It’s Canning Season! Local Food Safety and Preservation Hotline Offered by OSU Extension

As canning season begins, the Oregon State University Extension Service’s Food Safety and Canning Hotline will begin taking calls July 8.

The toll-free hotline, 800-354-7319, operates from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, through Oct. 11. When the hotline is closed, callers can leave a message. The hotline is staffed by Master Food Preserver-certified volunteers in several Oregon counties. Volunteers answered 806 calls in 2023.

Most often, callers to the hotline ask about preserving salsa, tomatoes and tuna. OSU Extension offers publications on each of these topics: “Salsa Recipes for Canning,” “Canning Seafood,” “Canning Tomatoes and Tomato Products,” and “Using, Maintaining and Operating Your Pressure Cooker.”

Additional publications and fact sheets are available on the OSU Extension website.

Started in 1980 in Lane County, the Master Food Preserver program has grown to include more than 300 Master Food Preservers who complete an eight-week course to become certified and volunteer on the hotline.

Ask Extension, an online question-and-answer service, is another way to get information. Extension experts can provide information on anything related to food preservation—from safety issues to recipes—and strive to respond within two business days.

Additionally, several extension offices offer free testing of pressure cooker dial gauges. Hotline volunteers can provide county-specific information.

By Chris Branam