Dougherty County Extension Office offers fun for all | PHOTO GALLERY

ALBANY — There’s a brick building on Pine Avenue that, from the outside, appears traditional and unassuming. Until you open its doors, you’d never guess at the wealth of resource and information inside, available to all in the community. But a recent adventure has further illustrated to me the fact that you can never judge a book by its cover.

The University of Georgia’s College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences hosts extension offices in nearly every county in Georgia, many of which provide special courses and events for residents living in the area. Dougherty County’s headquarters, located in The Candy Room at 125 Pine Ave., is one of the few extensions in the Southwest Georgia area that remains fully staffed to serve the needs of the local community. Master Gardeners, 4H participants, farmers, and aspiring adventurers can use the premises for meetings or to further their learning through specially offered courses from experienced and educated professionals.

Staff members consistently visit local places in the community, educating children on food and farms, offering nutritional advice to low-income families, and even financial counseling as well. By specializing in this area’s specific agricultural and environmental needs, the extension office provides a wealth of unmatched resources that meet immediate needs in the community, and also offers other exciting activities for the public to enjoy.

When perusing through various activities and events available in the Dougherty County area, my eyes have often lingered on special events offered by UGA’s Dougherty County Cooperative Extension Office. A soap-making or sewing class here; a gardening course there — I’ve often thought these classes would be interesting, but previous commitments have always seemed to prevent me from attending.

However, an opportunity arose recently that I just couldn’t ignore. Upon seeing an advertisement for a series of canning and food preservation courses, I knew that this was something that would be right up my alley. Though classes were offered individually, it didn’t take long for me to make the decision to sign up for the entire four-course series.

I’ve grown up watching my mother and grandmother can and preserve various foods, and often assisted them. Every summer, I try to plan my visits to Granny’s in conjunction with what crops will be ready for picking, snapping, shelling and canning during my visit. I’ve been through it all — planting seeds in the garden, sweating under the hot sun while harvesting, and waking up in the early hours of morning to get a good start on what will become an all-day process of preserving those foods. Now, I don’t want to give the impression that food preservation has to be time-consuming, because that’s not necessarily true. We just like to be thorough in my family — no green bean, pear or cucumber shall ever be left behind.

Still, though my Granny’s process results in delicious jars of delicacies, I had my suspicions that it might perhaps be beneficial for me to learn the proper process of preservation from an expert. Also, I was attracted to the idea of learning how to properly use a pressure canner — something with which I have had little experience. Most of my previous experience with that kitchen gadget has involved me being banished away from the stove as others handled the device.

There are a couple of reasons for this: One, Granny prefers to always be in ultimate control of her own kitchen and, two, it is a proven fact that no matter how old I get, I, and all of my cousins, will always be the “babies” in the family, in need of protection. Any opportunities for my proximity to a pressure canner have probably only occurred because of my own stealth and wily ways, with Granny otherwise unaware.

And I have to admit, I’ve heard the horror stories about pressure tops spouting off their pots, leaving destruction and panicked cooks in their wake. My one independent experience (which included multiple phone calls from a skeptical and concerned mother and Granny) might just possibly have involved me inching up to the stove with my arm stretched out as far as I could reach from a distance, holding a very heavy-duty cloth in my hand and ready to make a quick getaway if necessary.

So, obviously, I was in need of further instruction. I didn’t really know what to expect from these classes, but I hoped to learn at least a little something that would help me in my personal efforts.

And, oh, did I learn! I can honestly say that the entire series was a delightful, informative experience in which I learned much more than I realized I needed to know. I’m also proud to say that I have learned that pressure canners are nothing to be afraid of — today’s modern technology and products now incorporate several safety devices which make using the device as easy as pie — or as easy as food preservation. I literally stared that steaming pot of water in the face and prevailed — at a close distance, even taking the top off by myself with no panicked screams issuing from my classmates. Take that, mother and Granny.

Hosted by Family & Consumer Sciences Agent Suzanne Williams, each class offered a lecture and demonstration on proper equipment, procedure and indicators to look out for. A seasoned cook who knows her stuff and has the experience to back it up, Williams is a knowledgeable instructor who gives time and care to helping each student, answering questions, offering advice, and sharing helpful tips learned from past experiences.

Students in our classes incorporated people of all ages and ranged from beginners and others like me who knew some concepts but wanted to learn more, to those who process foods year-round and return to the class each year because they simply enjoy it. I enjoyed learning from these classmates as well; their own valuable contributions and advice offered that much more depth and knowledge to the entire course.

For a very reasonable fee, all we students had to do was show up and expect to enjoy a fun night with good fellowship and, of course, food. Upon arrival, we received copious notes and recipes, then after an informative discussion about the night’s activities, rolled up our sleeves, donned our aprons, and got to work.

From prep work of washing, peeling and cutting, to mixing, sterilizing jars and processing — we all actively participated in each step of the canning process. Tossing in a quick supper in which we often taste-tested our products, the nightly classes passed by swiftly, illustrating the fact that food preservation doesn’t always have to consume your entire day. From start to finish within a matter of hours, we all walked away at the end of the night with a box full of products — all homemade with love.

I think it’s a great deal for the money; every piece of produce and equipment is provided, along with information, notes, recipes and finished products that became mine at the end of the course. On my shelf I now have jars of spiced honey, homemade salsa, spaghetti sauce, beef stew, apple jelly, peach butter, pickles, onion relish … and that’s not even everything. I really enjoyed the opportunity to broaden my horizons and try new things. Now, this writer who doesn’t really care for peppers highly recommends our salsa recipe with jalapenos. I plan to make my own peach butter this season — and add my own variations to the recipe. And, now I know the difference between cold pack and hot pack — and plan to utilize both techniques.

The entire experience not only taught me more about the mechanics of cooking, but offered good fellowship as well. No matter our experience level, everyone in the class just enjoyed cooking together. No one person ever tried to outshine the rest, and no one was afraid to admit they didn’t know something. In a natural, relaxed atmosphere, we all got to know each other, make new friendships, and have fun doing something we all enjoy. If I’m still living in this area, I plan to be a returning student next year — and the next one after that. Perhaps one day I’ll be one of those people who comes to the class simply because I enjoy it, and can offer help and advice to those who are just beginning. I hope so.

I also plan to make it a priority to not let other commitments get in the way of taking advantage of other courses offered by the extension office. From sewing, freezing and drying foods, to soap and candy making — I want to study it all. My only regret is that I didn’t discover this valuable resource sooner.

Even if cooking and food preservation classes are not your cup of tea, there are a variety of classes offered throughout the year that may spark your interest. So, why not try it out? You never know — you might just find a new hobby. Information on courses offered can be found on the extension office’s website at www.ugaextension.com/dougherty.

As for myself, I plan to take what I learned in class and apply it to my own cooking. I’ve already been practicing. While most of my jars turned out just fine, I do now have a fine example of a “sheared” jar to give to Williams next time I see her. A sheared jar is one that collapses during processing, in which the bottom of the jar cleanly but effectively breaks away. And wouldn’t you know — it happened to me. Williams explained the concept to us in class, but didn’t have an example to show us. I guess she will now — at least that jar did not break in vain. Oh well, you win some, you lose some — but no one ever gains rewards without a little risk. It’s all in how you can the bean.