UC Master Food Preserver logo- blue jar with orange lid, brown book with red strawberry all within a blue circle.
Master Food Preserver Program of San Diego County

Become a Master Food Preserver

Become a UC Master Food Preserver

The UC Master Food Preserver Program is open to individuals looking to increase community knowledge in home food preservation methods. Applicants for the UC Master Food Preserver Program must be willing to share knowledge and skills learned from certification training through local community outreach. Prior food preservation knowledge is not a requirement; willingness to teach others is.

Examples of community outreach from UC Master Food Preservers:  

  • Classes and workshops
  • Hands-on demonstrations
  • County fairs
  • Websites and blogs
  • Print and digital media

How UC Master Food Preservers make a difference:

  • Teach safe and food preservation methods in local communities
  • Share knowledge about preserving fresh and healthy produce
  • Prevent botulism in home canning
  • Promote research-based methods of food handling and food preparation 

How to Apply

Attend/watch the online informational meeting to learn about the volunteer requirements as well as the selection and training process. Three live Q&A sessions are available to address any additional questions you have about the new volunteer training program. These sessions use the same registration link: https://link.ucanr.edu/mfp-infomtg.

Complete and Submit your Application by the end of Sunday, November 23, 2025. Interviews will be conducted Nov. 18, 20 and December 1 and 3.

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2025 Application Dates

Sep 18, 6:30-7:30 pm—Live Training Information Meeting 

Oct 3, 12:00-1:00 pm—Training Q&A Session #1

Oct 17, 2:00-3:00 pm—Training Q&A Session #2

Nov 20, 6:30-7:30 pm—Training Q&A Session #3

Nov 23—Applications Due

Dec 15—Payment Due

Program Information

The goal of the training program is to educate volunteers in food safety and core food preservation techniques, so they can teach the general public how to safely preserve food, both short-term and long-term, at home. 

  • The training program is a combination of pre-recorded videos, online quizzes, reading assignments, case studies completed with a mentor, live interactive classes, and in-person labs to practice the methods learned in class, taught locally at the offices of the participating programs. Students use Google Classroom to track assignments and class links.
  • Applicants must be available to attend the online classes listed below.  Each local program will post its local in-person lab dates.
  • Applicants must be comfortable using a computer and accessing the Internet. Quizzes and homework are online; class communication is via email. Accepted applicants must be fingerprinted for DOJ clearance in California.
  • View our current syllabus draft for details about the program; the final version will be posted before the application deadline.
  • The interactive live classes are offered twice per topic. Applicants will sign up for either the Thursday evening track (6:30-8:30 pm) or the Friday afternoon track (2:00-4:00 pm). 
2026 Class Schedule

Classes are either on Thursday evenings (6:30–8:30 pm) or Friday afternoons (2:00–4:00 pm) on Zoom, unless otherwise specified. Labs will take place in-person at our County office in Kearny Mesa. 

Jan 9, Fri, 2-3 pm OR            
Jan 14, Wed, 6:30-7:30 pm—Zoom Class Preparation (optional)

Jan 15/16—Class 1: Training Orientation

Jan 22/23—Class 2: Food Safety 

Jan 29/30— Class 3: Cold Storage & Being an MFP Pt.1

Jan 31 - Lab 1: Site Orientation & Cold Storage

Feb 5/6—Class 4: High Acid Canning

Feb 13—Completed Fingerprint Forms Submitted

Feb 26/27—Class 5: Educating Our Community

Mar 12/13—Class 6: Pickling & Fermenting

Mar 14—Lab 2: Pickle/Ferment/Spreads

Mar 26/27—Class 7: Fruit Spreads

Mar 28—Lab 3: High Acid Canning

Apr 9/10—Class 8: Low Acid Canning

Apr 23/24—Class 9: Dehydration & Being an MFP Pt. 2

Apr 25—Lab 4: Low Acid Canning and Dehydration

May 7/8—Class 10: Kitchen Pest Management

May 21/22—Class 11: Being an MFP Pt. 3

Jun 4/5—Class 12: Putting it all Together

Jun 6 - Certification Ceremony

 

Master Food Preserver Training Courses

Once accepted into the UC Master Food Preserver program from a local UCCE county office, applicants will receive more than 50 hours of training over the course of 16 weeks from University of California division of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

Training topics include:

  • Food safety
  • Equipment
  • Boiling water and pressure canning
  • Canning jams and jellies
  • High acid foods
  • Low acid foods
  • Pickling
  • Dehydration
  • Freezing and refrigeration
  • Teaching and program implementation

In exchange for education and certification, new UC Master Food Preservers are required to volunteer a minimum of 50 hours in the first year and 25 hours each year subsequently. UC Master Food Preservers must complete a minimum of 12 hours of continuing education per year, starting their second year.