canning

How to Make Your Favorite Summer Produce Last All Year

Dr Penny Pincher — Wed, 09 Aug 2017 19:30:06 +0000

During warmer months, you can find almost unlimited affordable produce at farmers markets and from your own garden. But produce doesn't last very long — unless you know how to preserve it. Here are a few methods you can use to preserve the food you have now so you can enjoy it months, or even years later.

1. Drying

Some produce can be preserved by drying it so it can be stored in jars or plastic bags without spoiling. Beans, peas, corn, and hot peppers can be dried and rehydrated for later use. Apples, apricots, pears, and plums can also be preserved by drying. Another way to preserve fruit by drying is to make "fruit leather" by processing it in a blender and spreading it out to dry on a thin sheet. And grapes can be dried in the sun to become raisins. (See also: All Dried Up: How to Dry Fruits and Vegetables)

You can preserve fresh herbs such as mint, cilantro, rosemary, sage, oregano, and dill by hanging them to dry. Roast soy beans and pumpkin seeds in the oven on a baking sheet to dry.

If you have a lot of produce to dry, you can buy or build a food dehydrator to more efficiently preserve larger quantities of food in a small space. You can get a small plastic food dehydrator for around $40 or a larger food dehydrator with metal racks for around $100. (See also: The 5 Best Food Dehydrators)

2. Freezing

Most vegetables have better taste, color, and texture if you blanch or steam them before freezing. Some good candidates to freeze are: asparagus, broccoli, greens, okra, peas, peppers, pumpkin, tomato, blueberry, cherry, cranberry, peaches, pears, rhubarb, and strawberries. Another way to use your freezer to preserve your produce is to cook up a big batch of soup with your vegetables and freeze it.

You'll need a freezer and an airtight storage container to preserve food by freezing. The important thing is to make sure you have an airtight seal to prevent your food from drying out and oxidizing in the freezer, otherwise known as freezer burn. The better your container, the longer your food will last in the freezer and maintain its quality.

You can get a vacuum sealing system that includes a vacuum pump and a few heat-sealable bags for around $60. If that's too much, look for a hand vacuum pump starter kit with zipper bags for around $15. The cheapest way to get started is to use thick plastic zipper bags intended for freezer use and squeeze the air out manually before zipping closed. You can get a box of 28 gallon-sized freezer bags for about $5.

3. Canning

For foods with high acid content such as fruit, fruit juice, jelly, jam, tomatoes, and pickled foods, you can use a simple water bath canning method that does not require a pressure cooker. Water bath canning involves submerging jars of produce in a very large container of boiling water.

I use a large pot of boiling water, Mason jars, lids, and bands to preserve my salsa made with vinegar, tomatoes, and green peppers. You can add corn, hot peppers, and lots of other ingredients to make a unique and tasty salsa. The jars and bands are reusable, but the lids should be used only once.

You can get a box of 12 Mason jars with lids and bands for under $20 to get started. Highly acidic foods will be good to eat for 12 to 18 months after canning. (See also: 5 Home Canned Foods That Beat Store Bought)

If you want to expand into canning of other produce, you can get a range-top pressure cooker for around $100, depending on the capacity you need. This allows higher temperatures to be reached during canning to ensure that harmful bacteria are killed, avoiding food spoilage or food poisoning. Low acid foods canned with a pressure cooker are safe and nutritious for many years after canning.

4. Cellaring

Cellaring is a technique of preserving fruits and vegetables by using a space in your house that you keep at about 32ºF to 40ºF with high humidity. These conditions slow decomposition and prevent dehydration and withering. Beets, cabbage, carrots, onions, potatoes, parsnips, garlic, apples, and winter squash are some things that can be stored during the winter in a root cellar.

You may be able to make a root cellar in a cold corner of your basement, or you may be able to dig a hole below the frost line and place produce in a container to preserve it.

5. Pickling

Pickling is a way of preserving vegetables by heating them in a vinegar and water mixture. This method of pickling does not involve fermentation, and is the way most store-bought pickles are produced. Cucumbers, beets, and okra can be easily made into delicious pickles. Add sugar and spices such as cloves and dill to the vinegar mixture to get the flavor of pickles that you like best. You can keep your homemade pickles in a container in the refrigerator for a few weeks, or use water bath canning to preserve your pickled produce for the long haul.

6. Fermenting

Fermentation is a method of preservation that changes the chemical properties of your produce, converting it into a new form that can be stored for a long time. In fermented pickled produce, the sugar in vegetables is converted into lactic acid by lactic acid bacteria. In fermented beverages, the sugar in fruit is converted into alcohol by yeast.

