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How to Can Food Home canning is a time-tested way to preserve all kinds of different foods. So whether the garden harvest has just come in, you picked up an extra bushel of vegetables at the farmer’s market, or you’d like to give holiday jams and jellies as presents this winter, we’re here to help. We’ll lay out the information you need to get started canning food the right way, saving you time and money while putting up food for the rest of the year.We’re going to …

How to Make Cheese There are a number of reasons to make your own cheese, the most obvious being that cheese is delicious. In all its varieties and textures, cheese is a wonderful food that complements and accentuates almost anything you pair it with. It’s also a fantastic way to extend the shelf life of extra milk from something that has to be refrigerated into a shelf-stable product that can be saved for months. Making your own cheese gives you total control of the ingredients, ensuring …

Fermenting in Mason Jars For beginners, choosing a fermentation vessel can be as simple as going to your cupboard and pulling out one of the glass mason jars hiding in the corner. There are many great fermentation vessels on the market, but mason jars are by far the easiest vessel to use for several reasons - they are inexpensive, are available in many sizes, they are easy to find, and the clear glass allows you to see how your ferments are progressing. Another timesaving advantage of fermenting …

What is Bone Broth? Whether you have had bone broth at a friend’s house, restaurant, or packaged from the store, it is all very simple - bone broth is animal bones simmered in water over a long period of time to create a nutritious and easily-digested broth. Healing broths have been around for ages because they are so simple to make, they utilize parts of the animal like chicken frames or neck bones, and they are just plain comforting to drink. A small batch makes almost three quarts of br …

How to Make Black Garlic Quickly and Easily at Home Famed for its many health and medicinal benefits, as well as its skill for warding off vampires, garlic has long been touted as a must-have dietary ingredient for ultimate health. Not only may garlic be able to boost the immune system, reduce blood pressure, and lower the risk of heart disease, but it may also help people live longer with reduced risks of dementia or Alzheimer’s Disease. Sounds great, right? Let’s eat all the garlic …

Last summer, I sat in my basement faced with a dilemma. We were moving and I needed to pack up 500 glass canning jars. At the time, most were empty but a few dozen still had food in them. Packing the empty glass jars was a chore but not impossible. I wrapped each individual jar in paper and set them carefully in a box. The nerve wracking part came with the jars that were filled with food. They were heavier and I couldn’t pack them in a regular box for fear of the bottom falling out from th …

What is Kimchi? Kimchi is a staple dish in Korean cuisine made of salted and fermented vegetables. The name kimchi encompasses any vegetable that is fermented in the Korean style. Believe it or not, there are almost 200 documented types of kimchi!Many people are familiar with the traditional napa cabbage kimchi also known as baechu kimchi. It usually includes napa cabbage, radish, and gochugaru (Korean chili pepper powder) with a few additional spices and vegetables. In Korea, kimchi is traditio …

For the aspiring homesteader, making your own homemade cranberry sauce has to be one of the easiest recipes to follow. Unlike many fruits, cranberries contain a lot of natural pectin and gel up perfectly without having to add any store-bought pectin. Basic recipes include just three ingredients: cranberries, sugar, and water, and cook up in only 15 minutes. What could be simpler? Customize your flavors to lean towards sweet or savory, and enjoy this healthy cranberry sauce year after year! Addit …

What is a Probiotic Soda or Punch? Homemade sodas are vitamin-rich, fun to make, and economical! Unlike the sugary drinks you pick up in the store, at home you can make your own delicious and effervescent drinks using natural ingredients. These simple fermentations occur due to the natural yeasts and bacteria present in the air and on the fruit/substrate, which start to feed on the sugars present, and create the bubbliness of a soda. Because the bubbles come from a wild fermentation, you end up …

What is Fire Cider? Fire cider or fire tonic is a spicy, vinegar-based natural remedy used as an immunity-booster, cold remedy, for sinus relief and general wellness, particularly during the cold and flu season. Most fire ciders are technically an oxymel, which is a medicinal tonic made with both vinegar and honey. Several key spicy ingredients are infused in an apple cider vinegar base, along with herbs and citrus, to create this tangy, uplifting tonic that will burn the bug right out of you! H …