Dehydrating Intro. Several people have asked me about dehydrating in the last week or two, so thought I’d do a little write up about it.
Dehydrating is my favorite method of preserving what I grow, so think it’s kind of funny that I haven’t really talked about it here! Dehydrating is a bit easier to do than canning because you prep the veggies or fruits and can let it sit in the dehydrator unattended. Because it’s less of a time investment, I did it a lot more when I was working and going to school and time was at a premium. You are also able to do any sized batches, which is great for those of us with smaller gardens who don’t always have enough for canning. It is recommended that you blanch most vegetables before dehydrating to” stop enzyme action and enhance destruction of microorganisms”. But honestly, I haven’t really noticed a difference between blanching and not blanching. Most fruits and vegetables can be dehydrated at about 125 degrees.
I dehydrate everything until crisp to maximize storage. A Guide to Freezing Food. Imagine you’ve just woken up, a little bit late even.
Everyone is hungry. You grab a baggie full of luscious summer fruit from the freezer and toss it in the blender. On a good day, maybe you also have time to add a bit of yogurt. Blend—and voilà—breakfast is ready to go. Now imagine you’ve just come home from work. Learning to stock and eat from the freezer in ways that maximize efficiency is a solid way to maintain the ability to eat healthy, high-quality foods and avoid opting for delivery pizza yet again. Freezer-Friendly Recipes • Slow-Cooker Enchiladas Recipe • Freezable Black Beans Recipe • Rancheros Sauce Recipe Freezer Guide • Freezer Organization Tips A Guide to Freezing Fruit Depending on how you intend to use it, there are three ways to freeze fruit. Dry Pack: A dry pack is good for small whole fruits such as berries.
Sugar Pack: Many fruits freeze well packed with sugar. Syrup Pack: Nearly all fruits can be preserved in syrup. Free Printable Canning jar Labels - Free Mason Jar Labels. Each year I do at least 200 jars of home canned produce.
Last year we almost made it to 300 jars. That's a lot. After I finish each jar it gets labeled in some way and put away with all my home canned foods storage. Probiotic Pickles: A Fermented Year-Round Recipe. There’s nothing quite like a lacto-fermented half sour pickle!
They are crisp, crunchy, and refreshing with just the right amount of tang! 20 Things To Do With Your Dehydrator. Canning Homemade!: Canning Marinated Red Peppers - Yes it's safe! Make Sauerkraut in a 5 Gallon Bucket. Instead of setting yourself back over 100$ for an authentic German sauerkraut urn, you can ferment in a 5 gallon bucket to make sauerkraut that’s just as good.
Sauerkraut at home is just two ingredients – cabbage and salt. But you have to get the right salt, it should say “pickling salt” or “canning salt.” Here’s an example. You will need something to weigh the sauerkraut down as it ferments. You can use the standard sauerkraut stone disks, or something as simple as a plate weighed down with a gallon jug of water. Use a Food Safe Bucket There is some disagreement about whether the orange Home Depot buckets are food safe. To find out more, read our full dissection of the food safe buckets issue. 5 Gallon Bucket Sauerkraut First make sure your bucket and weight are clean as can be. Chop up your cabbages. 2 heads will make about 2 quart jars, so adjust as necessary based on your hunger for the Kraut. Knead in 2 tsp of picking salt per pound of cabbage. Keep the Bugs Off. Canning Granny: Pot Roast in a Jar... Canning Roast Beef. I found a nice pot roast on sale at the grocery store recently... it was a big one, bigger than DH and I could eat for one meal.
Southern Pepper Sauce Recipe. How to Make Homemade Tomato Sauce - Easily! With Step-by-step Directions, Photos, Ingredients, Recipe and Costs. How to Make Homemade Tomato Sauce - Easily!
With Step-by-step Directions, Photos, Ingredients, Recipe and Costs This month's notes: April 2014: Spring is just around the corner. Strawberries are here in Florida, Texas and California, next in late March and April for much of the South, then in May for most of the country and June in cooler northern areas. How to can tomatoes at home, from fresh tomatoes - Canning tomatoes made easy and illustrated!
Click here for a PDF print version  Making canned tomatoes is something families remember years later.
Home-canned tomatoes have been a tradition for many generations. In the middle of the winter, you can use the tomatoes to make a fresh spaghetti sauce, lasagna, chili, or other tomato-based meals for that fresh garden taste. How to make homemade canned tomato paste, from fresh tomatoes - easy and illustrated! How to make homemade canned tomato paste, from fresh tomatoes - easy and illustrated!
This month's notes: April 2014: Spring is just around the corner. Strawberries are here in Florida, Texas and California, next in late March and April for much of the South, then in May for most of the country and June in cooler northern areas. Canning 101 - Canning Tips & Resources.