AMES — Your spring gardens are flourishing with wonderful produce. Preserving your garden’s summer bounty is a great way to enjoy home-grown produce year round — as long as you don’t serve food-borne illness, like botulism, with your home-preserved foods, say nutrition and wellness specialists with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.

“Home food preservation is not difficult, but it does require following specific directions exactly,” said Holly VanHeel, nutrition and wellness specialist. “Ignoring recommended procedures can result in home canned products that will make you, your family and friends very ill.”

To help Iowans safely preserve foods, ISU Extension and Outreach is hosting a virtual Food Preservation 101 course. Food Preservation 101 is a general overview that highlights the key information Iowans need to know to get started preserving food at home.

During this free, one-hour online course, nutrition and wellness specialists will:

• Discuss various food preservation techniques – pressure canning, hot water bath canning, dehydration and freezing;

• Provide science-based, reliable food preservation resources; and

• Answer general food preservation questions.

Food Preservation 101 will be hosted a few more times through September. These are free to Iowans across the state. To register for Food Preservation 101 go to https://www.extension.iastate.edu/humansciences/preservation-101.

The scheduled dates and times are:

Thursday, Aug. 20, 10-11 a.m. and 8-9 p.m.

Thursday, Sept. 10, 7-8 p.m.

Need your canner lid tested? Pocahontas County Extension and Outreach is a resource to get your canner lid tested. Bring the lid only with dial gauges or the pop-up style. Weighted gauges are forever accurate. Call 712-335-3103 for an appointment to bring the lid to the Extension office. Pick up lid after the testing is completed.

For more information, contact Holly VanHeel, vanheel@iastate.edu, Webster County, 515-576-2119.