Let’s say you love peaches, and they’re most abundant in summer when they’re in season. But when the leaves begin to fall and the valley is met with occasional ice and snow, summertime peaches can be just the thing to remind you of the sunnier months. This summer, the Oregon State University Extension Service is offering three classes that will teach students how to properly preserve food, such as peaches. Led by master preserver Kim Still at the Cottage Events Venue, students can learn how to safely preserve food. “It’s really important to get that information from a reliable source, because places like YouTube and TikTok, Instagram, Reddit are all full of information about canning, and not all of it is safe,” Still says. Learning how to properly preserve food can protect against illness like botulism, a poisoning caused by toxins from a bacterium, which sounds awful because it is. Still thinks the Willamette Valley is also an ideal place to practice food preservation due to the popularity of gardening and farmers markets. “It’s really great to be able to stretch those foods out over seasons when they’re not available,” she says of making seasonal food last longer. Food preservation is also good home economics 101, helping people save money, especially when prices of out-of-season produce can skyrocket. As a master food preserver, Still is required to keep her credentials current with OSU every year to ensure that her knowledge is up-to-date and science-backed. The classes are great for beginners or those who want to refresh their knowledge of food preservation. Plus, all of the supplies — the fruits or vegetables and the canning jars — are provided. But the biggest incentive to take the classes? Still sums it up: “It’s a basic human need to eat.”

Quick Pickling is 6 pm Tuesday, June 24. Tomatoes and Salsa is 10 am Saturday, August 23. Preserving Apples is 10 am Saturday, Sept. 20. All workshops are at the Cottage Events Venue, 2915 Row River Road, Cottage Grove. $18.