PRESERVING YOUR GARDEN HARVEST
Farmer Greg Peterson of the Urban Farm and Kari Spencer cover the different methods for preserving your own garden harvest. Tune-in below to hear the discussion on the following information!
Method 1 | Canning
Canning is not what it used to be. “Today, we have the benefit of using techniques developed by scientific research and are able to keep up-to-date on the latest USDA recommendations…” says Kari Spencer, author of City Farming: How-to Guide to Growing Food and Raising Livestock in Urban Spaces.
Kari discusses canning in great detail in her blog: How To Can & Preserve Tomatoes & Sauces | Peeling Tomatoes In A Snap | My Favorite Heritage Chili Sauce Recipe.
- 2 Types – What to can in each one
- Pressure
- Water Bath
- The Simple Process of canning
- Current USDA Guideline – Nation Center for Home Food Preservation
- What are we canning right now – what in season
- Making jams, relish
Method 2 | Pickling & Fermenting
- 2 Types – We can pickle many things
- Vinegar Refrigerated
- Fermented – Probiotics
- Fermenting is easy – Everything needs to be clean from the start – to attract lactobacillus
- Pickles can be canned – Vinegar pickles and relishes
Method 3 | Dehydrating
- Types of Dehydrators
- Electric – Caballas
- Oven
- Easy – in the shade in the summer
- DIY – build it your own
- Benefits – preserves all of the food value in a small space with no refrigeration
- Stone Fruit
- Apples
- Kale – Chips & Powder
- Honeydew melon chips & fruit leather
Method 4 | Freezing
- Freezing
- Prep it on a tray then bag or jar it
- Downsides to freezing
- Power Outages
- Freezer burns
- Vacuum bags help
- Finding produce if you are not growing
Home Maintenance To Do | #PreservingYourHarvest
PODCAST
Farmer Greg and Kari Spenser discuss preserving food: The process of canning what’s in season to make jams and relish, ideas for pickling and fermenting, benefits of dehydrating fruits, and freezing techniques to enjoy your favorite foods!
