Freeze Drying · Prepping · Preserving

The Countertop 360 Freeze Dryer

We have had a Harvest Right Large freeze-dryer since 2022 and have used it extensively. Often in ways I wasn’t expecting. If you’d like to see all our posts on creating shelf-stable food, check them out here. This fall, Harvest Right announced an all-new freeze-dryer, designed from the ground up. It wouldn’t be big; it… Continue reading The Countertop 360 Freeze Dryer

Preserving · Recipes

Canning Dilly Beans

My favorite bush beans to grow are Provider Beans. They hold up to their name here in West Virginia, and they came through the heat dome in great shape, then got to putting on beans when the temp dropped back into the 80s. They are solid, thick beans that grow to the perfect length for… Continue reading Canning Dilly Beans

Homesteading · Preserving · Recipes · Urban Homesteading

Canned Apple Butter

Apple butter takes planning - you will need hours to cook it down, but as long as you keep an eye on it, you can get other things done at the same time. I go for a big pot of it so that I can have seven jars for the winter. I used "seconds" for… Continue reading Canned Apple Butter

Homesteading · Preserving · Recipes

Canned Sliced Dill Pickles

There is a satellite location for a local farm, just down the road from us, that runs a market in season in Shenandoah Junction, WV. I often get deals on produce considered "seconds" - maybe a bit ugly, but it preserves just fine, for a bargain. I stopped in today and they had the end-of-season… Continue reading Canned Sliced Dill Pickles

Preserving · Recipes

Strawberry Balsamic Preserves

It had been years since I had used Sure Jell pectin, and I found something disturbing. The packs no longer have the folded-up paper directions for making jam. Instead, the box tells you to go to the website for directions; that URL just takes you to a landing page on Kraft's website. I had to… Continue reading Strawberry Balsamic Preserves