Yes, You Can! MSU Canning Classes Start 9/4 in Billings

When I was a kid, the old, dark basement in the farmhouse I grew up in had a dirt-floored room in the back corner. There were no windows and it always felt cool; the temps hovered around 50-ish degrees year round. Along the wall were shelves to the ceiling, stacked with all the produce my mom had canned throughout the summer. It looked quite similar to the photo above.

I come from a long line of canners.

My grandmother probably canned thousands of jars in her lifetime, my mom is a canner, and all of my aunts have similar pantries lined with dozens (or even hundreds) of jars of home-canned goods.

Huge backyard gardens deliver way more food than you can possibly eat fresh. Why not can it?

Canning isn't a lost art. Not yet, anyway.

It's not extremely difficult. However, your first time with a pressure cooker can be somewhat intimidating. Cleanliness is paramount and long-term food storage safety guidelines are important.

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Montana's harvest season is here and soon you may have more fresh produce than you know what to do with. Freezing is one option, but canning is one of the best ways to save food in the long term.

Take the canning classes at the Billings Public Library.

YouTube is great for many things, but when it comes to food safety (and not making my family deathly ill from food poisoning), I'd rather learn from certified experts. Plus, taking a class is fun. You get real social interaction. Perhaps you'll make new friends. And it's nice to have a Q&A session in person.

The Yellowstone County MSU Extension Office is hosting the Home Canning Fall Lecture Series. The first session is September 4th at the Billings Public Library. You can find more info HERE.