5 Free Publix Aprons Cooking Classes That Didn’t Close With Florida’s Classrooms

Publix closed every Aprons Cooking School classroom on July 31, 2023.

But luckily for aspiring cooks, the online Aprons video library outlived the program.

These are the free Publix Aprons cooking classes that didn’t close with Florida’s classrooms. Anyone with a browser can still stream them.

1. World Cuisine Classes

Publix’s Aprons Cooking School streams a free class on Slavic-style cuisine, built around a borscht with yogurt.

A second class in that same library walks through Belgian ale-braised lamb shanks.

There’s no sub in sight.

The same library holds a chile relleno burrito class built around smoky roasted jalapeño sour cream, plus a French-style bouillabaisse with rouille.

A separate class turns winter squash into a risotto with pecorino and crisp country ham.

Another class dresses up a Southern staple, turning plain yellow grits into a restaurant-style plate topped with salsa verde duck.

A shopper who knows Publix only for the deli case would never guess the same company hosts a class on Slavic-style cooking.

2. Kitchen Fundamentals Classes

Publix built a recurring Aprons class series called Kitchen Fundamentals.

Each installment covers one kitchen basic, from eggs and crêpes to pickles and preserves.

One class breaks down how to sear swordfish for a puttanesca sauce.

Another class turns a plain chicken breast into chicken scaloppini.

The lesson outlasts the dish.

A cook who finishes either video walks away able to sear fish or dress up chicken breast for any recipe, not just the one on screen.

3. Seasonal Produce Classes

Publix’s Aprons chefs built a second recurring series called At Season’s Peak.

Each episode builds a full dish around one ingredient at its best moment of the year.

One class turns sweet corn, right when it peaks, into a chilled corn and green curry soup.

The class follows the ingredient.

A home cook gets a reason to build dinner around whatever produce is at its peak that month, not just whatever is easiest at the store.

4. Holiday and Occasion Classes

Publix times some Aprons classes to one day on the calendar.

One class walks through a Father’s Day grilling menu, built around a grilled pound cake bananas foster dessert.

Two more take on Thanksgiving.

One class works a set of twists into the Thanksgiving Day table.

The other turns Thanksgiving leftovers into turkey and waffles with a spicy cranberry syrup.

Timing is the theme.

5. Equipment-Focused Classes

A different set of Publix Aprons classes centers on one piece of kitchen equipment instead of one dish or cuisine.

One class centers on sous vide grouper, cooked in a sealed bag at a set temperature instead of a hot pan.

Another uses an air fryer for weeknight beef chimichangas instead of a deep fryer.

A third uses a multicooker to turn beef into barbacoa tacos instead of a long oven braise.

The tool is the lesson.

A shopper who owns one of those appliances and never opens the manual gets a free walkthrough instead of guesswork.

Where the Classes Live Now

Publix kept more than 50 virtual Aprons classes online, with no sign-up, after the last in-store lesson ended on July 31, 2023, Grocery Dive reported.

The dedicated Aprons Cooking School website still organizes those classes, sorted into four seasons with a recipe named for each episode.

Publix keeps a second copy on its YouTube channel, in a playlist called “Publix cooking videos” that runs 68 videos deep.

Only the address changed.

Ordering the Ingredients

Publix names the recipe that goes with each Aprons class and posts that recipe on its website.

The chilled corn and green curry soup from the sweet corn class has a recipe page on Publix’s site.

The ingredient list stays free.

Publix also runs its grocery delivery through Instacart.

No Ticket Required

Publix used to charge for a seat in the hands-on Aprons classes.

Publix even ran ticket promotions before the doors closed.

One promo code took $12 off each ticket, good from March to June of 2023, and the Aprons page that carried it is still up.

Nobody pays now.

Publix’s video series is free to watch, with no account, no sign-up, and no purchase required to press play on a single class.

A shopper who wants tips for Sunday dinner doesn’t need a receipt, a reservation, or a spot in a class schedule.

Why the Classrooms Closed

Publix gave a straightforward reason for closing the classrooms.

The company told Grocery Dive that its customers’ needs had changed, and that shoppers were learning to cook through online classes.

They were also ordering Publix catering platters for pickup and delivery so they could host events themselves.

Publix catering didn’t disappear.

The wedding catering page on Publix’s site still hands shoppers a phone line to a catering consultant.

Publix still builds an event menu of entrees, sides, platters and desserts around what a host needs.

Publix also kept selling appetizers, sandwich platters and desserts through its Gather and Share catalog, for pickup or Instacart delivery.

Florida is the state where Publix has the most stores, 897 of its 1,442, more than in its other seven states combined.

Publix had run some kind of in-store cooking school for 22 years by the time the classrooms closed, the Tallahassee Democrat reported.

A Head Start Online

Publix's online Aprons classes predate the classroom closures by more than four years.

The company's first free video class premiered on YouTube on January 12, 2019, hosted by two Aprons chefs, with a live chat open for viewer questions.

A February class covered date-night recipes.

A March class focused on appetizers viewers could fill, stuff, and roll.