Cabbage can be fermented into sauerkraut or kimchi, which is tasty and rich in vitamins and minerals. Vegetables can be fermented into pickles that have a shelf life of six months or so. Use pickling salt or kosher salt when making fermented pickles since regular salt is iodized and contains anti-caking agents that can result in cloudy brine and reduce the quality of your pickles.

For making sauerkraut, kimchi, or fermented pickles, you can get a set of fermentation lids to put on Mason jars for about $35, or a fermentation crock with weights for $60.

Grapes, berries, and fruit juice can be fermented into wine or hard cider. Honey mixed with water can be fermented into mead. When bottled, these fermented beverages last for years and can even develop improved flavor with aging.

Like this article? Pin it!

This article is from Dr Penny Pincher of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

5 Home Canned Foods That Beat Store Bought

Ashley Marcin — Mon, 18 Apr 2016 09:30:18 +0000

If you've been curious about canning, the process can seem intimidating and even a bit scary (especially when the word "botulism" comes to mind). Consider this: A basic canning set will cost you around $50, but the possibilities of what you can make after learning the basics are endless.

Still hesitant? Don't fret — these beginner canning recipes will introduce you to this art of food preservation and give you some tasty pantry items at a fraction of their store-bought prices. (See also: Preserving In-Season Foods for Off-Season Feasts)

1. Applesauce

We use applesauce for everything from snacking to baking in our kitchen. Making it yourself is super easy. To make a canner load of seven quarts, you'll need around 21 pounds of apples to start. The variety doesn't matter, so feel free to experiment or use leftovers. Wash and quarter apples before placing them in a five to six quart pot to cook with a cup of water until soft. Mash or run through a food mill before adding any additional sugar or spices.

To can: Bring applesauce to a boil. Fill your hot, sanitized canning jars until there's around a half inch of headspace and wipe the rims clean. Then simply process in your hot water bath canner. For pints, you'll need between 15 and 25 minutes. For quarts, that time is more like 20 to 35 minutes.

2. Pickles

My husband spends weeks on his fermented pickles each year. If you don't have all that time to wait, try making some fresh-pack pickles that take only a day or so. You'll want to use smaller, unripe cucumbers for the best results (gherkins, cornichons, or kirby) — about three or four per jar. You'll also need over a cup of pickling salt, vinegar, sugar, pickling spice, mustard seeds, fresh dill, and water.

To can: After you've brined the cucumbers for 12 hours, rinse and cut the bottoms off. Then heat your vinegar, spices, sugar, and remaining salt. Bring everything close to a boil and then fill your cans with the cucumbers and liquid. Leave about a quarter inch of headroom. Process between 10 and 20 minutes for pints, and 15 and 25 minutes for quarts.

3. Basic Jam

This tasty jam canning recipe doesn't involve pectin or refined sugar. You'll boil together six cups of strawberries or blueberries with around four cups of honey, a large grated apple, and a splash of lemon juice. While the jam simmers, sterilize your canning supplies. The longer the jam cooks, the thicker it will be — it should coat the back of a spoon.

To can: Ladle your jam into the prepared jars, leaving about a quarter inch of headroom at the top. Wipe the jars and rims clean and then process in your canner for around 10 minutes. If you don't want to can your jam, it should last in your refrigerator for between three and four weeks.

4. Tomato Sauce

It's always good to have a jar of tomato sauce in a pinch. Making it is easy! To preserve seven pints, you'll need a whopping 20 pounds of tomatoes, so we like to make our sauce later in the summer when tomatoes are literally falling off the vines in our garden. Wash and cut your tomatoes into quarters. Saute some onions and garlic and then add tomatoes to simmer for 20 minutes. Puree this mixture. Add to basil and simmer until the volume is reduced by half.

To can: Add a quarter teaspoon citric acid or a tablespoon of lemon juice to hot, sanitized canning jars. Pour sauce into jars leaving around a half inch of headroom. Remove air bubbles and wipe rims clean before processing for around 35 minutes.

5. Ketchup

Always reaching for one of America's favorite condiments? Try making your own ketchup at home and canning for year-round enjoyment. You'll combine four quarts of tomato puree, chopped onion, and sweet pepper for a basic recipe. Run this mix through a food mill before boiling for an hour or so. Then add vinegar, allspice, cinnamon, and sugar, and cook until you reach your desired consistency. As you get more seasoned, you can tweak the spices to meet your preferences.

