Preserve Yourself

I first met Harriet Fasenfest when she was the proprietor of the Bertie Lou's Café in Sellwood and rocked the city with the breakfasts that flew off her griddle in that pocket-sized place. She moved from there to the much larger Harriet's Eat Now Café, and went on to become a caterer, food activist and writer.

Always the gadfly, she's reinvented herself yet again as an urban homesteader, blogger and partner in Preserve, which teaches the fading art and science of food preservation. Harriet and her co-owner, Marge Braker, a former Oregon State Extension Service faculty member, are offering a series of classes starting in June for those of us who wish we'd paid more attention as our mothers and grandmothers "put up" fresh fruits and vegetables and filled shelves with jewel-colored reminders of summer's bounty.

Included in their curriculum is a class on the fundamentals of jam making, one on basic fermentation and pickling and a class on canning fruits and tomatoes. There's also a one-day intensive that will cover all three subjects and includes a fresh lunch prepared from the instructor's garden. Class sizes are limited, so if you've been thinking it's about time to make up for a long-lost opportunity, send in the downloadable reservation form soon.