You’ve probably heard of master gardeners, the volunteers with horticultural training offered by universities who then go out into their communities, offering lectures, helping to create gardens, and answering home gardening questions.

Well, now in San Diego we also have master food preservers. They, too, undergo extensive training and then serve the public. Their instruction can bring a whole new level of opportunities for making the most of a good harvest or enjoying seasonal produce year round. And it can give home cooks who have been canning curious the confidence to tackle it safely. Learn more about these well-trained instructors and get some recipes in my new story for The San Diego Union-Tribune’s Food section.