The Farm Girl's Guide to Preserving the Harvest: How to Can, Freeze, Dehydrate, and Ferment Your Garden's Goodness (The Homesteader's Guides) The Farm Girl's Guide to Preserving the Harvest: How to Can, Freeze, Dehydrate, and Ferment Your Garden's Goodness (The Homesteader's Guides) Paperback Kindle

Pressure Canning

“I succeeded in learning how to use a pressure canner without blowing up my kitchen or killing my family. So can you. It takes learning the whys and hows, then deciding what is best for your family. You see that pressure canner sitting there? Smile at it, give it a hug, and get to know it. It will soon become your partner in preserving clean healthy foods that contain pronounceable ingredients. How can you deny yourself or your family this opportunity? You can’t, and you shouldn’t.”

Dehydrating

"The biggest misconception is that all foods which are dehydrated become brittle when completely dried. Most vegetables will finish with either a leathery or brittle texture. Dried fruits are generally brittle, leathery, or pliable. Herbs, when completely dried, are brittle regardless of the type of herb being dried. Fruit or vegetable peels can also be dried and will be brittle upon completion, making them easy to grind into powder.”

Fermenting

“The public understands that probiotics are necessary to maintain a healthy digestive system but tends to resort to a synthetic probiotic option readily available over the counter. This type of probiotic is easy to consume with the instruction of “just add water.” What most people don’t understand is that a synthetic probiotic should only be consumed for a course of ten days at a time, whereas natural probiotics found in foods and drinks can be consumed daily without any restrictions. If the thought of fermented tea, water, vegetables, and even condiments is not appealing to you, then how about sauerkraut? Sadly, in our culture,

consuming fermented foods is foreign to many, even to homesteaders, though throughout Asia, Europe, and Africa, these foods are consumed daily and are credited for maintaining good health. What is more beneficial than natural probiotics and healthy enzymes? I can’t

think of anything.”

Freezing

“Ultimately, my goal is to freeze foods that cannot be canned, dried, or do not freeze-dry well. In addition to this, I'd like more options to what's being placed into the freezer, like vegetables and fruit, which can later be used for cooking. Additionally, I love knowing that freezing vegetables or fruit depletes very little of their nutritional content.”