Download Ideas for Objectives and Assessment of Food Preservation Programs

Ideas for Objectives and Assessment of Food Preservation Programs
Evaluation of food preservation workshops may include a pre- and post-test to measure increase in
knowledge; demonstration of skills during hands-on activities; evaluation of cost, flavor, and appeal of
final products; and a follow-up to determine if the new skills were used.
Design the pre- and post-tests to include the information presented and workshop objectives. Dr. Bastin
has an assessment tool designed for those seeking certification and re-certification as home-based
microprocessors. The assessment tool may be appropriate for an in-depth food preservation training or
might be adapted for program objectives.
The Nutrition Education Program collects data each year on gardening and food preservation for low
income clients enrolled in the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program and SNAP-Ed. The form,
Gardening and Food Preservation Survey, can be used or adapted to collect follow-up data from
participants of food-preservation programs.
Objective
Possible Activity and
Observation Evaluation
Methods
Possible Written Evaluation
Questions
Identify three forms of food
preservation.
Prepare recipes using each of the List the three types of food
forms of preservation.
preservation.
Define “blanching.”
Blanch a vegetable as part of the
freezing program.
The process of placing a fruit or
vegetable into boiling water then
placing in cold water is
a. Blanching
b. Parboiling
c. Skinning
Objective
Possible Activity and
Observation Evaluation
Methods
Possible Written Evaluation
Questions
Categorize fruits and vegetables
as high or low acid.
Read recipes and determine
which preservation method will
be appropriate due to acid
content.
High-acid foods such as pickles
need to be pressure-canned.
A. True
B. False
Low-acid food such as green
beans needs to be pressurecanned.
A. True
B. False
Which tomato recipe should be
pressure-canned due to
undetermined acid content.
A. Ketchup
B. Salsa
C. Whole tomatoes
Describe the purpose of pectin in
a recipe.
Prepare a jam or jelly using
pectin.
The gelling agent used to make a
jam or jelly thick is:
A) Lemon juice
B) Pectin
C) Sugar
Evaluate recipes using different
types of pectin.
Allow participants to comment
on the cooking process,
appearance and flavor of a jam
or jelly made with sugar and
pectin compared to a jam or jelly
make with no-sugar pectin or
pectin and Splenda .
Objective
Possible Activity and
Observation Evaluation
Methods
Possible Written Evaluation
Questions
Differentiate the food safety
factor when preserving food.
Provide an assortment of
commonly preserved foods.
Have each person select a food
item and describe which method
is appropriate and why.
Water bath canning raises the
temperature of the product to:
Example: I am going to waterbath can my tomatoes but will
be adding lemon juice to each jar
to make sure the acid is high
enough to be safe.
A) 180 degrees
B) 212 degrees
C) 260 degrees
Indicate which of the following
food items require pressurecanning?
a) Blackberry jam
b) Corn and bean salsa
c) Tomatoes
The amount of acid in a food
product determines which
preservation method is safest.
a) True
b) False
Identify the risk associated with
food safety.
Have the group repeat aloud the
safety information at different
points during the program.
Canned foods not properly
processed are susceptible to:
A) Clostridium botulinum
B) E-coli
C) Salmonella
Objective
Possible Activity and
Observation Evaluation
Methods
Demonstrate food-safety
practices.
Have participants demonstrate:
Possible Written Evaluation
Questions
Hand-washing.
Using knife skills when preparing
recipe.
Participants have had pressure
canner tested.
Demonstrate basic cooking skills.
Use correct measuring
equipment.
Read and interpret recipe.
Preserve food by drying,
freezing, water-bath canning
and/or pressure-canning.
Activity during program.
Follow up:
Did you preserve any food items
after the program?
What food products did you
preserve?
Which methods did you use?
Objective
Possible Activity and
Observation Evaluation
Methods
Possible Written Evaluation
Questions
Calculate the value of the food
preserved.
Add the cost of:
How many pints or quarts of the
recipes did you prepare?
(Multiply the amount preserved
by the average market value at
the time of the follow up).
Produce (purchase price or seed
and expenses related to
growing).
Other ingredients or
expendables.
Time and energy costs.
Divide by the number of pints or
quarts preserved.
Determine cost per pint or quart.
Compare to store-bought
product. The comparison covers
more than simple monetary
costs.
Evaluate preserved products.
During conversation with agent,
client was able to determine
problem with preserved product.
When the canner was opened,
beet juice was in the canner
instead of the jars. What might
have happened?
A) Canner was cooled down
to quickly
B) Not enough head space
was allowed
C) Opened canner too soon
D) All of the above
Objective
Possible Activity and
Observation Evaluation
Methods
Possible Written Evaluation
Questions
Calculate the cost of preserving
food items.
Add cost of ingredients and
equipment. Divide by the
number of units preserved.
Determine the cost per unit.
What items are needed for
freezing fruits and vegetables
that can be used again in the
future?
Evaluate new equipment,
recipes, or products used to
preserve food.
During conversation with agent,
client was able to discuss the
preferences and dislikes of new
equipment, recipes, or products.
After viewing the new jars
available for canning jams and
jellies, will you:
a) Purchase for this year
b) Continue to use the jar I
already have
c) Not purchase,
(reason_____________)
d) Consider when I need to
purchase additional jar
Sample Impact Statement
Food-preservation programs were conducted in _____________ County. __#__ people attended and
prepared recipes using drying, freezing, water-bath canning and pressure-canning techniques. During a
follow-up survey, ___#__ participants dried (list the products). Freezing was done by __#__ participants,
water-bath canning by __#__ of participants, and pressure-canning by __#_ participants. A total of
__#__ quarts of (each product) were preserved with a value of $ (number of quarts of preserved food x
current market value of each food item). __#__ consumer inquiries were made for educational
materials, equipment testing, and potential problems between March and September. __#__ residents
entered __#__canned products/items in the county or state fair.