So here are some tips I’ve learned for handling, prepping, and cooking homegrown veggies.

Don’t Leave Them On The Plant Too Long

With a few exceptions, younger fruit is tastier than older ones. So don’t hesitate to harvest your crop to get the most flavor out of it.

Broccoli, cauliflower, okra, summer squash, cucumbers, eggplant, peppers, and greens are all edible (and taste better) when they’re young. You can even eat baby squash with the flowers.

Picking your fruit encourages plants to make more, so go ahead and take it whenever you’re ready to eat it. And don’t wait too long. Old squash, zukes, eggplant, okra, and cucumbers are particularly unsavory when they get too old.

Veggies that should be left on the plant to become fully ripe include pumpkins/winter squash, melons, and tomatoes (unless you’re cooking with green tomatoes).

Wash Homegrown Veggies Appropriately

For the most part, I do not worry much about washing our veggies. We don’t use chemicals so I don’t have to think about getting rid of anything like that.

Tomatoes, peppers, and squash are pretty much clean when you pull them off the plant. A quick rinse with tap water is plenty to get them ready for cooking.

But there are a few veggies that need special treatment or additional care.

I like to put broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels – in a bowl of water for a few minutes. The idea is that if there are any little bugs or bits of soil in the heads, it will all float or sink out.

Having said that, I admit that when the heads come off clean and look good, sometimes I skip this step, and I haven’t died yet.

We southerners love our turnip and collard greens, but if you’ve never cooked with them before you might not know they need to be soaked for a good while before you cook them. This is one where I would never skip the soaking.

In fact, we soak them for a while then pour out the water and soak them again. Skip this step and you will surely end up with lots of grit in your cooked dish.

Know Whether To Peel Or Not To Peel Veggies

This is something that is primarily a personal preference. Most fruits and veggies have edible skins.

For example, I’m a big potato skin fan. I make mashed potatoes and potato salad with the skin on all the time. I especially like to leave the skin on red potatoes when I cook with them.

Summer squash and zucchini are the same. It’s perfectly fine to cook them with the rind on or peel it if you prefer.

With cucumbers and eggplant, a lot of times peeling the skin will cut out some of the bitterness. So I do usually peel cukes and eggplant although it’s not necessary.

When cooking with apples, pears, peaches and similar fruits, I like to peel the skin off even though I would leave them on for eating fresh. It’s totally a personal preference.

However, some veggies/fruits do have inedible rinds. Winter squash, pumpkins, and watermelons come to mind. It’s fine to cook them in the rind – as you would for roasting whole squash or pumpkins, but you should remove the rind to use in your meal.

How To Avoid Mushiness

Some veggies are prone to becoming mushy when cooked, and nobody wants to eat mush. To avoid mushy, one thing to do is cook out the water before you add your fat.

For example, I brown onions and peppers in the skillet for a few minutes to steam out the water. Once they start to brown a little, I’ll add butter and let them finish cooking.

The other thing is not to over cook them. I like for my veggies to maintain some texture, so I pull them off the heat before they lose all their structure.

Just like many enjoy an al dente noodle, leave a little tooth to your veggies when you cook them for improved flavor.

This is especially important if you are steaming veggies. Overcooked steamed veggies are about the most bland and mushy thing you can eat.

Bring Out Their Flavor

Here are my go to methods for bringing out the flavor of home grown veggies:

Salt – Too much salt is a bad thing, but just the right amount of salt brings out the flavor of veggies really nicely. We like to use course ground pink Himalyan salt vs table salt, but used correctly, they both have the same effect.

Browning – whether roasted in the oven or sauteed in a skillet, getting a little bit of browning to your veggies will concentrate the sugar content which improves their flavor.

Fat – If you grew up in the 90s like I did, you learned that fat = bad. But more and more we are learning that fat is not as bad as we used to think. Plus, it’s delicious. Depending on what I’m cooking, olive oil or real butter are my favorite fats.

Bacon fat – I thought it deserved its own category because it’s really not the same as butter or olive oil. Bacon fat imparts its own smokey flavor that does nothing but good things for pretty much any vegetable.

