Greetings!  I’m Allison Carroll Duffy, and food preservation is my thing. I’ve been growing and preserving food for over 20 years, and I’m trained as a Master Food Preserver through the University of Maine Cooperative Extension.  I also hold a Masters degree in Gastronomy from Boston University. Canning, freezing, dehydrating, fermenting and root-cellaring–I do all of it (with help from my husband and two teenage sons whenever I can get it:-)), to put up the produce from our family’s large homstead garden in Midcoast Maine. It’s hard work, and I love doing it. It’s so rewarding to enjoy food we’ve grown ourselves all year round.

I also love sharing my food preservation knowledge and experience with others! I teach canning and preserving classes and workshops, and have written about food for various publications including Backpacker Magazine, Taproot, and the Boston Globe. My book Preserving Pomona’s Pectin was published by Fairwinds Press in 2013, and the updated edition (with new chapters and new recipes!) was released in 2021.

I work as on-camera and voice talent as well.  In addition to appearing in regional television commercials, I have worked as a television host for the CW Network affiliate station WPXT, and co-hosted a series of food-related segments for Outside Television. I have also appeared a number of times as a food preservation guest expert on “207 Kitchen” on NewsCenter Maine / WCSH6 in Portland, Maine.

Here on Canningcraft, I share about all things preserving…including how to safely put up foods through canning and other preservation methods,  lots of canning-safe recipes, how to grow or source the food you want to preserve, and how to utilize your preserved foods in various recipes.  I also share a lot of my family’s life over the years as we grow and preserve food on our homestead.  My goal is to help folks learn how to preserve delicious foods safely, and inspire people to do more canning and preserving in their own kitchens,  bringing more of this traditional kitchen art back into our homes and everyday lives. I hope you’ll join me in the kitchen!