You might ask why you would spend a weekend preserving food, it seems so time consuming and difficult. Well, the perks are unbeatable; Save money, eat healthier, impress your guests when entertaining while being less stressed to do so because you have pre-made gourmet items at hand, have great gifts to give, create memories and extend traditions to your children and grandchildren, shorten your preparation time for holiday meals and what’s best is that you made it yourself. You can even have a get together or canning party to make or swap items. The choices we make can change the world.

This article will give you an overall understanding of both methods; pressure cooker canning and water-bath canning.

For people with memories of Grandma’s pantry it is heartwarming seeing rows of homemade piccalilli, tomato sauce, soups and spreads in your cupboard. …read more of Canning Preservation Methods Expanded: Two Ways To Use At Home here

Image: Global Trade

Coconut, palm and palm kernel oils are found in commercial cakes, cookies and snack foods. These tropical oils are solid at room temperature and contain a great deal of saturated fat: coconut oil, 92 percent, palm kernel oil, 82 percent and palm oil, 50 percent.

The American Heart Association recommends substantially reducing intake of saturated fat because it tends to raise cholesterol levels.¹ High blood cholesterol is a major risk factor for coronary heart disease (CHD)² and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) reports that more than 34 million adults in the U.S. have high cholesterol (over 240 mg/dL). Palm oil has long been known to promote heart disease, however there are other reasons to avoid products made with palm oil.

In Cruel Oil: How Palm Oil Harms Health, Rainforest, & Wildlife,³ the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) reports that production of palm oil also promotes the destruction of rainforests. More than 80 percent of the world’s palm oil comes from Malaysia and Indonesia, largely grown on land that was once rainforest. When forests are cleared the habitat for endangered species is destroyed, threatening orangutans and other wildlife. …read more of Palm Oil Harmful? here