Want to make your own mustard? Here's your chance to be a condiment master

I love the way a zing of flavor or dash of spice can bring a mundane dish to life.

Adding a smidge of a savory, sweet or spicy condiment can really boost a meal to that next level.

Unfortunately, commercially-made condiments and chutneys can be expensive and laden with salt, sugar, and fat.

That’s why UC Master Food Preservers of San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties are offering a new class about how to make flavor-enhancing foods from a variety of ingredients: “Flavors from Around the World! Condiments and Chutneys.”

The class takes place from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday at the UCCE Auditorium, 2156 Sierra Way in San Luis Obispo.

Course instructors are certified UC Master Food Preservers who have received extensive training in food safety and food preservation and passed a qualifying exam. They now serve as UCCE volunteers who teach food safety and food preservation to the community.

Registration for “Flavors Around the World!” costs $5. To register, visit http://ucanr.edu/condiments.

For more information about the UC Master Food Preserver program, which teaches home food preservation practices to California residents, visit http://cesanluisobispo.ucanr.edu/YouthFamilyCommunities/Master_Food_Preserver_Program.

The UCCE Master Food Preserver program in San Luis Obispo County also offers a free helpline — 805-781-1429 — to answer food safety and preservation questions from community members. A UCCE food preservation class schedule, recipes and other resources are also available via the helpline.

This story was originally published April 24, 2018 at 2:52 PM with the headline "Want to make your own mustard? Here's your chance to be a condiment master."