How do you use your homegrown veggies?

Share your experience in the comments below.

The post 5 Tips For Prepping And Cooking Homegrown Veggies appeared first on You Should Grow.

So I thought it would be fun to take a look at some of the most unusual pumpkin varieties to look for this fall. 

Side note: All pumpkins are a type of winter squash, but not all winter squash are technically pumpkins. I do include some pumpkin shaped winter squash in this post because the distinction is really just semantics.

Pumpkin Varieties With Pictures

Because pumpkins have a super thick skin, they’ll definitely last through November as long as they don’t get wet, rotten spots. So don’t forget you can dice these babies up and make your favorite pumpkin recipes.

It would be so fun to grow these with the kids in the spring, too – so make sure you save seed from these pumpkins before you toss them in the compost pile.

Flat Pumpkins

I love the look of stacking pumpkins in various colors. It not only looks really pretty, but it’s right up my alley in terms of being like the easiest decorating project you can do. 

These flat pumpkin varieties allow you to stack them for a really unique look. You can mix and match the colors to make them fit in with the rest of the decor.

Cinderella Pumpkin

Cinderella pumpkin is deep orange to red pumpkin that has a wide flat shape. The bright color really stands out, and these pumpkins have a bright orange flesh that is great for both sweet and savory dishes.

Fairytale Pumpkins

Fairytale pumpkins have a similar look to Cinderellas, but they are green to pumpkin tan in color. I love the voluptuous curves on this pumpkin which has a sweet deep red flesh that is perfect in desserts and soups.

Flat White Boer Pumpkin

Add a Flat White Boer to your pumpkin decor, and it will really pop! This white pumpkin variety is awesome for stacking and setting on your front porch. They have a delicious sweet orange flesh that is great for baking.

Long Island Cheese Pumpkin

A very nice flat, tan to orange pumpkin that is excellent for stacking. Long Island Cheese is favored by homesteaders for its long storage capabilities and sweet smooth flesh.

Jarrahdale Pumpkin

Jarrahdale pumpkins are a unique blue to green pumpkin variety that is lovely in a pretty pumpkin stack, but is also great for cooking. This pumpkin variety comes from New Zealand and has a smooth creamy texture making it perfect for homemade pumpkin puree.

Strawberry Crown Pumpkin

These pumpkin shaped winter squash have a unique coloring that makes them perfect for adding to your fall decorations. It has a smooth texture that’s great for baking and making soup.

Ugly Pumpkin Varieties

Here are the most unusual, bumpy, warty pumpkins that are really interesting to look at. Add a few of these to your front porch and wow your friends and neighbors with your fun decorating style.

Peanut Pumpkin

These pumpkins might be ugly to some, but I love the unique peanut shaped bumps all over it. The peanut shells on the pink rind of this pumpkin are actually a buildup of excess sugar which makes the Galeux d’Eysine perfect for baking. So don’t overlook this ugly duckling when you’re shopping for pie pumpkin varieties.

Yokohama Pumpkin

The exterior of this pumpkin frankly couldn’t be more ugly, but don’t let that deter you from cooking with it. The flesh of this pumpkin has a complex fruity flavor that is definitely worth a try.

Black Futsu Pumpkin

Technically a winter squash, this is another very interesting pumpkin shaped fruit from Japan. The bumpy skin ripens in color from deep black-green almost moldy color to the tan you see in the image above. It boasts a bright orange flesh with a slightly nutty flavor. Definitely worth a try if you find one.

Buen Gusto

Buen Gusto De Horno’s beautiful lumpy green skin will definitely make a statement when used in your pumpkin decor. Like the Black Futso, this is a small pumpkin shaped winter squash which makes it a good choice for decorating baskets and crates. Its sweet flesh is also great for fall baking.

Shishigatani Pumpkin

This is a rare Japanese pumpkin that certainly lives up to the ugly pumpkin name. Some fruit even looks like two pumpkins stacked on top of each other. Its fine, nutty flesh is a good choice for making soups.

