Preserving the Harvest

Do you can, dehydrate, freeze, or stow away any of your garden or farmer's market bounty?

Ever since I moved to the Orchard House, I've tried to preserve as much as I can. I always wish I could do more, but the harvest season is so fast and full that something always gets left behind. This year was apricots and pesto.. Perhaps next year?

It's fun to find inspiration in old cookbooks and canning magazines (I find them at antique malls or online), and I even have a Kerr Magazine framed on my kitchen wall that says "You'll be glad you canned with Kerr!"

However, the experts remind us that although those old recipes may look tempting, they may not have enough acid in them to can properly. I must confess though, that I use two old family recipes every year without fail- Great Great Grandma's Chili Sauce, and Grandma's Dill Pickles. Both recipes have lots of vinegar to keep them on the healthily acidic side.

Below is a quick video of the results of an afternoon canning session.