When it comes to preserving fresh produce, you have options. You can freeze it, dehydrate it, or can it. What preservation method you choose will depend on a variety of different factors. Continue reading →

Pickling is one of the oldest forms of food preservation. It involves submerging the food in either vinegar or a salt brine to keep it from spoiling. Spoiling is a process that involves bacteria, and not all bacteria are created equal when it comes to spoiling or preserving food.

The goal with pickling is to prevent the bad bacteria from growing. In the case of using vinegar to pickle, the high acidity of the vinegar prevents most bacteria from thriving, thus preserving the food as long as it is submerged in the vinegar solution.

With brine pickling, controlled fermentation is encourage like in the case of sauerkraut and kimchi. This allows beneficial bacteria to grow, who then crowd out any bad bacteria that will cause the food to spoil. The interesting thing is that the look, texture, and flavor of the food changes. Continue reading →

Canning at first glance sounds like one of the scariest ways to preserve food. With freezing, you toss food in freezer bags and store it in your deep freezer. With dehydrating, you stick it in a machine that slowly dries it out. With canning though, you need a canner, canning jars and there’s always the possibility that jars explode. Continue reading →

One way to stock your pantry with some foods that you love is to preserve them. Are you new to the idea of canning and preserving? This article will give you an overview of what the process is all about and how it can help you to store delicious items to eat later.

What is Canning?

Canning is the process of preserving foods for eating later. It was a great way for people to have food throughout the winter months. Summer fare won’t last forever. One way to keep enjoying the taste of summer berries and vegetables is to preserve them. That’s one way that people living in remote locations in the early days were able to survive the long harsh winters.

Benefits of Canning

Canning does take a while to do until you get the hang of the process. So, why can at all? There are several benefits for you and your family. Continue reading →