To can: Quarts aren't recommended for this recipe, so use sanitized pint jars. Pour hot ketchup into your hot jars leaving a quarter inch of headspace. Then process for between 10 and 30 minutes, depending on your altitude.

Safety Tips

To keep everything safe, follow the CDC's home canning guidelines. Signs foods may have been comprised include:

Leaking, bulging, swollen, or otherwise damaged jars
Spurts of liquid or foam when jars are opened
Foul odor, moldy or discolored foods

In particular, if you're going to can low-acid vegetables (green beans, potatoes, corn), always use a pressure canner versus the hot bath method. Otherwise, most canning mishaps happen when people don't follow canning instructions to a T, so read recipes carefully (and use newer recipes that abide by current regulations).

Do you can foods at home? What are your favorite recipes and methods?

Like this article? Pin it!

This article is from Ashley Marcin of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

The 12 Best Ways to Use Up Your Summer Tomatoes

Max Wong — Tue, 01 Sep 2015 11:00:19 +0000

Every year it's the same thing: beguiled by seed catalogs, my neighbors plant too many tomatoes in the spring. Although thrilled with their bumper harvest in June, by August, they are so sick to death of eating tomatoes, they are only too happy to donate their surplus to me.

You say tomato, I say "I can eat that for you if you don't want it."

I hate to brag, but I am really good at eating tomatoes. As evidence, here are my favorite ways to never waste a summer tomato.

1. Throw a Tomato Party

If I didn't throw parties, I would never clean my house. So, I am constantly looking for excuses to put on my party pants, if only to please my tidy husband. I have to credit my friend Mere with this party concept. When she has too many tomatoes to eat on her own, so she invites a few friends over for a tomato-centric dinner party.

2. Fry Green Tomatoes

Fried green tomato sandwiches are one of my very favorite foods. In truth, my real motivation for growing my own tomatoes is to ensure access to unripe tomatoes for frying all summer long. (Green tomatoes are hard to find, even at farmers markets). Because I eat so many of my tomatoes green, I rarely end the summer with one gigantic tomato harvest that requires emergency consumption before they rot on the vine.

3. Pickle Them Green

While canning vine ripe tomatoes is a great way to preserve them for later enjoyment, tomatoes are a low acid food and require extremely careful preparation to avoid spoilage and botulism. If you are a novice canner, or just want to avoid the worry, why not pickle your tomatoes instead? Pickled cherry tomatoes make a great gift for your favorite mixologist. Use them in drinks instead of an olive or caper!

4. Use Them as Currency

Today I was paid in avocados. My local pop-up farm stand traded me avocados for two dozen canning jars I'd picked up for free off of Freecycle. I couldn't be more thrilled with this transaction. I downsized the contents of my garage by two boxes, and I'm making guacamole to go with my pico de gallo made from neighbor-salvaged tomatoes.

Since nothing beats the flavor of homegrown produce, tomatoes especially are high-value bartering commodities. Trade them for other varieties of local produce or for services with your neighbors. Last week I needed a dessert for a potluck dinner, so my neighbor agreed to make me her legendary flan in exchange for a jar of pickled tomatoes.

Or, sell your tomatoes to a local restaurant for cold hard cash.

5. Make Artisanal Ketchup

A few years ago, I made homemade mustard and ketchup as holiday gifts. People are begging me to repeat that gift this year. I used this ketchup recipe from Saveur and a dozen different varieties of heirloom tomatoes. I have to say that the flavor of this ketchup was spectacular. However, fair warning: unless you want to stand over your stove for four hours like I did in order to cook the liquid down, do not multiply the recipe, and only use paste tomato varieties.

6. Una Palabra: Gazpacho

Just like Americans use squishy bananas to make banana bread, Spaniards use almost gone tomatoes to make gazpacho, a delicious cold soup. Gazpacho can also be used as a homemade Bloody Mary mix.

7. Cook Winter Soup in Advance

Hate chilled soups? Then skip the gazpacho and just make an enormous batch of your favorite tomato soup, and freeze it in individual serving containers for future lunches. This is a great way to get that taste of summer in the dead of winter.

8. Bake Them Into Bread

Speaking of banana bread, squishy tomatoes can be used to make tomato bread. So yummy.

9. Create Frozen Treats

Gazpacho popsicles are a favorite starter for my backyard BBQ parties. Or, if you own an ice cream maker, make this tomato sorbet that is based on Thomas Keller's recipe from the famous French Laundry.