Musquee du Maroc Pumpkin

If you love the warty look, the Musquee du Maroc is a definite winner. It has such an unusual and unique appearance for your fall pumpkin displays. Take this squash indoors as the season ends to make squash puree.

Don’t You Love These Amazing Heirloom Pumpkin Varieties?

Seeds for most of these varieties can be found on the Baker Creek website, but check your local farmer’s markets to get your hands on a full grown pumpkin.

Since they’re all heirlooms, you can definitely save the seed and plant them in your garden next spring. Here are some tips for growing pumpkins.

The post 12 Funky Pumpkin Varieties You’ll Love appeared first on You Should Grow.

In looking at fall decor trends, I was inspired to see how much nature’s beauty adds when striving to achieve that perfect fall look.

The nice thing about using natural elements is that many can be foraged right from your yard. And it’s surprising how little effort it takes adjusting a few decor elements to welcome fall into your home.

So here are some easy ways to get a modern fall look with natural elements.

Trending Fall Decor

I’ve never been one to collect a lot of decorative items, mainly because I don’t have room to store them, but also because my style changes from year to year.

So here are some of the things I’ve noticed that are trending this year, and it seems to fit right in with my love for all things gardening.

Fall foliage

Jumping right into the obvious, fall foliage is making a big statement this year. It’s a perfect addition to flower arrangements as well as making a statement in mantel garlands and door wreaths.

Wheat and wild grass bundles

Wispy wheat bundles and wild grass accents are perfect for decorating this fall. Within arrangements, wreaths, and even standing on their own, these pretty clusters are both seasonal and neutral.

That makes them perfect for scattering on your front porch, fireplace mantel, and even table centerpieces. I am partial to the sleek modern look of using wheat and wild grass.

Cornhusks

Using cornhusks at the front door and porch is a classic style, but corn husks are also making an appearance in garlands and wreaths.

Whether you choose to include the corn ears or not, the husks are a nice addition to mason jars, tablescapes, and flower arrangements.

Pumpkins

Okay, this one is not any big news for anyone, right? One of the simplest ways to decorate your home for fall is to pile pumpkins in every space you can find.

I love when the pumpkins are mixed in color and texture. If you choose wisely and are careful about how they’re stored, you can even cook them up for Thanksgiving dinner when pumpkin stacks give way to Christmas ornaments.

Apples

Clustered in bowls, filling baskets, or hollowed out for holding candles, there are lots of ways to add apples for fall decorating.

Choose deep red apples to mimic the changing of the leaves, brighten the room with golden hues, or add a pop of color with bright green. The ways you can add apples to your fall decor are never ending.

Free Fall Printables

One way to add natural elements is with fall printables. I created these with this year’s fall trends in mind. Click here to get yours (it’s free!).

Pine cones

What is simpler that sprinkling around some pinecones for a touch of fall style? A walk through some pine woods should supply plenty of material.

I love the idea of piling pinecones in a glass hurricane or even layering them at the base of a candlestick or a DIY wreath.

Grapevines

To me grapevines are absolutely lovely ways to make wreaths, garlands, and runners for your fall decorating.

Whether you add in some of the other elements in this list or keep it simple, the natural woody tones of grapevines are grounding and set a beautiful backdrop for other elements of your decor.

Acorns

Real acorns or acorn shaped pieces are perfect for fall decorating. The great thing is that it’s not hard to find acorn pieces in most home decorating stores.

I also love the idea of gathering a few with the kids and using paint to customize your acorn look.

Birch wood

Birchbark with its lovely white and gray tones make a perfect neutral addition to your fall decorating scapes.

As a base for candles or even in paintings and photographs, birch trees are a lovely natural accent to your fall and holiday decor.

Fall florals

If you can find some autumn toned flowers, they are a natural way to bring color into your fall decorating.

Sunflowers, dahlias, and mums are all pretty for decorating in the fall. It doesn’t matter if your bouquet is a tiny touch of blossoms or a towering spray on your dining display, fall colored florals are in style this season.

