The Art & Science of Homesteading
Wondering how to freeze zucchini, and if its even worth it?! I might be biased (I did write a book on freezing your harvest, after all) but that’s a big ‘ol YES! Come late summer, we joke about leaving bags full of zucchini in unlocked cars at the grocery store… but don’t worry, it doesn’t have to come to that. There are many ways to …
Buy The Book Here! Hi, I’m Crystal, author of Freeze Fresh. Freezing has easily become my favorite method of food preservation– and I hope it will become yours too. Whether you grow your own food, buy from a local farmer, or are simply looking to put up bulk produce that you got a good deal on, freezing is an excellent way to preserve what’s in …
I love preserving. My cup is filled with every jar of tomatoes, every canister of fruit leather, and every bag of frozen green beans I put up. As another valuable tool for squirreling away the precious food we grow and harvest, having a freeze dryer has been a dream of mine for years. A bucket list homesteading item for sure! Disclaimer: I am an affiliate …
Preserving season is upon us! So many people have jumped on the “raise your own food” bandwagon recently, and I think that’s fantastic! Come on in folks, the water is mighty fine! I am glad that so many people are taking an interest in providing for themselves. I know that once we got a taste of homegrown food, we were forever spoiled and don’t want …
I don’t want to sound too dramatic when I say this, but Strawberry Sun Jam is life-changing jam! Once you try this, you will never want to have any other jam again. Strawberry Sun Jam is going to ruin all other jams for you! If you’re okay with that, than feel free to read on… And not only is it the best jam ever, Strawberry …
Homemade marinara sauce chock full of homegrown veggies and tomatoes is hands down one of the BEST things I’ve ever preserved! And in the middle of the cold Winter, pulling a bag full of homemade marinara from the freezer is like pulling out a bag of sunshine! We’ve been enjoying this sauce immensely, and we’ll be making even more this season! I can’t take all …
You’re singing it now, aren’t you!(If you have no idea what I’m talking about, it’s in reference to a Simon & Garfunkel song… one that easily gets stuck in your head!) Last year I experimented with a new method of freezing herbs, plus a new herb blend and it turned out FANTASTIC! I’ll be making a whole lot more of it this year! If you …
This has been the year of the fruit leather, and my favorite so far is this plum and crabapple fruit leather… it’s sweet and tart, with a gorgeous color, plus it is very pliable and tender (a great quality for fruit leather, as some can end up as tough as… well, leather). I’m on my third batch already and it seems I haven’t even made a …
For years I’ve tried making pickles- everything from bread and butter refrigerator pickles to classic dills… and for years I’ve never found a recipe I have fallen in love with, until now. I didn’t realize how much my general lack of pickling skills was weighing on me- I mean, a homesteader should be able to make a great pickle, shouldn’t they?! Well, I feel like …
Basil: the quintessential smell of summer around here! If only there was a way to preserve it… Oh, but there is! And I’m not talking about basil-scented soap and basil hand lotion. I can’t quite decide if these products are a good way to get a basil fix, or completely weird?! While I agree that there are quite a few foods that fall under both the …
