This season, while canning pickles, I decided I wanted to make and can sweet pickle relish. I wanted to make a relish that would taste like the grocery store variety. I know that may sound odd but I really love the taste. When I need canning advice, I often turn to Sharon Peterson and her website, Simply Canning. When I realized that Sharon had published a canning cookbook, I had to purchase it. I began checking into my canning books and asking friends for recipes, but all of the recipes had … [Read more...]
Canning, Preserving and Storing the Harvest
Canning, Preserving and Storing the Harvest When we consider canning, preserving and storing the harvest, keeping food safe for later is the goal. Whether we are preparing for a gathering, an event, or preparedness, food is a necessary item. Preparing for what MAY come and not knowing how or what that could entail, adds another facet to the preparing. How long will we need to store it? Can we estimate how much will we need to store? What it the best method to keep it fresh? All of these … [Read more...]
5 Steps to Make Canning Day Easier
Canning day can be a daunting concept for people who haven't canned food before. There is the question about what equipment to buy, where to buy it, and how much to spend. What can be reused from year to year is another question to understand before canning day. Preparing step by step, before the actual work begins, can make canning day much simpler and more enjoyable. Step 1 (Before Canning Day Arrives) Shop for equipment. Yard sales are a good place to start if you are on a budget. … [Read more...]
Canning Green Beans from the Harvest
Canning green beans brings back memories of long summer days and warm sun. Listen for the fresh snap as you prepare the beans for canning, right from harvest. Every speck of work needed for canning green beans will be worth it when you eat fresh all winter long. First, let's review some of the basics of preparing vegetables for canning recipes. Vegetables almost always need to be pressure canned. The hot water bath canner that is used to as a food preservation method for many fruits … [Read more...]
Sharing the Harvest, Being the Recipient
Sharing the Harvest Some years I had so much produce I would take bags of squash to work with me. We had some abundant years where the shredded zucchini in my freezer lasted much longer than the winter. We fed neighbors and left the anonymous bags of zucchini on doorsteps. We enjoyed sharing the harvest. And then, there was this year. In my effort to get enough produce for canning and freezing but not have an over abundance of food, I started a whole new garden plot. I added soil and … [Read more...]
