photo courtesy Hawaii Master Food Preservers

(BIVN) – The Hawaii Master Food Preservers will teach an eight-day course in Kona in January, in which participants will be able to earn a certification in food preservation.

The course will present the “best practices and state health requirements for canning, pickling, fermentation, freezing and dehydration”, and is geared towards those wanting to safely preserve food for home and retail use.

Instruction will be at a certified kitchen in Captain Cook from January 21 to 24 and January 27 to 30.

“This is an excellent program for those intending to sell their products at farmers markets, retail stores and online—in addition for home use,” says Ken Love, HMFP president and executive director of the Hawaii Tropical Fruit Growers, in a news release. “We want to enable community members to safely develop, prepare, consume, package and market locally grown value-added product through education and hands-on experience.”

photo courtesy Hawaii Master Food Preservers

From the Hawaii Master Food Preservers (HMFP) news release:

The canning segment will cover jams, jellies, syrups, chutneys, salsas and high pressure canning of meats, fish and vegetables.

Regarding dehydration techniques, HMFP vice president and instructor Jane Tai says students will learn “how dry is dry” for food to be safe and shelf stable. “Weʻll teach the science and show participants the tools needed to measure this while opening up the creative world of dehydrated tropical products.”

“We focus on our unique tropical and exotic produce that is not commonly found in other states,” adds Love. “Students will learn how to ensure food products are safely preserved and stored to prevent food-borne illness and meet requirements set by the Hawaii Department of Health.”

photo courtesy Hawaii Master Food Preservers

The course offers hands-on instruction and execution of preservation methods through quizzes and exams. Students are required to complete a final project of their choice and pass a final exam to become a certified master food preserver.

Course fee is $600 and includes instruction aids; a course prerequisite is a food safety certification from Hifoodhandlers.com, Hawaii Department of Health or ServSafe. Application deadline is is December 1 with half-payment due and candidates are selected on a first-come, first-serve basis due to limited space. For an application and info, email MFPHawaii@gmail.com.