Classes and workshops

I love sharing inspiration and helping others discover new skills

I don’t teach as often as I used to, but I’m always game to talk. Reach out if you’d like to discuss a class for your team or venue.

Food preservation workshops

  • :Start making pickles today with this easy introduction to pickling. You'll learn how preserve small quantities of any type of vegetable (or even fruits) without needing to pull out the canner pot. This course also includes an intro to fermentation and introduces a beginner-friendly method for you to try out small batches.

  • Pickling with vinegar allows us to preserve local produce for pantry storage to enjoy pickled snacks and appetizers all year long. This class includes instruction on waterbath canning safety and sealing jars for shelf-storage.

  • Learn to turn those cucumbers, carrots, beans and other veggies into delicious probiotic snacks. In this 2-hour demonstration class Kate will cover the essentials of brined pickle projects and the science behind why they work and what makes these kinds of pickles good for us.

  • Understand the science behind lacto-fermentation processes and gain a working knowledge of how to ferment any vegetable using a brine or dry-salting method. This 4-hour course also includes a primer on fermenting fruit scraps into live cultured vinegars.

  • Start making your own jams and jellies using simple ingredients. You'll learn how to know when a jam reaches a set and other tricks of the sweet preserving trade. This class includes instruction on waterbath canning safety and sealing jars for shelf-storage.

  • Start making your own stocks and soups using local, seasonal ingredients. You'll learn proper methods for how to safely seal jars for shelf storage with ingredients that are not safe to simply waterbath can.

  • This advanced level pressure canning workshop focuses on canning low acid foods and covers how to safely put up soups, vegetables, convenience items and dinner starter ideas. Participants will learn how to safely adapt existing soups, stews, and sauce recipes for pressure canning. Attendees must have baseline knowledge and some level of experience with of pressure canning stocks and/or must have completed the pressure canning basics class.

  • Parents, pull out your aprons for this intimate, hands-on workshop where you will learn small-batch home food preserving you can do as a family. In this fun and educational session you and your kids will learn life-long skills for preparing seasonal fruits and vegetables safely and easily.

  • Show your friends and family some homemade love this holiday season. Learn how to water bath can and assemble great homemade food gifts. In this demonstration class, Kate will show attendees the process for canning cranberry jam and making fruit rolls. Class includes ideas for other great food gifts, compiling gift kits and packaging your DIY and home-preserved foods and treats for holiday gifting.

jars of cranberry tangerine marmalade on a counter with canning supplies

Beverage and other workshops

  • Learn a handful of new tricks for preparing delicious infused beverages and sipping with friends without breaking the bank. In this hands-on class, Kate will cover the methods for using seasonal produce to infuse alcohol and liqueurs, simple syrups and shrubs (a sweetened fruit-infused vinegar syrup) and share tasty cold- or hot-brewed tea flavors. Attendees will sip a few infusions in class (non-alcoholic) and will start their own shrub infusions with seasonal fruit in class to finish at home.

  • Learn to ferment your own non-alcoholic beverages in this 2-hour demonstration class. Participants will learn the basics of yeast-fermented things like root beer or ginger beer and other fermented projects like drinking vinegars or kombucha. Kate will cover basic methods plus refer attendees to other resources to consult for expanding their fermented beverages knowledge.

  • Learn the art of crafting your own bitters and liqueurs to add unique, creative flavors to your home bar. Participants will learn the science behind and basic techniques for home infusions. Additionally, we will discuss the history and present-day use of botanicals, bitters, and liqueurs as herbal remedies for relaxation, digestion, and more. Participants will each create and take home their own personalized jar of bitters in class with botanicals such as wormwood, gentian, dandelion, wild cherry bark  and various aromatic spices.

  • Attendees will learn the simple chemistry of cleaning, transitioning away from chemical cleaners and methods for easy-to-make homemade supplies. All participants will take home an info packet with ‘recipes’ for cleaners for different areas of the home. Additionally, workshop participants will make and take home a bottle of a customized scented all-purpose cleaner and a few cleaning tools to get their non-toxic cleaning on!