10. Remember the '90s With Sun Dried Tomatoes

Sun dried tomatoes were the kale of the 1990s. Remember how they were on everything? Although sun dried tomatoes are no longer trendy, they are still delicious, and so easy to make at home.

Since I live in a hot and dry climate, I can actually dehydrate my tomatoes in the sun, using a drying frame I built from two salvaged window screens. However, if you live in a climate where the weather never reaches 90 degrees with less than 60% humidity, you should prepare them dried in the oven, in the microwave, or in a food dehydrator. Don't have a food dehydrator? Me neither. I just use my hot car instead.

11. Bake Christmas Cookies and Cakes

Tomato thumbprint cookies are a twist on the usual jam-filled treat, and can be used as either an appetizer or a dessert. No time to fuss with cookies? Green tomatoes are the secret ingredient in this Bundt cake recipe.

12. Donate Your Tomatoes to Charity

Apologies in advance if this is an overshare: I have overactive kiwi vines. In addition to consuming the front of my house Little Shop of Horrors-style, the kiwi plants produce around 200 pounds of kiwi fruit each year. Once a year I donate my surplus fruit to my local food bank. Food banks are always short on fresh produce, so donating home grown tomatoes is a great way to give a little bit of happiness to people in need. You won't enjoy the tomato flavor personally, but you will enjoy the good tomato karma and a tomato tax write-off instead.

Do you have too many tomatoes? What is your solution to this "problem?"

Like this article? Pin it!

This article is from Max Wong of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Preserving In-Season Foods for Off-Season Feasts

Ashley Marcin — Tue, 03 Sep 2013 10:36:29 +0000

We've got a lot of summer still to go, but at this time of year, my mind trains on fall. It's my favorite season for a variety of reasons, foremost of which is all the delicious food. Autumn is when the slow cooker gets its dedicated spot on our kitchen counter and when warm, hearty meals replace simple salads at dinnertime. (See also: 8 Good Reasons to Learn Canning Now)

It also happens to be when our CSA share is at its peak; our farmer friends send us home each Saturday with literally barrels of tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, apples, and all sorts of other natural goodies. I consider myself quite a voracious home chef and even I can't seem to find use for all the diverse fruits and vegetables that come my way. And I don't want them to go to waste.

I'm on a personal quest this year to learn more about the art of food preservation. In my search, I've come across some useful texts on the subject, as well as some budget-friendly tools of the trade. Here is a brief description of the most popular preserving methods, as well as my favorite books about each (and all).

Canning

Canning is a method for preserving food in which items are heat treated and then sealed in containers (glass jars are a popular example). Most anything can be canned, including jams, sauces, and other creations — as well as whole foods to be enjoyed at later dates. Canning gives food a shelf life of anywhere from one to five years, sometimes more.

Few know better than Ball (as in the jars), so this #1 bestselling book is definitely on my reading list: Complete Book of Home Preserving by Judi Kingry and Lauren Devine. Along with all the methods and how-tos, this text comes complete with over 400 recipes to preserve fruits and veggies at their freshest, ultimately locking in optimum nutrition.
Marisa McClellan's Food in Jars: Preserving in Small Batches Year-Round takes a seasonal approach. McClellan's blog, of the same name, is a two-time Best Food Blog Awards finalist. Each section breaks down the numerous and seemingly overwhelming steps of canning (with lots of lovely photos), so even a novice can feel confident during the process.

Freezing

Freezing foods is an easy solution if there's enough the space for storage. Foods are prepared, then placed in airtight containers and — that's right — frozen. The cool, dry environment of a freezer helps eliminate the bacteria that would ultimately lead to spoilage. This method typically gives a shelf life of anywhere from three months to a year. (See also: Freeze Foods That "Don't Freeze Well")

Jessica Fisher is onto something with Not Your Mother's Make-Ahead and Freeze Cookbook. It seems other preservation methods focus on individual ingredients or separate components of a meal. The freezer allows for some crafty think-ahead feasts — minus all the excess sodium and additives in most store-bought varieties.

Pickling

Pickling preserves food in brine (in other words, salt water), creating an acidic environment which kills bacteria and produces a delicious sour taste. Foods are placed in the salt solution for a specified amount of time, after which they can be stored in airtight containers — usually refrigerated — for several more weeks before going bad. (See also: Gadzukes! 10 Ways to Use Up Your Zucchini Bounty)

Moving way beyond the typical dill, The Joy of Pickling by Linda Ziedrich is bursting with 250 "flavor-packed recipes" from the most common to the more unique seasonal produce. While the practice of pickling was one originated out of necessity, the tangy flavors of salt, vinegar, and other spices infuse these recipes with flavors that are now the main draw.
The Pickled Pantry by Andrea Chesman has 150 pickling recipes using ingredients from apples to zucchini. The book features relishes, chutneys, and many more related recipes.

