Pickled and Proud: Safely Canning Low-Acid Vegetables

Join NMSU’s Amber Benson for Pickled and Proud, a hands-on boiling water canning workshop focused on the art and science of safely acidifying and preserving vegetables. Participants will learn evidence-based home food preservation practices rooted in recommendations from the National Center for Home Food Preservation while creating a colorful batch of mixed vegetable pickles featuring onions, carrots, celery, peppers, and cauliflower.

During this interactive workshop, participants will prepare vegetables, create a tested pickling brine, and process jars using the boiling water canning method. Along the way, they will learn the critical role of vinegar acidity, ingredient ratios, headspace, processing times, elevation considerations, and proper storage techniques in producing safe, shelf-stable pickled products. Discussion will also explore the importance of following research-based recipes when canning vegetables.

Through hands-on practice and discussion, participants will gain practical skills and confidence to safely prepare pickled vegetables at home using tested recipes and approved canning methods.

Each participant will have the opportunity to take home their jar of pickled mixed vegetables they create during the workshop, along with educational resources, tested recipes, and the knowledge needed to safely preserve high-quality pickled products in their own kitchen.