Are you already setting the mood for fall in your home?

Share your ideas for fall decorating in the comments!

The post 10 Trending Fall Decorating Ideas appeared first on You Should Grow.

But things are so much different now, and I think more and more people are getting interested in pursuing ways to supplement their income without getting a new or second job.

About 3 years ago, I made a major career change and made the decision to create an income from this blog. I have a separate article about how a blog generates income, but I won’t focus on that now.

Blogging is legit a lot of work, and it’s not the kind of thing you can start doing this weekend and have cash in the bank on Monday. So this post is about ways to make money to supplement or replace your day job that don’t involve blogging.

How To Make Money Without A Job

Whether you’re looking to lose the 9 to 5 or just want to make some income on the side, here are some ideas that can start earning you money right away.

Farmer’s Market

Even if you don’t grow food, you might find that your farmer’s market allows you to bring crafts, baked goods, or preserved foods.

That said, if you’re at my site, chances are you like to garden. And you might be surprised at all the ways you can use your garden to make money.

One of the most rewarding ways is to grow and sell your produce. In our experience, having a nice well-stocked booth with lots of color and variety attracts shoppers to your table and increases sales.

Be A Substitute

One of the ways I make money without an official job is to work at local businesses as needed. In my case, I work as a relief veterinarian when local vets need a day off.

Alternatively, you could be a substitute server at a local restaurant or even man the front counter at a mom and pop shop when mom and pop go on vacation. You can even apply to be a substitute teacher without a teaching degree.

Being a substitute gives you the freedom to work when you want to, for how long you want to, and in some cases, for as much money as you want to.

Try Your Hand At Affiliate Sales

Affiliate income means that you make a percentage of a sale of a product that you recommend. One way of making affiliate sales is to start a blog and include links to other people’s products.

But you don’t need a blog to make money as an affiliate. You can make affiliate sales using a business account on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram.

Amazon is my favorite affiliate program because most people are comfortable shopping on Amazon and you can find almost anything there.

But there are a ton of affiliate programs. You can find affiliate programs for almost any type of product or online marketplace. Some will require you to have a website but not all of them.

Check out Awin.com for access to a world of affiliate opportunities. Or simply look at the brands you use and really love then search their name plus ‘affiiate program’ to see if they have a way to apply.

Design Your Own T-shirts

Did you know there are a lot of ways you can design and sell t-shirts without any money out of your pocket? If you’re handy with design software like Photoshop or PicMonkey or Canva, simply get creative and upload your designs to a print on demand t-shirt service.

Merch by Amazon, Red Bubble, Zazzle, and CafePress all allow you to create products to sell. And the best part is, you don’t need any inventory or special equipment.

You do need to invest your time in designs that:

• Incoporate phases, slogans, and images that people relate to
• Do not infringe on copyright claims (check TESS copyright here)
• Are cute, clever, and/or unique

For best results, do some research before you start designing. Use a tool like Keywords Everywhere to find out how often terms are searched. Compare your design to what is out there – make sure yours is better!

In your listing, include words that people will be searching for so that your design shows up at the top of the list.

Here are some of the shirts I’ve designed for this blog.

Surveys And Secret Shoppers

Sometimes, you’re truly stuck without a job and finding a way to make money can seem impossible. But here’s some great news for you: some companies pay you money to use their services or take a survey.

Survey Junkie is a good one to start with because you can trust they are not going to scam you. It takes about 20 minutes to set up a brand new account, and you can start earning right away.

It’s not a bad way to make a little extra money while you’re watching TV or sitting home sick in bed.

Another easy way to get a paycheck is to become a secret shopper. Often, these companies will pay you to go to their store and make a purchase. In some cases, they also pay for your purchase!

Just make sure you work with a reputable company that pays actual money like Best Mark so you don’t get scammed.

That’s 5 Ways To Make Money Without A Job

And none of them require you to learn the business of blogging. Of course, that’s how I make most of my money and I really love doing it. If you want to get started with a blog, I highly recommend reading this first.