Dehydrating

Dehydrating can be performed by cracking the oven door a bit and baking at low temperatures. More recently, cooks have used dedicated dehydrating machines. It's actually one of the oldest and easiest methods of food preservation and works by removing moisture from foods. Since bacteria and other spoilers need wet environments to thrive, it preserves well — when items are properly stored — for up to a year. (See also: 9 Money Saving Reasons to Buy a Food Dehydrator)

Check out Food Drying with an Attitude: A Fun and Fabulous Guide to Creating Snacks, Meals, and Crafts by Mary T. Bell. Of all the food preservation methods, dehydration is the one that most intrigues me. Perhaps it's because I'm always suckered into buying the expensive dried apples and mangoes at the store. Regardless, this book has "something for everyone" and extends to foods far more exotic than the traditional beef jerky.

General Food Preservation

There are also several good books with a little of everything.

Put 'em Up! by Sherri Brooks Vinton is self-described as "a comprehensive home preserving guide for the creative cook." It's short and sweet, yet covers all the main preservation methods (canning, drying, freezing, and pickling). In addition, Vinton provides some tasty recipes for classics like grape jam and pesto to more adventurous treats like spiced pear vodka.
In Canning for a New Generation: Bold, Fresh Flavors for the Modern Pantry, author Liana Krissoff offers clear, easy-to-follow directions to accompany Rinne Allen's gorgeous photography. The focus is on less traditional fare and recipes not just for canning, but also using the canned items later.
Kevin West's Saving the Season: A Cook's Guide to Home Canning, Pickling, and Preserving is far more than just a cookbook. The stories woven into the text make this one great for curling up and truly savoring (perhaps while also enjoying some corn relish). West shows readers how careful and intentional preservation of food can transcend desire for culinary pleasure — it's a way of life.
And the fun doesn't stop with these four basic methods alone. In Preserving Food Without Freezing or Canning, author Deborah Madison describes "traditional techniques using salt, oil, sugar, alcohol, vinegar, drying, cold storage, and lactic fermentation." My head is spinning with all the tasty possibilities.

Once you've made your way through the reading, it's time to get started. In my next post in this series, I'll hunt down deals for the basic items you'll need as you embark on your own adventure to a fridge, freezer, and pantry full of healthy, self-preserved foods.

What are your favorite food preservation resources?

This article is from Ashley Marcin of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

5 Places to Find Free or Cheap Mason Jars

Linsey Knerl — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 09:48:33 +0000

It's summer, which means gardeners across the country will be looking for places to put their extra bounty. If you've taken to canning as a means of preserving your harvest, you understand that the number of jars, lids, and rings you'll need to put away a significant amount of food stores can number the hundreds, and canning jars (especially the brand name "Mason" jars) aren't cheap! Fortunately, you don't have to buy new jars to can your bounty — a used jar works just as well. (See also: 7 Ways to Make Use of Sub-Par Produce)

What to Look for in a Used Jar

While older canning jars are safe to use for food integrity, those that are weak may result in a mess when you attempt to bring them to temperature or during the cooling cycle. Toss out anything that's in less than perfect condition, but remember that there is a market for antique glass jars in any condition.

In general, your used jars should be:

Free of nicks, cracks, and chips (especially around the mouth of the jar)
Free of bubbles or "thin" places in the glass
Genuine canning jars (don't try to recycle an old mayo jar, for example)

Now that you know what to look for, here are the places I've found canning jars over the years for almost nothing!

1. Garage Sales

Depending on what kind of sale you attend, the jars will either be premium-priced or dirt cheap. Usually you can find brand name canning jars tucked among the miscellaneous glassware, and, sometimes, the garage sale holders will be happy to part with a large number of jars for free, if you buy other items. (I would, on the other hand, avoid thrift stores. They have seemed to sense the market for using canning jars as craft and gift staples and have jacked up prices accordingly.)

2. Cellars and Basements of Old Homes

We have lived in no less than five homes during my 11 year marriage to my husband, and every home has had its "skeletons in the basement." Most of these skeletons included loads of papers, dust, and trash, but they also included Mason jars! If you rent your home, ask your landlord if you can clean up the cellar or basement and keep what you find. If you own your home — it's yours for the taking!

