Preserving Local Fruit

The Santa Clara Valley is an incredibly fertile place.  Santa Clara Valley is home to Citrus (Oranges, Lemons), Stone (Cherries, Plums, Peaches) Fruit, Pome (Apple, Pear) Fruit and Rare (Feijoas, Loquats) Fruit too.  In most places in the world, if you can grow Citrus, it's difficult to grow Stone and Pome Fruit and vice versa.  In July we actually have stone, pome and citrus all ripening at the same time -- incredible!

There is so much to choose from when preserving what's grown right in our own "backyards".  Education in food preservation includes understanding all that we have available to us, how to preserve it for enjoyment and nutrition after the fresh season,  and often creating recipes that preserves the natural flavors of the fruit.

The Preserving Program is currently "on hold," but you'll find recipes and other links on our Resources page.

Preserving from the Garden Interest Group

This group is no longer active, but here are prior News and Press on Preserving from the Garden events and participants:

• Preserving Fall Produce, Oakland Tribune, October 8, 2008
• The Chill Factor: A guide to what freezes, what doesn't and why, SF Chronicle, May 18, 2005
• Afghan women taught ins and outs of canning:  South Bay official creates program in war-torn Kabul, SF Chronicle, January 15, 2005
• Cambrian couple cultivates blue ribbons, Cambrian Times, December 2004
• Let's Jam: Neighbors gather for Carroll's jam session, Campbell Reporter, November 24, 2004.  (No longer available on the web.)
• Cambrian resident wins blue ribbons at Cal Expo and Santa Clara County Fair despite lack of fruit, Cambrian Times, October 2003