L. Dawn Barnes
Senior Extension Agent, Family and Consumer Sciences
Spring time is here and for many of us that is when we are planting vegetables and imagining how wonderful they will taste this summer or this winter. It always seems when I am doing something and have a question it is later in the evening. So where do you turn when there is no one to call? The internet is usually our first stop but is the resource based on researched information and is a safe practice?
Following are some resource links that can be used to seek out answers to your questions.
Try to decide what to grow when and how to handle issues that happen during the growing process. Then head to https://ext.vt.edu/lawn-garden/home-vegetables.html
Want to learn how to process your fruits and vegetables to have this winter? Your local Virginia Cooperative Extension Office may be offering a hands-on class, check their webpage. But if they are not there are a wealth of resources available through Cooperative Extension internet. You can go to register.ext.vt.edu and sign up for the virtual class: FST-HFP-01 – Food Preservation (Virtual Program). Or you will find publications about multiple food preservation methods at https://ext.vt.edu/food-health/home-food-preservation.html
If you are looking for ideas of what to do with the bumper crop of tomatoes then two great resources are the National Center for Home Food Preservation ( https://nchfp.uga.edu/ ) and Ball( https://www.ballmasonjars.com/ ). For a safe product it is recommended that you use a tested recipe versus trying to process a family recipe. Other practices for a safe product include having your canner gauge checked for accuracy, altering the processing time for the altitude of your location, using the correct equipment and following processing steps. All of these are addressed in the resources shared.
Make the most of these resources as you enjoy the fresh produce you grow or purchase this summer.
