Can and Preserve the Harvest at the East Side Community Kitchen, Waterloo (2026-07-20)

Produce from the East Side community garden ripens faster than families can use it fresh, and without a preservation session much of the harvest goes to waste instead of feeding the neighborhood through winter. Standard: SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production, food loss reduction target 12.3 Proof: Photos show the completed beds or preserved goods, GPS tagged to the garden or kitchen site. Method (SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production, food loss reduction target 12.3): 1. Wash and sort the harvested produce for canning. 2. Prepare jars and lids using standard food-safe canning practice. 3. Cook down or blanch produce per the recipe for the batch being preserved. 4. Fill, seal, and process the jars. 5. Label each jar with contents and date, then log the batch count. Done when: Photos show the completed beds or preserved goods, GPS tagged to the garden or kitchen site.

Where

East Side community kitchen, Waterloo, IA

Pay

$368 proposed

This packet is not funded yet, so this figure is a proposed price and not money waiting in escrow. If a buyer funds it, approved proof settles that price onchain. If nobody funds it, approved proof earns provable credit toward the work instead of cash. You see which before you claim, never after.

Proof

Photos show the completed beds or preserved goods, GPS tagged to the garden or kitchen site.

This is exactly what gets it approved. Nothing settles without it.

Level

intermediate

Open until

2026-08-19

How this work is done

A documented method, so this packet comes out the same whoever does it. Typically 60–150 minutes. Method of record: USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning + National Center for Home Food Preservation methods; ServSafe food-handling basics. DIY-safe high-acid water-bath canning, drying, and fermentation; community meal prep in a permitted kitchen.

Bring

• camera
• food thermometer
• water-bath canner + jars, new lids, bands
• large pots, knives, cutting boards
• tested recipe with processing times
• labels + timer
• hair covering, apron, gloves, hand-wash station

Steps

1. 1. Photograph the source produce/ingredients and confirm they are sound (no spoilage) before starting.
2. 2. Wash hands and sanitize surfaces and equipment; put on hair covering and clean apron.
3. 3. Follow a tested recipe: wash, peel/cut, and prepare the food to the recipe's specification.
4. 4. For water-bath canning of high-acid foods, fill jars to the stated headspace, remove air bubbles, wipe rims, and apply lids finger-tight.
5. 5. Process for the full recipe time adjusted for altitude; for drying/fermenting, hold the specified temperature/time or brine ratio.
6. 6. Cool jars undisturbed, then check every lid for a complete seal; refrigerate or discard any unsealed jar.
7. 7. Label each item with contents and date; record quantity prepared and its destination (pantry/community meal).
8. 8. Enter photos, recipe used, processing time/altitude, seal checks, and quantities into the proof record; sign.

If it does not match the plan

• Low-acid food (vegetables, meats) requiring a pressure canner, or no pressure canner available -> STOP water-bath canning it: refrigerate/freeze instead and route to a trained pressure-canning operator (botulism risk).
• A jar fails to seal, or any preserved food shows off-odor, mold, or a bulging lid -> discard it safely; never taste or shelve a suspect product.
• Cooking for the public without the required permit/certified kitchen -> prep only under the venue's food-safety authority; flag rather than serve unpermitted.

What counts as done

• Hands, surfaces, and equipment sanitized before food contact, with hair covering/apron worn
• A tested recipe followed with the correct headspace and full altitude-adjusted processing time
• Every canned lid seal verified (unsealed jars refrigerated/discarded, not shelved)
• Each item labeled with contents and date, with quantity and destination recorded

Proof is measured against these, not judged by taste.