Canning and Freezing Your Own (Homegrown) Food
I recently wrote about how successful our garden was this past summer. We had an abundance of food…so what did we do with it all? We canned it, of course! I always thought that canning was something they did in the old days…we have grocery stores for that sort of thing, right?
Well, it turns out that canning is easy, practical and helps to save a ton of money. After borrowing a canner last year, we made the investment for our own for this gardening season. We also bought the Ball Blue Book of Preserving, which is THE authority for all things food preservation. After that, we got jars from parents, grandparents and wherever we could find them.
So far this year I have made raspberry jelly from berries on our property, blackberry jelly from farmer’s market berries and peach jam from Graham County peaches. I have also canned green beans and homemade marinara sauce. I have spent a grand total of about five afternoons on these projects, which is fine because it means I will have jelly, jam and veggies all winter…all locally grown and preservative free! Check out the pictures below.
Raspberry & peach jellies, marinara sauce and green beans!
Looks good enough to eat, huh?!
Another way to preserve your garden goodness is to freeze it. This is actually easier than canning because you hardly have to do anything! To freeze corn on the cob, simply boil it for about 10 minutes, drain and wrap in saran wrap before putting it in a freezer bag. I also have made creamed corn for freezing by cutting the kernels off and then scraping the cob to remove the juice (making it creamy)…super easy, cheap and way healthier than the stuff in cans.
With just a little effort, you can enjoy fresh-tasting veggies all winter long. You don’t have to grow your own food to preserve it. This fall, check out a local farmer’s market and stock up. Food preservation doesn’t make you old or old fashioned - it’s all about buying local, knowing what’s in your food and learning a new skill. Have fun and let us know how it goes!
Well, it turns out that canning is easy, practical and helps to save a ton of money. After borrowing a canner last year, we made the investment for our own for this gardening season. We also bought the Ball Blue Book of Preserving, which is THE authority for all things food preservation. After that, we got jars from parents, grandparents and wherever we could find them.
So far this year I have made raspberry jelly from berries on our property, blackberry jelly from farmer’s market berries and peach jam from Graham County peaches. I have also canned green beans and homemade marinara sauce. I have spent a grand total of about five afternoons on these projects, which is fine because it means I will have jelly, jam and veggies all winter…all locally grown and preservative free! Check out the pictures below.
Raspberry & peach jellies, marinara sauce and green beans!
Looks good enough to eat, huh?!With just a little effort, you can enjoy fresh-tasting veggies all winter long. You don’t have to grow your own food to preserve it. This fall, check out a local farmer’s market and stock up. Food preservation doesn’t make you old or old fashioned - it’s all about buying local, knowing what’s in your food and learning a new skill. Have fun and let us know how it goes!
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