This hands-on perogy making session celebrates prairie food culture while teaching real, repeatable kitchen skills you can use at home.
Perogies may not have originated in Canada, but they are deeply woven into prairie life. Large waves of Ukrainian and Polish immigrants brought these recipes to central Alberta in the late 1800s, where the climate felt familiar and the food made sense. Over time, perogies became comfort food, celebration food, and freezer food for many families across the Prairies.
This workshop focuses on how to make perogies from scratch, using traditional methods that are practical, approachable, and proven. You will mix dough, prepare fillings, shape dumplings, and cook them together. We finish by eating what we make, because that part matters.
Class size is limited so don’t delay. It won’t be repeated this season.
Max Students: 12
What You’ll Learn in This Perogy Making Session
- How to make perogy dough
Learn a simple, reliable dough recipe that rolls easily and cooks tender every time. - Traditional perogy fillings
We will prepare three classic styles: potato and cheese, sauerkraut, and a lightly sweet dessert perogy. - Shaping and sealing techniques
Get hands-on practice forming perogies so they hold together during cooking and freezing. - Cooking and serving tips
Learn how to boil, finish, and serve perogies for everyday meals or special gatherings.
You’ll leave with recipes, confidence, and a clear understanding of how to make perogies at home without guesswork.
Your Instructor
Verna Zilinski grew up on a farm in the Ukrainian–Polish region of Boyle, about 160 km north of Edmonton, surrounded by aunts, uncles, and cousins. Her mother was born in Ukraine, and her father was born in Alberta.
As a teenager, her family moved to Edmonton, which had become an urban hub for many Ukrainian farming families. Verna’s mother was an excellent cook, and Verna followed in her footsteps. She raised six children on traditional favourites like perogies and cabbage rolls, and to this day, no festive meal feels complete without them.
Verna brings lived experience, patience, and generosity into the kitchen, sharing food skills that have been passed down through generations.
Why Perogy Making Is a Food Security Skill
At Operation Fruit Rescue Edmonton, we focus on reducing food waste and supporting food security by teaching practical, hands-on food skills. Perogy making fits naturally into that work.
Perogies are more than comfort food. They are a smart preservation strategy.
Potatoes are a high-calorie, nutrient-dense food that has sustained people through famines and hard winters across many cultures. They are filling, affordable, and widely available, but they can be tricky to store long term without ideal conditions. We highly recommend learning about How the Potato Changed the World by Charles C. Mann.
Turning potatoes into perogies changes that.
Once prepared, perogies freeze exceptionally well, allowing a food that is not normally freezable to become part of a reliable, long-term food supply. This makes them especially useful for households looking to stretch harvests, manage bulk purchases, or build a freezer pantry that supports real meals.
Workshops like this help reconnect everyday cooking with food resilience. You leave with recipes, yes, but also with a deeper understanding of how traditional foods quietly solved storage and survival challenges long before modern freezers and grocery stores.