What side gigs have made you some extra cash?

Share your experience in the comments below!

The post 5 Ways To Make Money Without A Job (Or A Blog) appeared first on You Should Grow.

So I’ve put together this list of garden gifts where you will surely find something for everyone!

Best Gifts For Gardeners

The first thing to think about whey you’re gift shopping for a gardener is to consider what type of plants they like to grow. Is their home plastered with house plants? Do they have a soft spot for succulents?

Thinking about the type of gardening they do will help you narrow down the type of garden gift that will be the most well received.

Gardening Gift Ideas: Unique Garden Tools

The fact is that gardeners need tools, and the truth is that they probably need at least 2 of each. I don’t think I’m the only one that has lost a pair of pruners in the garden.

Plus, garden tools get old really fast, and we don’t always buy the best tools to begin with. So giving a garden tool is a great gift idea, but try to think beyond the spade and shovel.

Here are some less common (but incredibly useful) garden tools that make great gifts.

☛ The Hori Hori garden knife is quite handy for planting, digging, and cutting. It’s a great general gardening gift for anyone who likes to play in the dirt. Once they use their new Hori Hori, they’ll wonder how they ever got by without one.

☛ If your gardener is a houseplant or orchid enthusiast, skip the Hori Hori and opt for something with a more delicate touch. Choose these mini garden shears which make pruning flowers and smaller plants more precise.

☛ Got an avid veggie gardener or homesteader on your gift list? This planting tool is an absolute dream for anyone who’s growing lots and lots of plants. It makes planting a row of veggies go a heck of a lot faster.

Gift Ideas For Gardeners: Harvesting Accessories

Most gardeners will harvest parts of their plants at some point. Whether it’s picking fruits and veggies, cutting flowers for arrangements, or simply pruning up plants, we all need a way to gather and hold our collections.

☛ A garden hod is a perfect basket for everything from harvesting veggies and flowers to carrying tools. The large size and the mesh bottom make it an ideal carrying solution. We use ours all the time around the farm.

☛ For even better value and more functionality, check out the Mod Hod. It’s the garden hod’s hip younger brother. Lightweight and stackable features make this garden harvesting basket the perfect gift for someone who loves gardening.

☛ This smaller version of the Roo Apron (called the Joey) is incredibly handy for busy gardeners. Not only can they store harvests or trimmings, but the Joey also has pockets for holding garden tools.  If you have sewing skills, here’s a tutorial to sew your own gathering apron for a special homemade gift.

Garden Gift Ideas: Garden Decor

Most gardeners don’t think as much about the garden decor as they do tending to their plants. That’s exactly why garden decor is a great gift idea for gardeners. Maybe your gardener has a thing for her backyard chickens or maybe he’s into cooking, there are tons of ways you can add decorative items to personalize a garden.

☛ Garden markers can be as simple or as decorative as you want them to be. If you’re crafty, you could even make them yourself. There are so many types of garden markers to choose from, think outside of the box to make your gift really stand out.

☛ There are a ton of cute and clever garden signs out there! I found the most perfect sign for our greenhouse on Etsy. It makes me giggle every time I go to work in the greenhouse.

☛ Birdbaths and bug houses add a personal touch and encourage wildlife to visit a garden. Birds and bees are vital to the overall health of a garden, so I welcome them every way I can.

Gifts For Gardeners: Garden Apparel

Most gardeners just wear an old pair of jeans and tennies to play in the dirt, but there are some wardrobe pieces that your gardener needs and may not even realize it.

☛ Funny t-shirts fit gardeners like a glove. You might be surprised at the number of funny t-shirt designs you can find. Here are some of our favorites.

☛ On a more serious note, protect your favorite gardener from dangerous sun damage to their skin with UV protective clothing. Give them a nice convertible long sleeve shirt that can be worn alone or over another shirt. These shirts do wonders for keeping them cool in the summer, too. Here’s the same shirt for men.

☛ Along those same lines, UV hats make great gits. For women, this hat with a hole for her ponytail is perfect for busy gardeners, and my husband needs a new hat like this at least every year.

