(Atlantic, Iowa) – Summer gardens are flourishing, and many gardeners are looking to preserve some of their bounty to enjoy later in the year. One preservation method that is growing in popularity is fermenting. Cass County Extension invites you to learn all the basics of small batch fermentation and making sauerkraut at a food preservation workshop on Thursday evening, September 14, 2023, from 6-8 PM. The workshop is offered at the Cass County Community Center in Atlantic, and is part of ISU Extension and Outreach’s Preserve the Taste of Summer program. Leah Brooke, a Human Sciences Specialist in Food and Health with ISU Extension and Outreach, will lead the hands-on workshop.

Participants will:

Learn the history of fermentation
Become familiar with a variety of fermented vegetables
Learn how to do small batch fermentation in a mason jar
Learn about potential fermentation problems
Take home and enjoy a jar of sauerkraut to finish fermenting at home

“These workshops are fun and helpful for beginning food preservers as well as experienced individuals who ferment foods,” said Leah Brooke. “We provide the most up-to-date science and guidelines for vegetable fermentation.”

Participants can register for the workshop at: https://go.iastate.edu/H5DPJT

Cost is $20.00 for the two-hour workshop. Need-based scholarships are available during the confidential, online registration process.

To learn more or to ask questions, contact Leah Brooke, Human Sciences Specialist in Food and Health at lbrooke@iastate.edu or (712) 623-2592 or contact Kate Olson at the Cass County Extension Office at keolson@iastate.edu or (712) 243-1132. For more information on food preservation, including recipes and tips on technique, visit the program website at www.extension.iastate.edu/humansciences/preserve-taste-summer or stop by the Cass County Extension office in Atlantic for printed copies of program resources. Find a program flier and additional details at the Cass County Extension website: www.extension.iastate.edu/cass.