Food Preservation

Lewis and Clark County Extension provides a number of resources to safely and economically preserve food at home.

Augusta Water Bath Canning Class

September 21st at 5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. at the Augusta Community Center 

Pressure cooker gauges can be tested at the Extension Office for free. It is recommended to test pressure cooker gauges once a year.

National Center for Home Food Preservation

Principles of Pressure Canning 

Meals in Minutes Cookbook(PDF, 2MB)

The National Center for Home Food Preservation provides excellent research-based recommendations for most methods of home food preservation.

The University of Nebraska - Lincoln

Parts for Pressure Cookers - If new parts are no longer made, the canner is no longer considered safe, and we recommend the pressure canner be taken out of commission.

Storing Fruits and Vegetables from Washington State University. This excellent guide provides tips for storing fruits and vegetables in and around the house for optimum shelf life.

Canning Pickles and Sauerkraut

Drying Fruits

Drying Vegetables

Freezing Fruit

Freezing Vegetables

Home Canning Meat, Poultry and Fish

Home Canning Using Boiling Water Canners and Pressure Canners

Making Jams, Jellies and Syrups(including with wild Montana berries and fruit)

Processing Fruit and Tomato Products in a Pressure Canner

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Montana State University and the Montana State University Extension Service prohibit discrimination in all of their programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital and family status. Issued in furtherance of cooperative extension work in agriculture and home economics, acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and Director of Extension, Extension Service, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717