Don’t you just love pickles? The tangy, yet slightly sweet flavor, makes for the perfect balance in taste. The crispy texture compliments your sandwiches, burgers, meats and makes them much more enjoyable. With so many uses for pickles in various foods and recipes, it may be beneficial to learn how to make bread and butter pickles. If you store them properly they will last throughout the year. Whether you are new to canning pickles or have been doing it for... more »
Tips On Canning Bread And Butter Pickles
Canned Veggies And Their Ideal Planting Times
Some vegetables can be grown all year long. By planning well, you may find that you have plenty of vegetables to can and enjoy. Here is some information on planting times for the vegetables that people most often can. 1. Green Beans Green beans require warm soil temperatures since they are frost-sensitive. You can plant your seeds outdoors anytime after the last spring frost. You can also choose to begin seeds indoors, about one month before the projected last frost.... more »
Types Of Gardens You Can Start Today
A home garden is more than just a piece of land. A lot of hard work, sweat, and dedication go into making it flourish. So, it’s only natural for us to want the best for our gardens. Start by setting up a garden that is appropriate for the local climate, and the type of soil. Then determine what your needs and goals are for your garden. Whether you want fresh produce or flowers, here are some of the many garden... more »
Canning Foods At High Altitude
If you live at altitudes higher than 1000 feet above the sea, canning foods must be a whole different ball game for you. Making jams and preserves, veggies and tomato soups, or anything else is a unique experience when living so far above the surface of the sea. We are here to help you figure out why that’s the case and how you can make up for the higher elevation. High Altitude Canning – What’s Different? The boiling point of... more »
How To Can Tomatillo Salsa Verde
Don’t we all love the sweetness and acidity of tomatillos in our salads, pork, and hotdogs? However, one tomato-based food remains at the top of every person’s food list: salsa verde. Salsa verde is a spicy sauce, with Tomatillo as its star ingredient along with cilantro, lime, etc. It’s the perfect sauce to bring flavor and heat to your dishes. If you’ve had a generous harvest of tomatillos this year, it’s time to get canning. Make sauces, preserves, and the... more »
Here’s How To Make Jam From Frozen Fruits
Did you know that you can make jam from frozen fruits? To preserve the freshness of your garden harvest, seal and freeze it for later use, especially in the off-season. But what if you are left with a massive amount of frozen fruits that you can’t possibly process? Make homemade jam from the frozen fruits and enjoy a dose of lusciousness when the fruit is otherwise unavailable. Fall and winter are the perfect time to make jam from summer fruits... more »
5 Tips For Preserving Your Garden Harvest
You might have been storing, canning, and preserving for quite a while, but there is always a new trick to learn when it comes to keeping your favorite foods and staples safe. We have compiled five necessary storage and harvesting tips for every canning enthusiast interested in preserving their home-grown stock of fruits and vegetables. Preserve Fresh Fruits Into Jams and Jellies Who doesn’t like to eat home-made jam with toast all summer long? Not only does it serve as... more »
A Short Gift Guide For Your Home Canning Enthusiast
Whether it’s a birthday, an anniversary, or a housewarming party – it is always thoughtful to bring a gift. But what do you present the DIY king or queen who makes their jams and preserves themselves? We suggest going beyond the usual gifts and pay attention to their interests. If you have a friend who’s obsessed with everything homemade and loves to make preserves of jam, chutneys and pickles, here is our list of gift ideas for them: Customized Canning... more »
Canning Food Preservation: Pros and Cons of Canning vs. Freezing
Canning was used to preserve foods before freezers became a standard fixture in every household. Many people still believe that it is the most effective method of conserving food as it retains the nutritional value of the food. But now, many other elements also factor in when measuring the efficiency of both preservation methods. These include time, taste, texture, consistency, and spoilage of food, to name a few. Canning and freezing both have their pros and cons, and if you... more »
Tips For Home Canning Low Acid Foods
Home canning is an exciting hobby, but before you start on your journey to preserving foods and fresh produce on your own, you need to know how to do it correctly. When it comes to low acid foods with a pH of 4.6 or above, pressure canning is the safest method. This is because low acid foods aren’t appropriately processed during water bath canning and so the spores of Clostridium botulinum bacteria survive boiling water. These spores later grow in... more »
How To Get Crisp Dill Pickles While Canning
Dill pickles are a staple in every American household. A classic topping on burgers and hotdogs, dill pickles epitomize summer for everyone. However, if you love to make them at home, the problem is that you may end up with soft, mushy pickles instead of perfect, crispy ones. As much as we’d like, it’s not possible to prevent pickles from going soft, especially if you didn’t pay attention during the canning process. If left in jars for extended periods, your... more »
How Long Does Canning Food Last?
Ever wish you could store batches of your famous jam for months? Maybe you have a child going away to college, and you wish there were a way to make sure that they have your home-cooked meals every night? Well, let me tell you about a cost-effective, environmentally friendly, and healthy answer to your prayers. Canning food is the process of storing food in airtight containers. But before that, it is heated to a temperature where all harmful bacteria and... more »