Food safety is something that every person who plans to store their own food should learn about first. Not just the techniques to ensure that your food is safe, but also the signs that there may be a problem, as well as the different food borne illnesses and their symptoms. Food borne illnesses are not as uncommon as you might think, and while chances are good that you will never have a problem with the food you preserve, part of the reason that will be so, is the precautions that you ... [ Read More ]
Best Tips to Store Home Canning Jars
Once you pull your food out of the canner, you might assume the job is done, that your canning is safe and that food borne illnesses are no longer possible. But there are still some Canning storage best practices to keep in mind as you get ready to store your food. Where not to Store your Canning Jars A lot of people talk about using walk in closets, under bed storage, and a variety of other creative places to store their food. While that might seem like a great idea to use these ... [ Read More ]
Facts About Using Pectin in Jam
Most people just add pectin to their jams without giving it much thought. While we all know that this powder or liquid thickens our jams how many know why or what happens when things go wrong? While it is ok to take this important little package for granted, knowing a bit more about pectin will ensure more consistent results when it is time to make jam and will also offer you some options you might not know you have. What is Pectin? The answer to that question can either be very ... [ Read More ]
Demystifying Water Bath Canning
You would not believe the number of people I encounter over a year that still do not understand the difference between water bath canning and pressure canning. There is an equal number of people who still do not know what is safe to can in a water bath canner and what is not. Here are a few facts about water bath canning that should hopefully clear up the confusion. What IS the Difference Between Water Bath Canning and Pressure Canning? To put it simply a water bath canner cans at ... [ Read More ]
Easy Sun Dried Tomatoes
Last time I went to the store for sun dried Tomatoes the cheapest I could find them for was $5 for a tiny little package. Since I needed two packages for what I was making, I decided to pass them up and not make what I originally had planned on. $10 for a single ingredient just seemed like way too much money just to add them to a meal. While I am sure I could have found them for less if I shopped around, we do not have a lot of grocery stores in our area and by the time I ... [ Read More ]
Save Money On Greens This Winter By Dehydrating Garden Greens Now
My focus this year has been on trying to minimize winter food bills as much as possible. Winter time greens can be expensive in the markets, especially if you prefer to buy organic for your family. Part of my strategy to minimize the amount of money spent on expensive greens is to dehydrate garden greens while they are plentiful now. Not only does dehydrating allow them to retain most of their nutrients it makes them super easy to use in a variety of dishes. While I plan to grow ... [ Read More ]
Step By Step Making Tomato Sauce The Easy Way
When I first started making tomato sauce I wondered frequently if it was really worth all of that hard work. A can of tomato sauce back then anyway was 50 cents and it seemed like a lot of effort to go to just to make a can of sauce I could buy for so little. I have learned a lot since then, not only about the benefits of making my own food but also that making tomato sauce does not have to be so hard. Back then I would quarter my tomatoes, cook them down a bit and run ... [ Read More ]
Part 3 Basic Canning Series – Step by Step Guide to Using a Pressure Canner For the First time Canning Potatoes
In the last two articles in this series(Part 1, Part 2) we have talked about choosing a pressure canner as well as many of the safety guidelines you should use when canning your produce. This article will take you through the steps of canning one at a time. In this example I am going to be canning potatoes. Potatoes are easy to can much like any other vegetable, and make a fast easy addition to soups and stews. There are two different types of "packs" that you are likely to see when canning ... [ Read More ]
Pressure Canning Basics Part 2 – Getting Ready to Pressure Can For the First Time
This is a continuation of my Pressure Canning Basics Article You can find the first article in the series Here Once you have chosen the right pressure canner it is time to consider what you will use it for. For our family the idea was to grow as much of our own food as possible and preserving it was a must. I have pressured canned for years, but this year took on a new urgency as I wanted to make sure we had plenty of food for the winter. You may have already thought a great deal ... [ Read More ]
Pressure Canning Basics Part 1 – Choosing a Canner
Once you have decide to give pressure canning a try there comes the question of what equipment you will need as well as what to do. While most canners come with instructions, many of the instruction booklets are not very clear, especially if you are a beginning canner who has never done any canning before. This article is intended for beginners and is a step by step tutorial on choosing a canner, getting ready to can and canning for your first time. What You Use a Pressure Canner ... [ Read More ]