Drying is perhaps the oldest method in the world for preserving food. An easy and economical way to extend the life of your produce, dehydrated fruits and veggies make tasty treats with concentrated flavor and nutrients.

Dehydrated fruits and vegetables have a delicious, fresh taste and are naturally sweet because when moisture is removed from fresh fruit, the natural sugar is more concentrated.

Naturally dried food is fresher and more wholesome than commercial brands, which more often than not contain sulfates and other additives.

Equally important, dried fruits and veggies purchased at the store are very expensive and dehydrating at home is extremely cost-effective. …read more of Home Dried Foods: Energy Efficient, Economical and Fun here

To be lean, eat lots of greens and follow these tips for keeping them fresh and spending less of your “green” on them.

In the kitchen:

• Prepare crisp salads with simple dressings such as, lemon juice and olive oil or use large leaves of chard to wrap up healthful fillings instead of tortillas.

At the market:

• For loose greens: put your hand down into the plastic bag and then grab the greens with it.  Pull the bag from the top down over the greens and release your hand. It’s a quicker, drier way to get wet or oversized bunches of greens into the bag.
• For prepackaged greens or salad:  …read more of Hang onto those Greens here

For this I use the water bath canning method. One can also use a pressure cooker canner, but water is easier.

Apple butter adds elegance to bread and is delicious as a baste to chicken and pork.  It can be a sauce for ice cream, oatmeal, baked apples, and – well, your imagination is the limit!

This is the easiest recipe I have, and I like easy! Please read the whole process before starting so you know all the steps and have everything you need. …read more of Apple Butter: Simple Canning Recipe here

There are several true and fast ways to preserve your fruits and vegetables. One of the easiest methods is water-bath canning, which anyone can do at home.

Having an enormous bounty this year, I needed to preserve my excess. You can also use local produce or a pick-your-own if you do not have a garden. After looking through my favorite and family recipes for the garden items I had, I decided to water-bath can my abundance.

Since I haven’t done this process in about ten years, I called experts and reread several ancient cookbooks that have been passed down for generations. I also went to the library to research any time-savers or updated tips, and to my surprise, there was hardly any information on water bath canning! So, I decided to write this series for anyone interested. …read more of Water-Bath Canning Simplified: Methods, Recipes and Tools for the Newbie or Pro here

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