WANT TO HOME CAN THIS YEAR?

The home gardens look pretty. Early vegetables have been welcomed after the tough winter.

For those that preserve fruits and vegetables from their home gardens, it’s now time to prepare for the preservation season.

The Limestone County Extension Office will be helping home gardeners prepare for this year’s preservation season by holding two gauge testing clinics. Personnel from the limestone County Extension Office will be testing gauges at Isom’s Orchards from 9 a.m.-1  p.m.  Wednesday, June 15

 The following Friday, June 17, they will be at the Athens/Limestone County Farmer’s Market. located on Green Street, from 8 .m. until noon.

Gauge testing is an important procedure that should be done annually and is a free service of the Alabama Extension System.

This verifies that gauges are accurate, which should lead to home-canned food that is safe and of good quality.

While having your gauge tested, it is also a good time to have your gaskets, seals and other parts of your canner checked.   Anyone wishing to have their pressure canner gauge tested may bring the gauge or the lid from their canner. Only dial gauges can be tested. Lead weighted gauges can not be tested.

Extension publications containing recommendations on canning and other food preservation methods will be available.

For more information, contact Betty Ann Broman at the Alabama Cooperative Extension System office in Limestone County.