It’s an age-old debate, and likely one that you’ve found yourself engaged in with old fashioned canning enthusiasts and new-age canners alike from time to time. Do you need to sterilize your canning jars? The short answer…. most of the time. But if you’re unsure of whether you need to sterilize – or how, exactly,… [read more]

There’s a saying among farmers and homesteaders in my area that goes something like this – don’t ever leave your windows down or doors unlocked this time of year or you may find your car filled with zucchini. For anyone who has raised and harvested squash varieties, it’s laughable because at harvest time the squash… [read more]

If you’re a homesteader, you no doubt know the difficulty of storing vegetables, fruits, and meats over the winter months. It’s nearly impossible to grow any sort of produce during cold weather in most states, so it’s necessary to find alternative methods for storing the foods harvested in the early fall. While freezing is a… [read more]

Zucchini plants are known for being prolific growers, and you can only make so much zucchini bread! My kids may love muffins and fried zucchini slices, but they start to ask for other things after a while. You can only give so many away! So, one day, I wonder if there were ways to can… [read more]

Get your canning on in a FUN way by hosting a canning party! Get a group of friends together and share the work. Learn how to get a canning group started. Getting your garden produce can sometimes be a chore. There’s food to clean, chop and prepare, jars to wash, canners to fill with water… [read more]

Get ready to can your food safely! Here’s the list of essential home canning equipment you NEED, plus where to find it cheaply! When it’s time to start preserving your garden produce, many homesteaders turn to canning. This home food preservation method makes your food shelf and pantry stable, easily be stored for a year… [read more]

There are two big problems with canning when you have several batches to process. I believe I’ve found the answer to them! Growing a garden and being able to harvest all the goodness is amazing. There simply is nothing like a fresh off the vine tomato, right? Of course, most of us grow more than… [read more]