The older the home, the more unique the jars you'll find. Don't forget about root cellars and bomb shelters. These often served solely as food storage rooms, and many housewives of the time kept boxes of new jars in with the prepared foods.

3. The Grocery Store

I don't recommend buying from the new canning aisles of your retailer if you're looking to save big bucks. I can say that there are a few select store brands of salsa and spaghetti sauce that stores like Walmart carry that are packaged in 100% genuine, Mason branded jars. You'll still need to invest in rings and lids to use these jars, but you should be using new every year, anyway. If you buy these items regularly, just remember to wash your jars and not throw them out. It's like getting a free Mason jar with each spaghetti dinner!

(Note: Look for the "Mason" logo on any jar before using it as a canning jar. Regular pantry staple jars are not of the same quality.)

4. Your Cupboards

If you've just gotten into the trend of canning, chances are good that you haven't been paying attention to the glassware you've collected over the years. Since more and more gifts are coming in the form of "jars," you may find that you've already received cakes, baking mixes, and even candles in genuine brand-name canning jars.

5. Facebook

I've already shared how Facebook can be a treasure-trove of reasonably priced used items, and since canning jars are expensive to ship, it's my go-to destination for jars that neighbors and friends are getting rid of. Many times, I'll see that boomer kids are cleaning out the homes of their recently departed parents, and they are anxious to clear the homes of all clutter before they put the homes up for sale. This older generation was known for canning, so be on the lookout for jars and supplies that you can buy at a good price. Want to show your appreciation? You may want to offer some jams and jellies in exchange for jars you receive for free.

Perhaps the best tip I can recommend for buying new jars is to buy off-season. Now is not the time for that, but, if you can hold out until after the garden harvest, you may find some on clearance at your local farm supply or organic foods market.

Where do you look for cheap or used canning jars? Share your secrets with us in comments!

Like this article? Pin it!

This article is from Linsey Knerl of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

8 Good Reasons to Learn Canning Now

Marla Walters — Thu, 30 May 2013 10:36:34 +0000

Although my mother made her own preserves for years, I didn't bother to learn. I could always pick up exotic chutneys or fancy jams in local stores. We didn't live in places where we had fruit trees or many berries, so I didn't find any compelling reason to learn. (See also: Homebrewed Beer: The Result)

And then, we moved.

While I was thrilled to suddenly have mangoes, cherries, passion fruit, guava, berries, and other fruits in abundance, I also realized that they were going to go to waste unless I did something with them. My husband bought me a canning set from the hardware store, which came with a great instruction book, and I learned how to can. So, why should you learn how to can?

1. It's Really Not Hard or Scary

Folks, if I can make jelly, so can you. After making a batch of mango jam a couple of weeks ago, my neighbor said, "I want to learn, but all that sterilizing and boiling and stuff intimidates me." It's not like you need a sterile laboratory. You do need to follow the steps closely, measure ingredients, and time the stages. That's it.

2. Waste Not, Want Not

Besides dealing with our own produce, it is not unusual for a neighbor to show up with a bag of fruit. Sometimes at a farmers market you will find a great deal on large quantities. If you learn to can, you can put those mangoes, berries, apples, or whatever to good use. We have even made white wine jelly, which is delicious and can be made from very inexpensive white wine. Wise Bread's Thursday Bram has shared a great mint jelly recipe, complete with very easy instructions.

3. You'll Always Have Christmas, Hostess, or Other Gifts

People seem to enjoy receiving jams, jellies, and chutneys as gifts. I love the fact that they are all done well before the Christmas "rush." It is also really nice to have an inventory of gifts ready to go for emergencies.

4. You Can Save Money

I just made mango jam, which cost me .25 per jar. The cheapest mango jam I could find to buy was $2.49 a jar! That's a pretty amazing savings.

5. DIY Is Fun

I know, that sounds silly, but it's true. Learning how to preserve food really is fun, especially if you are a person who likes DIY projects.

6. Minimal Storage Required

Some DIY projects take up a lot of space, so when I started canning, I was a little worried about that. However, all of my equipment fits nicely in a 58-quart plastic storage container.

7. Canning Equipment Is Inexpensive

My canning kit included a black granny-ware canner (yes, that's a funny description), a jar lifter, a funnel, 12 jars with lids and bands, and the Ball Blue Book canning guide. It was about $65 five years ago. The sets are widely available in hardware stores and on the Internet. The Ball set is extremely well-made and it has held up beautifully. My neighbors all bring back their empty jelly jars, as well as others they collect, which is very nice. I rarely have to buy new jars. You can often find canning jars at yard sales, and you can even get reusable jar lids now.

