Field to Fork is a program to provide information about growing, transporting, processing and preserving specialty-crop fruits and vegetables safely.

Sweet corn on the cob (or off the cob) is a tasty addition to meals. Corn, also called “maize,” is sold by color, not variety (white, yellow or bicolor). Corn can be preserved in different ways to be enjoyed year-round.

Botanically, a tomato is classified as a fruit because it has seeds and is derived from flower tissue. Nutritionists consider tomatoes to be “vegetables” on the menu. Tomatoes can be frozen, canned or dried, so we can enjoy them year-round.

Squash has been used as a nutritious food for thousands of years in North America. You might find buttercup, butternut, acorn and/or spaghetti squash in your local grocery store. Botanists consider squash to be a fruit, but it is used as a vegetable on menus.

Use these ideas to help you choose healthful foods to donate to food pantries.

Sweet spreads are foods with many textures, flavors and colors. They are thickened or jellied to varying degrees. The traditional jellies and jams are preserved primarily by sugar.

The fruit fillings in this publication are excellent and safe products. Each canned quart makes one 8-inch to 9-inch pie. Fillings may be used as toppings on dessert or pastries. Clear Jel is a starch modified to produce excellent sauce consistency even after fillings are canned and baked. Other available household starches break down, causing a runny sauce consistency when used in pie fillings.

Salsa continues to grow in popularity. While most people think of salsa as a spicy tomato-based sauce, it also can be made from various fruits.

Pickling is one of the oldest known methods of food preservation. Pickled foods add a special touch to many snacks and meals.

A 3½-ounce portion (before cooking) of game meat provides about half of the daily adult protein requirement and 130 to 150 calories. Game meats are usually slightly lower in total fat but higher in polyunsaturated fats than grain-fed beef.