Food Preservation

[Durgan]

This was elsewhere and probably not seen by most posters so I am boosting it up. A garden is not just for producing a few fresh fruits and vegetables. It can be the beginning of preserving for off season use, which is my main purpose for growing produce. My main interest is in plant food, hence the chosen headings. Input would be appreciated.

May I suggest an entry for Food Preservation.
Pressure Canning.
Lacto fermentation.
Water Bath Canning.
Pickling.
Dehydrating.
Freezing.
Recipes.

 

[Becky]

I'm not sure I follow @Durgan - are you suggesting this as a new forum section?

 

[Durgan]

I'm not sure I follow @Durgan - are you suggesting this as a new forum section?

Yes. Sorry about not being clear. Preservation and Gardening are closely related. There are few Preservation Forums of merit on the Internet. Tomatoville Forum tries but they bury most of the information in many post messages stickies, which are difficult to sort out.

 

[Becky]

That certainly sounds like a very interesting idea

Is there anyone else here who would be interested in a dedicated Food Preservation forum section?

 

[Durgan]

Few people are interested in food preservation. Most posters grow a current use garden, if at all, for the season.

I live in probably one of the best growing areas in Canada in an urban setting. Most of the lots are large and nothing is grown except grass, a few flowers and a few shrubs. Vegetable gardening is almost a lost art.

Being on garden forums for many years, I speak with some knowledge. There be another explanation of the surfeit of gardeners, in that many growers do not operate computers. Also the media meaning newspapers usually have a silly gardening section of no real value. In other words the demand is low or non-existent for a meaningful gardening section.

And the competition is severe, MacDonald's, KFC, etc. No effort and instant gratification.

 

[filmjunkie08]

I would love to have a forum for Food Preservation. My mother is deceased and I never learned the ins and outs of freezing or canning food. I sure would love to have a place to ask questions and learn from those more experienced than I.

 

[alexiskilgannon]

I really love the idea for a food preservation section. I have been preserving food with my family since I was a small child. Our specialty is canning tomatoes. I have amazing memories with my grandmother, canning tomatoes for everyone in the family. Canned food can sometimes make the best sauces imaginable. I love canned and marinated tomatoes when making spaghetti sauce. I'd love to learn more about canning other vegetables and fruits.

 

[Elena]

It's interesting for me. We do a lot of preserving food. Tomatoes, cucumbers, mushrooms.

 

[Durgan]

My intense canning season is just starting. There is always my own garden produce ongoing as plants become mature, and enough fruit and vegetables appear to make at least seven liters in a minimum batch.

Tomatoes are always ongoing, as are cucumbers. Corn, when it becomes available, usually I buy corn except I grow the colored corn, Indian corn, which is dried for cereal. Blueberries are about to start which I U pick, most other fruit appears later in the Fall. Apples, pears, plums, gooseberries, blackberries, black currants, both white and purple grapes, cranberries,pumpkins, elderberries some years are all available, spread out over two or three months.

I try to have an even amount of vegetables and fruits. My requirements are from 400 to 500 liter jars of a variety of plant produce, always a pressure canned slurry or juice.

Some produce is stored in a root cellar like potatoes, garlic and onions. A bit of dehydrating is also done but not in quantity. Mostly I buy dried beans, nuts and grains.