UCCE Master Food Preserver volunteers are trained and certified by the University of California Cooperative Extension to educate the community on the safe practices of food preservation, including pickling, sausages, preserves and much more.

Our new Tuolumne County program is based in Sonora and will teach classes throughout the county and attend events representing the UC Master Food Preserver Program. Our clientele is the general public interested in learning how to safely store and preserve food, reduce the amount of food waste in their homes, and learn ways to increase their food security by preserving food from their garden, excess food from the food bank, farmers market, or the grocery store.

We offer a 5-month certification training program starting each January that covers basic food safety, cold storage, high acid canning, pickling, fermentation, fruit spreads, low-acid canning (pressure canning), and dehydration.

After completing the certification program volunteers complete 50 hours of volunteer work during their first year, then in each subsequent year they complete 25 volunteer hours and 12 continuing education hours. The Program Coordinator works with the volunteers to schedule educational outreach activities within the community.

No prior food preservation experience necessary (although we all freeze food) because we teach the processes and the basic science involved.

Volunteer Needs:

Volunteers who are accepted into the annual certification program choose one or more educational outreach activities in which to participate:

• Plan/teach classes
• Answer questions at information booths
• Answer helpline questions
• Test pressure canner gauges
• Be a guest speaker
• Distribute food safety handouts and recipes at the food bank
• and more!