For Boiling Water canning refer to our section on Water Bathing. Pressure CANNERS and Pressure COOKERS are TWO ENTIRELY DIFFERENT THINGS! You cannot pressure can in pressure cooker. You can cook in a pressure canner. A canner works at a sustained high temperature with a great deal more accuracy. Safe […]
Preserving
10 posts
These homemade dehydrators are fantastic. Cheap to make and work exceptionally well. And best of all: They cost nothing to run!!! If whacking together pallets is not your thing you could consider using a glass fish tank, or an old display cabinet. Even a pallet with plastic over it may […]
Always Harvest root crops in dry weather. DO NOT WASH your vegetables. Simply brush of loose soil before storing your crops. Storage Options for Your Crops Basement (if you have one): Is generally cool and dry. It may require additional ventilation. Garage: A south facing cool wall is best Refrigerator: […]
Water Bath Any large metal container may be used for a water bather preserver. Ideally deep enough to allow 50mm of water above the tops of jars, plus a little extra for boiling space. It must have a metal plate (trivet) to stand jars on in the boiler It can […]
Equipment Needed Jars – either Agee style jars with a seal and a screw band or any recycled jar (jam/pasta etc) with a ‘popping’ lid, the sort that depresses when sealed and pops when opened. Inspect all jars before you begin to make sure they are sound, with no […]
Everything you ever wanted to know about tallow but where afraid to ask… Beef or sheep fat once rendered is TALLOW Pig fat once rendered is LARD Chicken fat is SCHMALTZ As a food tallow is a source of CLA conjugated-linoleic acid. It is rich in vitamins A,D,E, and K. […]
In winter our girls go from egg (Breakfast Bum Nutt) production units to out and out FREELOADERS. Which means no eggs for us! SO! This is how we can make use of our glut in summer, and not have to (ERK!) pay for eggs in winter What you’ll need: Depending […]
Freezing prevents bacteria from growing it does not kill it. Below is a list of optimal freezer times before the nutritional value and or the flavour of the food will begin to diminish. Food or Food Group Length of time in freezer Fruit and fruit juices 8-12 months Veges 4-12 […]
Dehydrating is a fantastic space saver: 10 kg of fresh fruit will reduce to 1.5-2 kgs of dried. Hints and tips: Humid conditions will require a higher drying temperature Blend berries with other fruits to avoid them becoming brittle Do not over dry – food will loose it’s nutritional value […]