Calendar: Sweet spreads and canning secrets

BRIGHTON, Ill. — Sweet Spreads and Canning Secrets will be 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. June 24 at Brighton Memorial Library, 110 N. Main St., Brighton.

Learn the essentials of making jams and jellies, explore different types of sweet spreads, and get answers to common canning questions. Participants will also learn about water bath canning and prepare and preserve blueberry spice and strawberry jam.

Syrup Quality Control

DANVILLE, Ind. — The Maple Syrup Quality Control Training Program will be 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. ET June 17 at the Hendricks County Fairgrounds, 1900 Main St., Danville.

Participants will:

• Learn how to properly use various maple syrup grading tools.

• Understand the impact of improper tool use on syrup quality.

• Enjoy guided tastings of high-quality standard syrup samples.

• Taste and discuss syrups with off-flavors to explore quality nuances.

Cost is $20. Register by contacting Amy Thompson at 812-727-4331 or afthompson@purdue.edu. For more information, visit https://tinyurl.com/2msdua2c.

Pickled Products

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — Learn to Can: Pickled Products will be 5:30 to 7 p.m. June 17 at Green Top Grocery, 921 E Washington St,, Bloomington.

This class will offer hands-on experience in preparing and preserving pickled dilly beans. Participants will review the step-by-step procedures of home canning, receive the latest safety guidelines, and practice hands-on canning in the kitchen.

Participants will take home new resources and recipes, jars of the products prepared in class, and a $5 Green Top Grocery coupon to be used that evening.

Cost is $10. Register at https://tinyurl.com/jyrmzyfc.

Gardening for Pollinators

DANVILLE, Ill. — Gardening for Pollinators will be 6 to 7 p.m. p.m. June 17 at the Danville Public Library, 319 N. Vermilion St., Danville.

Extension Educator Ryan Pankau will discuss how flowering plants and their associated pollinators are responsible for the vast majority of our food: 35% of global food production is dependent on animal pollination. Pollinators are also crucial, directly or indirectly, for the production of dyes, medicines, and some fibers. Pollinators sustain plant communities by pollinating native plants that provide food, nesting, and shelter for wildlife. In North America, 99% of pollinators are insects, and of those, most are bees; however, pollinators also include butterflies, moths, beetles, hummingbirds, flies, and wasps.

Air Fryer Cooking

BUDA, Ill. — Air Fryer Cooking will be 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. June 20 at the Mason Memorial Library, 104 W. Main St., Buda.

Are you curious about the air fryer craze? Wondering how to make crispy, tasty meals with little to no oil? Do you have an air fryer and never use it? Join Susan Glassman from Illinois Extension for this hands-on class. It’s perfect for beginners and seasoned cooks alike

Participants will learn how air fryers work, tips for choosing and using an air fryer, and foods that cook well in an air fryer. The class will also help prepare and taste a recipe for roasted air fryer veggies, and take home healthy recipe ideas and cooking tips.

The program will be repeated 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. June 24 at the Bureau County Senior Center, 16 W. Marion St., Princeton. Register at https://tinyurl.com/57xhkpe6.

Open Class Exhibits

ANGOLA, Ind. — Open Class Exhibits sponsored by Steuben County Extension Homemakers will be June 21 in the Lions Building at the Steuben County 4-H Fairgrounds, 100 Lane 101B Crooked Lake, Angola.

Open Class categories include Needlework, General Arts and Crafts, Flowers and Garden, Foods, Food Preservation, and Antiques/Vintage.

Exhibits are open to all Steuben County residents, all ages. Entries should be brought to the Lions Building between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. ET. Judging starts at 1 p.m. There is a $4 fee per exhibit. Champion ribbons will be awarded in each category.

For more information, visit https://tinyurl.com/m66j4xtr.

Wits Workout

FREMONT, Ind. — Steuben County Wits Workout will be 8:30 a.m. ET June 24 at the Fremont Public Library, 1004 W. Toledo St., Fremont.

Presented by Purdue Extension in Steuben County, meetings are held on the fourth Tuesday of the month.

Wits Workout is a peer-reviewed, pilot-tested, brain-health resource tool developed to assist leaders who provide programming to older adults in community settings.

For more information, visit https://tinyurl.com/2nawhy24.

Herb Gardening

MANSFIELD, Ill. — Herb Gardening will be 6 to 7:30 p.m. June 24 at the Blue Ridge Township Public Library, 116 Oliver St., Mansfield.

Learn how to select, plant, and care for herbs in your garden. Discover how herbs can enhance home landscapes as well as your favorite recipes. Participants will learn how to start herbs by seed and plant herb seeds to take home.

Pressed Flowers

TAYLORVILLE, Ill. — The Pressed Flowers Workshop will be 10 to 11:30 a.m. June 24 at the Christian County Extension office, 1120 N. Webster St., Taylorville.

Participants ages 8 to 18 will learn how to preserve flowers from home gardens, and press their own flowers to create beautiful keepsakes to take home.

Cost is $10. Register at https://tinyurl.com/hc5utkpe.

The program will be repeated 10 to 11:30 a.m. June 27 at the Montgomery County Extension office, 1 Industrial Park Drive, Hillsboro. Register at https://tinyurl.com/43hch267.

Plant Identification

BENTON, Ill. — A plant identification walk will be included in Rend Lake Garden Stewardship Days, 8:30 to 11 a.m. June 25 at the Rend Lake Project Office and Visitor Center, 11981 Rend City Road, Benton.

Participants will remove weedy grasses from the garden and go on a herbaceous plant identification walk.

Golden Garden Days

MOLINE, Ill. — Golden Garden Days: 50 years of Illinois Master Gardener Quad Cities Celebration will begin at 10 a.m. June 25 at Riverside Gardens, 3450 5th Ave., Moline.

Highlights include a tree walk, demonstration food garden, pollinator garden, and a greenhouse “make-and-take” activity.

Other activities during the day will include a visit to the Floreciente Community Garden in Moline from 1 to 2 p.m., and the Hauberg Estate in Rock Island from 2:30 to 5 p.m.

For more information and to register, visit https://tinyurl.com/yc2jmnmc.

Heart Smart Eating

DECAUR, Ill. — Heart Smart Eating will be 10 to 11 a.m. June 26 at SIU Center for Family Medicine, 102 W. Kenwood Ave., Decatur.

Learn about four categories of nutrients — sodium, fat, added sugar, and fiber — and how each impacts heart health. Attendees will develop skills to support shopping and cooking heart-healthy meals.

Learning in Lawn Chairs

LANARK, Ill. — Gardening Tips & Tricks will be the topic of the Learning in Lawn Chairs series, 2 to 3:30 p.m. June 26 at the Lanark Community Garden, 26549 US-52, Lanark.

Elevate your gardening game. From soil preparation and plant selection to watering, harvest, and more, you’ll gain practical advice to help your garden thrive.

No registration required. For more information, visit https://tinyurl.com/564xxsr4 or call the Whiteside County Extension office at 815-632-3611.

Government Resources

FAIRMOUNT, Ind. — The program How to Access Government Benefits will be 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. ET July 1 at the Fairmount Public Library, 217 S. Main St., Fairmount.

Purdue Extension Educator Bill Decker will discuss how to locate government benefits online. He will visit, and explain, numerous government websites and participants will leave with a handout of some of the most useful resources.

For more information about his free program, visit https://tinyurl.com/36drmcb2. For questions, contact Decker at wdecker@purdue.edu.