you can do all year! NDSU is an equal opportunity institution

Pressure Water canning Making jam Pickling Freezing Drying canning

 Beginning activity:  Beginning activity:  Beginning activity:  Beginning activity:  Beginning activity:  Beginning activity: Can crushed Make strawberry Make refrigerator Freeze berries. Dry fruit. Can green beans. tomatoes. freezer jam. pickles.  Advanced activity:  Advanced activity:  Advanced activity:  Advanced activity:  Advanced activity:  Advanced activity: Freeze corn-on-the Dry fruit leather. Can tomato veggie Can salsa. Make strawberry Can dill pickles. cob .  Additional activities: soup.  Additional activities: jam with regular  Additional activities:  Additional activities: Dry fruits.  Additional activities: pectin. Can tomatoes. Make pickles. Freeze fruits and  Learn about water Can vegetables.  Learn the  Additional activities:  Learn about veggies. activity of fruits.  Learn about pounds Make jam. importance of head oxidation of foods.  Learn how and why  Add your dried fruit of pressure. space and tight  Learn how jam slows  Plant cucumbers in a foods are frozen. to a baked good.  Demonstrate your seals. the growth of garden.  Demonstrate your  Dry veggies or make knowledge of microorganisms.  Understand how  Understand the knowledge of fruits veggie leather. choosing the altitude affects  Experiment with a and vegetables that “fingertip tight”  Experiment with correct jar size for processing times. variety of crushed are in season. concept. adding toppings different foods. fruits.  Experiment with a  Plan a meal using  Research which such as granola,  Learn how to test fruit salsa  Learn to evaluate the pickles. vegetables do not sunflower seeds or lids for a vacuum  Plant tomato seeds. quality of your  Learn how vinegar freeze well. peanut butter to seal.  Learn how the finished product. prevents spoilage  Learn how to fruit leather after it  Learn how to peel acidity of foods  Learn how to use a from blanch foods. has dried. fruits and veggies. affects safe knife properly. microorganisms. preservation. Learn more at www.ndsu.edu/4h/ or contact your county NDSU Extension office. 4-H Food Preservation North Dakota 4-H Project Sheet Here are Other Opportunities to Explore Food Preservation:

 Organize a food preservation workshop for your community.  Plan a special meal that incorporates preserved foods for your family.  Make a recipe calendar for a gift. Include a food preservation recipe with “in season” fruits and vegetables for each month.  Assemble a set of favorite food preservation recipes.  Consider taking an exhibit to the fair for judging and to show what you have learned throughout the year. Pass it on! Now that you know how, share it  Contact your county NDSU Extension office for local workshops, activities with others. Here are ideas to get and events. you started.  Meet others interested in food preservation.  Learn to analyze nutrition information for the food you preserve. Communication

 Visit with others who have Food Preservation Resources experience with preserving food.  Food Preservation ND Project Book  Tell your family about the importance of preserving food  To request the free curriculum, Put It Up! Food Preservation for Youth, visit http:// safely. nchfp.uga.edu/putitup.html  Design a poster about  NDSU Extension Service http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/food/food-preservation the different food preservation methods.

Citizenship Recordkeeping Other Resources  Teach community members on how to preserve food safely.  Planning for My Project Adventure  Volunteer to help with a  Eat Smart. Play Hard. Together. community garden.  www.ag.ndsu.edu/eatsmart/ ND 4-H Project Plan  MyPlate (U.S. Department of  ND 4-H Plan of Action Leadership Agriculture)  ND 4-H Participation Summary for www.choosemyplate.gov  Take responsibility for planting vegetables in the garden. 11- to 19-year-olds  Kids a Cookin’ - Kansas State  Plan to have preserved food at a Research and Extension family event. www.kidsacookin.org/

Other 4-H Resources  Picture-based Recipes Entrepreneurship www.ag.ndsu.edu/globalfood/  Educational Trunks picture_recipes.html  Create your own food preservation  Healthy ND 4-H Clubs cookbook with research-tested recipes and sell it as a fundraiser.

Learn more at www.ndsu.edu/4h/ or contact your county NDSU Extension office.