Introduction to Value-Added Food Products

This is a practical skills course investigating various types of farm-scale production of edible value-added products. Readings and discussion will focus on the food science, technical skills, cultural knowledge and economic information necessary to understand how a product is made and sold. The core of the course will be a hands-on opportunity to learn and practice production skills of various value-added products. The course will focus on animal products: dealing with whole animals; sausage production; meat curing, smoking and aging; dairy practices: yogurt, kefir and cheese production and aging, among other topics. It will also focus on fruit and vegetable products, including preservation: lacto-fermentation, pickling, sugar-preserving; vinegar production; fruit vegetable and herb drying; herb products; soy products, among other topics.