GLADBROOK — Summer is in full swing, and many families are growing home gardens. Preserving your garden’s summer bounty is a great way to enjoy your home-grown produce year-round – as long as you don’t serve food borne illness, like botulism, with your home-preserved foods, say specialists with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.

To help Iowans safely preserve foods, ISU Extension and Outreach Tama County is hosting Preserve the Taste of Summer courses through the summer.

The PTTS Jam-Making and Dehydrating hands-on workshop will provide in-depth information on safely preserving garden produce using these methods. This three to four-hour workshop will be held on Aug. 27 at the Gladbrook Methodist Church. Participants in this workshop will work together as a group to make strawberry jam.

If people have never made jam or are uncomfortable trying it alone, this is an opportunity to learn while being supervised by an expert. It is also a good time for experienced preservers to update on the latest recommendations for safe home food preservation. Each participant will receive a jar of the jam made during the workshop.

To register, go to: go.iastate.edu/VWOFDT. This course is being offered at the discounted price of $20, thanks to a sponsorship from Tama County Extension for the remainder of the cost.

For more information, contact Cheryl Bruene at cbruene@iastate.edu or 641-484-2703.