AUGUSTA — Lithgow Public Library will hold a food preservation workshop from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 16, in the program room of Lithgow’s temporary quarters at the Ballard Center, 6 East Chestnut St. The free event will feature Kate McCarty, master food preserver for the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, according to a news release from the library.

McCarty will give tips on garden planning to maximize yield, along with suggestions for plant varieties that are optimal for canning. Attendees can learn recommended methods for preserving foods, the latest and safest recipes, equipment to insure safety, and how to check for properly sealed jars.

Kate McCarty, a food preservation program aide at the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, cans salsa and freezes tomatoes for use up to one year after preservation.

McCarty is a food preservation community education assistant with the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, managing 40 volunteer educators and teaching canning classes. She is also a food blogger (“The Blueberry Files” at blueberryfiles.com) and author of the book “Portland Food: The Culinary Capital of Maine,” in which she documents a vibrant food scene that boasts more than 300 restaurants, as well as specialty food businesses, farmers markets, pop-up dinners and food trucks.

For more information, call Lithgow Library at 626-2415 or visit www.lithgow.lib.me.us.

Related Stories