Save the Season

August 2026

Welcome to the twenty-second edition of the statewide UC Master Food Preserver monthly newsletter. Our mission is to extend culturally appropriate, research-based practices for preserving food in the home.

Each month, you’ll receive recipes, how-tos, and inspiration straight to your inbox. Thank you for subscribing and feel free to contact our helpline with any food preservation questions.

Marina with a wooden avocado sculpture made by her son, Harrison Shaw. Photo by Henry Shaw, used with permission.

Spotlight: Marina Hsieh, Contra Costa County, 2024 MFP Volunteer

The UC Master Food Preserver (MFP) program is a perfect combination of my passion for teaching and for food (playing with it and eating it)! I had never heard of Master Food Preservers until my husband discovered the inaugural Online Delivery Program training and suggested we both apply. That 2024 training was to conclude just as I retired from decades of teaching law, so the timing was auspicious.

Monthly Food Preservation Trivia

(Scroll to the bottom of the email for the answer!)

Which of the following terms can no longer be used on food packaging in California as of July 1, 2026?

A) BEST if used by

B) BEST if used or frozen by

C) SELL by

D) USE by

E) USE or freeze by

Dried chiles - 2 strings and a jar (photo by M. Hsieh, used with permission).

From Poblano to Ancho: Why Dried Chili Peppers Have a Name of Their Own

By Katie Yamashita

UC Master Food Preserver

Online Delivery Program Volunteer

For thousands of years, chili peppers were cultivated only in the Americas. Then, beginning in the late fifteenth century, Spanish and Portuguese traders carried them around the world as part of the Columbian Exchange. Within a century, they were being cultivated across Europe, Africa, and Asia. As chili peppers became part of cuisines around the world, one idea emerged again and again: a dried chili wasn't simply a preserved version of the fresh pepper. It was something different.

Learn the why and how behind dried chili peppers

Bad Fruit Does Not Make Good Jam

By Maureen Ladley

UC Master Food Preserver

Solano/Yolo County Volunteer

Over the years, more than one of my acquaintances has assumed that if fruit isn’t very good fresh, turning it into jam is the right solution. After all, you’ll be adding sugar and cooking it, right? Unfortunately, jam is not a magic trick. If the fruit isn’t something you’d want to eat fresh, there’s a good chance turning it into jam won’t improve it.

Read to learn how to select quality fruit for jam

A basket of windfall apples. Photo by Henry Shaw, used with permission.

Monthly Food Preservation Q & A

Answer from a Master Food Preserver:

How wonderful that you have an abundance of jalapeños! The quickest, easiest way to preserve your harvest is to freeze them whole. Chili peppers do not require pretreatment (such as blanching or peeling) before freezing.

To freeze your peppers, wash and dry them thoroughly and then place separately on a cookie sheet so the peppers don’t stick to each other as they freeze. If desired, you may wash, stem, seed, and chop your peppers before freezing. Once frozen, remove from the cookie sheet and package in freezer-safe packaging of your choice: freezer bags, aluminum foil, freezer wrap, or glass or plastic freezer containers. For best quality, remove as much air as possible from your container.

Peppers are a low-acid food. To ensure safety and the destruction of microbes that can cause food spoilage and illness with a shelf-stable preservation method, the peppers would need to be pickled, pressure canned or dehydrated.

Whichever preservation method you choose, wear gloves while preparing your jalapeños. The capsaicin oil in the peppers can irritate or burn your skin and can be especially painful if you touch your eyes!

Submit a Question to the Statewide Helpline

Upcoming Online Events

Pregunte a un Maestro Conservador de Alimentos de la Universidad de California (En línea)

Únase en línea a los Maestros Conservadores de Alimentos de la Universidad de California para una sesión gratuita de preguntas y respuestas en español sobre métodos seguros y basados en la investigación para la conservación de alimentos. Un panel de voluntarios especializados en congelación, deshidratación, enlatado y seguridad alimentaria estará disponible para responder sus preguntas, compartir consejos y animarle a conservar alimentos de forma segura en casa.

August 26, 1:00 pm PT

Registro

Preserving Peppers at Home: From Fresh Chilis to Pantry Staples

You're invited to join UC Master Food Preserver Online Delivery volunteers to explore safe, research-based ways to turn fresh chilis into pantry and freezer staples.

We’ll look at different types of peppers, what the Scoville scale tells you about their heat, and how to handle hot peppers safely. Then we’ll explore several preservation methods, from freezing and dehydrating to pickling and canning, including what makes each method work and when to use a tested recipe.

September 1, 7:00 pm PT

tomatoes arranged in the shape of a question mark

Ask a Master Food Preserver LIVE

Ask questions, swap stories, and troubleshoot home food preservation with UC Master Food Preservers using safe, research-based guidance.

Join UC Master Food Preservers for a free, interactive session focused on safe, research-based methods for preserving food at home, including fruits, vegetables, herbs, and more. Bring your questions about freezing, dehydrating, pickling, fermenting, canning, and more.

September 9, 7:00 pm PT

Cucumber Pickles and Jam Classes Now On Demand

Click the thumbnails below for two recent recordings. Visit our Recorded Events page for even more.

If you have any questions, suggestions, or comments regarding Save the Season, please email UC Master Food Preserver Community Education Supervisor Kelsie Matteucci kmatteucci@ucanr.edu.

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Monthly Food Preservation Trivia Answer

Which of the following terms can no longer be used on food packaging in California as of July 1, 2026?

C) SELL by

After July 1, 2026, food manufacturers will no longer be able to label packages with "SELL by" dates in order to eliminate a source of consumer confusion that results in more food waste. "BEST if used by" or "BEST if used or frozen by" may be used to indicate peak freshness or quality of a food item. "USE by" or "USE or freeze by" may be used to indicate when a food item is no longer safe to eat.

Did you get the trivia correct? (Click on the Thumbs up for Yes and Thumbs down for No)

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