8. Mistakes Are Delicious

My mother's best accidental creation was dubbed "Plum Runny." Meant to be plum jam, something went awry, so we tried it on pancakes as syrup. It was amazing, and from then on, she just made Plum Runny. I personally have a store of Lilikoi Syrup in my pantry, which is similarly fantastic. In some recipes, if your jelly hasn't set, you can simply re-make it, to get the consistency desired.

There are great books out there for beginning canners, and the Internet has loads of information. I would love to hear what kinds of preserves you have made — please share in comments!

Like this article? Pin it!

This article is from Marla Walters of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Getting Started with Preserving: Mint Jelly

Thursday Bram — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 17:00:02 +0000

When I was little, my grandmother would can all sorts of things. She had a big garden full of produce that would wind up in jars in her pantry. She'd pick up grape juice on sale and make her own grape jelly. She'd even head down to the bulk store and pick up more fruit and vegetables to can on occasion. On the other hand, I can't remember my mother ever canning anything. With a pretty big garden of my own, along with a habit of also shopping in bulk, I've found myself following in my grandmother's footprints. I've had to figure out where to start, though, because I don't remember quite as much of how my grandmother canned certain things as I would like.

If you're considering where to start with canning, I'd recommend mint jelly. It sounds like a strange choice — what do most people use mint jelly on besides lamb? But the mint jelly you make yourself will be far different than the neon green stuff you find at the supermarket, and it's an ideal starter recipe because it's surprisingly easy to make. It also doesn't hurt that if you're also into gardening, mint is a great starter plant.

A Basic Mint Jelly Recipe

1 1/2 cups mint leaves
2 1/4 cups water
2 tbsp lemon juice
3 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 ounces (1 pouch) liquid pectin

You'll need four clean 8-ounce mason jars, along with a boiling-water canner and cheesecloth. If you don't have a canner, you can use a large saucepan or stockpot that is at least 3 inches deeper than the height of your jars. I've yet to find cheesecloth at my grocery store, but the local craft store always has it.

Place your jars on a rack in the canner and fill both the jars and canner with cool water, until the water reaches the top of the jars. Cover the canner and bring water to a simmer over medium heat, but don't let it boil.

Set the screw bands for your four jars to the side — you don't want to heat them. Place the lids in a small saucepan and cover with water. Heat the water over medium heat until it simmers, but don't let it boil. Keep your lids warm until you're ready to use them.

Rinse your mint leaves thoroughly. Shake of the extra water and chop the leaves finely. Place the leaves and water in a large saucepan. Bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. Once it boils, remove the pan from heat, cover, and let it steep for ten minutes.

Pour the mint liquid into a sieve or colander lined with cheesecloth. Let it drain until you have 1 3/4 cups of liquid without mint leaves. In a clean saucepan, combine the liquid, lemon juice, and sugar. Bring it to a full rolling boil while stirring constantly. Add the liquid pectin and allow it to boil for one more minute as you stir. Take the pan off the heat and skim off the foam that has built up on top of the mixture. Move fast, though, since jellies can set up for quickly.

Remove a jar from the canner and place a canning funnel in it (a canning funnel is just a funnel with a very wide mouth). Pour the hot jelly into the jot jar very carefully. Leave 1/4 inch of space between the jelly and the top of the jar. Wipe the jar rim and threads to remove any food residue. Take a hot lid from the water and place it on the jar. Put the screw band on the jar and fasten it to fingertip-tight. Put the jar back in the canner and repeat the process with the rest of your jars.

When all four jars are full, lower the rack back into the canner. Your jars should be covered with at least one inch of hot water. Cover the canner and bring it to a full boil. Allow it boil for ten minutes. At the end of that time, turn off the heat and remove the lid. After an additional five minutes, remove the jars, without tilting. Set your jars in a draft-free place and let cool for 24 hours.

Check the seals on your jars after 24 hours. Take off the screw bands and press down down on the center of the lid. A sealed lid will be curved downward and won't move when you press it. If a jar didn't seal properly, it must be refrigerated or used immediately or reprocessed.

There are a lot of steps in this recipe, but nothing that's actually hard to do. As long as you can boil water, you can make mint jelly. This type of jelly tastes great with a lot of different items. Personally, I like it with my biscuits in the morning.

