By MOLLY DAVIDSON / Staff Writer

PELHAM—The Pelham Public Library is teaming up with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System to offer a free Food Preservation Basics class on July 28 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m, led by Regional Extension Agent Angela Treadaway.

Sponsored by the library’s Smart Investing @ Your Library grant funded by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority Investor Education Foundation and the American Library Association, the program aims to teach adults a skill they can learn to save money.

The program will cover the basics of canning fresh-grown high-acid foods, such as any fruit, and low-acid foods, such as green beans, peas, turnip greens, potatoes and onions, Treadaway explained. The class will also touch on freezing as a preservation method.

After the program, attendants “should be able to preserve any fruit or vegetable,” Treadaway said, adding she will also give out “all kinds of handouts” including recipes to take home.

Additionally, Treadaway said she will cover what type of equipment to purchase in order to can produce at home.

“It’s going to be a little more expensive at first,” Treadaway said, noting the upfront cost for equipment. “Once you buy your equipment, you will be able to can for years and years. You can save quite a bit of money by doing it on your own.”

In addition to money saving benefits, canning has nutritional benefits as well. Canning at home does not use the chemicals that are found in store-bought canned items, Treadaway explained.

“It could be more nutritional because it’s strictly from the garden to the jar,” Treadaway said, adding the key is “knowing what’s in your product.”

There is no fee for the Food Preservation Basics class, however pre-registration is required. For more information about the program or to register, call the Pelham Public Library at 620-6418.