UMaine Extension offers facts, recipes for strawberries, peas, leafy greens

Freezing berries in season and making low-sugar homemade jams and jellies are some of the ways to increase access to a year-round supply of local foods, cut back on sugar and reduce grocery bills.

University of Maine Cooperative Extension Educator Kathy Savoie demonstrates techniques for freezing strawberries in an easy-to-follow video (https://extension.umaine.edu/food-health/food-preservation/how-to-videos/how-to-freeze-strawberries/), and how to reduce the sugar content when making strawberry jam in this short video (https://extension.umaine.edu/food-health/food-preservation/how-to-videos/how-to-make-strawberry-jam/).

UMaine Extension is also offering upcoming food preservation workshops (https://extension.umaine.edu/food-health/food-preservation/hands-on-workshops/), in person or by webinar, to coincide with the arrival of Maine’s seasonal foods, along with the monthly Spoonful Blog featuring recipes and bite-sized food and nutrition information.

Extension publications can provide ways to find, grow, use and store in-season fruits and vegetables, including how to preserve these June favorites:

Let’s Preserve Strawberries

Let’s Preserve Jellies, Jams, Spreads

Let’s Preserve: Leafy Greens

Freezing Fruits

Freezing Vegetables

Vegetables and Fruits for Health: Peas

Updated information, and publications to download or order, are available on the Extension website, or by contacting 207-581-3188, 800-287-0274 (in Maine); or extension@maine.edu.