This article is from Thursday Bram of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Eat Healthy This Winter Without Spending a Fortune

Sarah Winfrey — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 22:05:07 +0000

It's getting to be fall. Can you smell it? I can't, but I know it's true because I see the fruits and vegetables in my grocery store changing. Slowly, the peaches, nectarines, and plums are getting more expensive and less tasty, and the winter staples like apples, pears, and potatoes are taking center stage. It always makes me sad, this transition from summer to fall, when I have to say goodbye, for a whole year, to some of my favorite foods. But the only other option is to pay exorbitant prices for food that tastes worse and that I know has been brought in from far away, and I'm just not willing to do that.

If you're like me, reveling in the fresh produce of summer and saddened when it departs in the fall, despair isn't your only option. There are good ways to preserve fruits and vegetables that allow you to enjoy them through fall and winter without paying a price that's too high, either for your pocketbook or for the planet.

Space

The first thing you need when you think about storing food is space. Depending on where you live, this may be anything from a cabinet to a shed to a cellar. The space you have will determine not only how much food you can store, but which sorts of storing you can do, so do some research before you commit to anything.

Supplies

You'll also want to have an abundance of supplies on hand for each type of storing you want to do. For instance, if you want to can, you'll need to make sure you have Mason jars with sealable lids. If you want to dehydrate, you'll need all sizes of bags and something to write on them all with. It's a good idea to get these items together beforehand, as you won't necessarily be able to run to the store in the middle of the process if you run out of something.

Storage

When it comes to storing fresh fruits and vegetables, water loss is the main culprit in making food taste bad, followed by the growth of bacteria and fungi that causes the food to spoil. But some fresh foods lose water more slowly than others. This includes winter squash, onions, and potatoes. If you store these items in a cool, dry place, they can last for several months before going bad. In addition, the cool temperature will help keep the bacteria and fungi away.

Freezing

Most fruits and vegetables can be frozen for 8-12 months without a problem. However, each fruit or vegetable freezes best under different conditions. Before you begin, check out the University of Minnesota's site to see what you should do with each fruit or vegetable you want to freeze to maintain optimum conditions. In general, you will want to blanch your vegetables before freezing and you will freeze your fruit in a simple syrup that will help preserve its color and flavor.

The upside of preserving fresh food by freezing it is that you maintain much of the nutritional value. The downsides are that it takes up a lot of space (frozen food isn't any smaller than unfrozen food) and isn't immediately accessible for use (you have to thaw it first). For a more complete view of what it takes to freeze food long-term, check out the University of Minnesota.

Drying

There are several ways to dry fresh fruit and vegetables: sun drying, oven drying, and dehydrator drying. This works especially well for herbs and spices, but can also be used on just about any fruit or vegetable you can think of. If you're planning to dry a lot of produce, you'll probably want to invest in an electric dehydrator, so you don't lose the use of your oven for days at a time.

Like with freezing, individual fruits and vegetables should be dried according to specific instructions. Both FarmGal and Washington State University have all the information you'll need to get started.

Drying is great for herbs and certain fruits, and it's best when you have a limited amount of space. But it takes a lot longer to get the food to a storeable state when you're drying it, and many fruits and vegetables don't reconstitute especially well.

Canning

The most important thing to consider when you're thinking about canning is safety. Food canned at an improper acidity level can develop some particularly nasty kinds of bacteria, and you don't want anyone to die for a few vegetables. Luckily, there are instructions and recipes all over the internet for canning different foods in safe ways.

Some fruits and vegetables can be canned using a boiling pot of water on your stove. Others require a pressure canner to be safe. Whatever your recipe calls for, be sure that you know how to use it properly before you get started, to ensure the safety of all who eat your food.

That said, canned fruits and vegetables are some of the yummiest around. They retain nutritional value well, are easily accessible, and the food inside the can looks and tastes like the fresh item you put in there. However, canning can be labor intensive and overwhelming for beginners. The best way to learn is to work with someone who cans, instead of starting out on your own.

Other Methods

Freezing, drying, and canning are the Big 3 when it comes to methods of storing fruit and vegetables long-term. However, some items are also tasty when pickled and others make great jams and jellies. Luckily, there's more then enough information on the internet to get you started, whichever plan you choose. The important thing is that you don't have to miss out on your favorite summer fruits and veggies just because they're out of season, nor do you have to pay exhorbitant prices to eat them. The ability to store them long-term is right in front of you and is easy to pick up and begin to use.

Good luck!

This post was included in the Make It From Scratch Carnival.

This article is from Sarah Winfrey of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread: