Uh-oh … You opened your canning jar, and there are black spots on the underside of the lid. What is it? More importantly, is your canned food still safe to
Black Spots on Your Canning Lids? Pinholing Explained Read More ⇨
Have you ever chopped apples for dehydrating—only to have them turn brown before you even get your trays fully loaded? It’s unappetizing and de-motivating. Why dedicate time to dehydrating if
How to Stop Fruit From Browning When Dehydrating Read More ⇨
Crystallized honey poses a tricky problem. It requires heat to return it back to it’s liquid form, but too much heat will damage the fragile nutrients that make raw honey
How to Decrystallize Honey [Without Cooking It] Read More ⇨
We’re accustomed to seeing expiration dates on canned food at the store so, naturally, we wonder when our home-canned food will go bad. The thing is … there is no
8 Signs Your Home Canned Food Is BAD Read More ⇨
This elderberry syrup recipe is incredibly easy to make. Once you boil, then simmer the ingredients, it’s just a matter of straining the juice and adding honey! The original recipe
Homemade Elderberry Syrup Read More ⇨
Before I started canning, I had never head of Clear Jel. It wasn’t until I wanted to can apple pie filling that I first heard the term. Turns out, Clear
Clear Jel for Canning: A Guide for Home Preservers Read More ⇨
Before I started gardening and growing sweet potatoes, I didn’t even know that they had to cure for a period of time. I thought they came out of the ground
How to Cure Sweet Potatoes [Even in Subpar Conditions] Read More ⇨
If you plan on making your own jam or jelly, you need to know about pectin. In this post, we’ll talk about a few options and share the type of
What is Pectin’s Purpose in Jam? Read More ⇨
For quite a while, I thought Clear Jel and Sure Jell were interchangeable. Boy, was I wrong! While there are substitutes for Clear Jel, pectin is not one of them.
Is There a Clear Jel Substitute? Read More ⇨
I just love pumpkins, don’t you? Some pumpkins make my home feel cozy, some make my mouth water, and others make me laugh! (Have you SEEN those pumpkins with warts?!)
30 Types of Pumpkins for Growing, Decorating & Pie-Making Read More ⇨
What in the world is “bolting”?! That’s what I thought when I first heard the term. Turns out, there are several definitions, which we’ll briefly cover. However, our focus will
A Gardener’s Guide to Bolting Read More ⇨
Making homemade sauerkraut is a straightforward process. Let’s learn how! Quick Overview: The Process of Making Sauerkraut in a Nutshell Sauerkraut is a delicious fermented food with numerous health benefits,
How to Make Sauerkraut Read More ⇨
I was always curious what the difference was between preserves and jam, but it wasn’t important enough to me to go ask someone about it. Haha! When I got into
Strawberry Preserves vs Jam: A Tasty Comparison Read More ⇨
Mmm. Strawberry jam is one of our top 3 favorite flavors. I don’t know why it took me so long to can our own strawberry jam, but this recipe was
How to Make Strawberry Jam Read More ⇨
When you first start canning, you’ll notice that recipes call for “canning salt.” And that’s when the questions hit: Some answers are a simple yes or no, but others require
Canning Salt vs Table Salt: Key Differences Explained Read More ⇨
I tried a new process for canning blueberries this year that allowed me to get two products out of one batch of berries. The whole family loved the results! This
Homemade Blueberry Syrup Recipe Read More ⇨
When I learned that basil needed to be dehydrated using standard vegetable temperatures—instead of the temperature for herbs—I wondered why that was the case. Turns out, for culinary purposes, basil
Is Basil a Vegetable? Read More ⇨
Did you know the secret to vibrant green pesto is blanching? Yes! It’s easy to do, too. Here’s how. Understanding Blanching and Its Relevance Blanching is a culinary skill that
How to Blanch Basil for Pesto Read More ⇨
I love preserving a year’s worth of pesto at a time. (There’s a video about that below if you’re interested.) The problem is keeping it nice and bright green. But
How to Keep Pesto Green: Quick Tips for Vibrant Color Read More ⇨
One day your basil is beautiful and normal-looking—and the next, it’s covered in white flowers. Can you still eat the basil? Are the flowers themselves edible? Let’s chat about it!
Are Basil Flowers Edible? A Quick Guide for Gardeners Read More ⇨