Gardening Gift Ideas: Learning Resources

☛ There is always more to learn about gardening and growing food. All of these books are excellent resources for gardeners who want to know how they can grow more and better care for their plants.

☛ Paper books are always a great gift, but there’s a lot to be said about the convenience of a digital gift. The Beginner Gardening Bundle includes a beginner seed starting book and garden planning spreadsheets plus a garden journal.

Need more ideas for garden gifts?

Gardening Gifts For Men

Gardening Gifts For Women

Gardening Gifts For Moms

What other gift ideas for gardeners do you have? Leave a comment below!

The post Gifts For Gardeners: Ideas For Everyone On Your List appeared first on You Should Grow.

These kitchen gifts are great for letting them enjoy their homegrown food, and they’ll appreciate how much easier it is to process produce with these tools.

They’ll love these gifts so much, they may even cook a meal for you!

Kitchen gifts for veggie gardeners

These kitchen gifts are great for anyone who cooks with real food. From chopping to preserving, these kitchen tools make cooking with fresh produce so much easier.

Glass mixing bowls

One of my favorite things to do when I’m cooking is chop food. It’s a weird thing to enjoy, maybe, but it’s also a necessity when cooking with fresh produce. Once chopped, those veggies need a place to chill before they’re ready for the pan.

These bowls are just the trick. This 3 piece set is great for holding chopped veggies and scraps for the compost pile.

Vitamix professional blender

Whether they’re making pea soup or green smoothies, the Vitamix blender is by far the best tool for the job. We’ve worked with these a lot in our restaurant, and I can tell you these things are crazy powerful.

That power comes at a pretty hefty price, but you can get a good deal with these certified refurbished units on Amazon.

If that’s out of your price range, a good alternative and often used tool in our house is the immersion blender. The immersion blender allows you to blend right in the bowl, and it’s great for smoothing out soup recipes and whisking up eggs.

Canning supplies

Canning supplies are always handy in a vegetable gardener’s kitchen. A super practical gift like mason jars can be used for preserving food, storing dry goods, or even holding pens.

Pair them with the Ball Book Of Canning, and a set of canning tools if they don’t have one yet.

Slow cooker

When I’m food prepping, I often make bagged meals ready to be tossed in the slow cooker. It’s such an easy way to fit cooking real food dinners into a busy schedule.

Slow cookers can also be used to make sauces and homemade broths. There are even some brilliant nonfood uses for slow cookers like these simmer pot recipes that make your house smell amazing!

Pressure cooker

I admit that I don’t have one of the supposedly amazing Instant Pots. But haven’t you heard? They’re supposedly amazing!

From making yogurt to steaming their precious veggies, Instant Pots can apparently make anything your veggie gardener wants to eat.

Vacuum sealer for food

A quick and easy way of preserving food, freezing blanched vegetables in vacuum-sealed bags is the best way to preserve their flavor. But vacuum sealing can also be used for marinating food and packing lunches.

Gifting your gardener a vacuum sealer can help them eat garden fresh veggies year-round.

Reusable food storage bags

One problem veggie gardeners run into is storing fresh produce. Reusable mesh bags help to keep produce fresh and organized in the fridge. ‘Nuff said.

Quality chef knives

You can easily spend hundreds of dollars on a gorgeous set of knives, but in our house, we go for the Victorinox knife every time. I love the way it feels and slices, plus it’s dishwasher safe unlike other knives.

A good mandoline

Food slicers are super handy for veggie gardeners, and especially with this kitchen tool, you get what you pay for. Spring for one of the professional designs with an extra wide deck and adjustable slicing depth.

Non-toxic ceramic nonstick fry pan

I bought this for my husband for Christmas last year because we wanted a nonstick alternative to our castiron skillet. After a lot of research, I settled on this pan.

Having used it for about a year now, we do not have a problem with food sticking at all. But we also cook with a lot of butter and I only hand wash our cooking pans. Those are the pros.

The con is the poorly designed removable handle. It’s supposed to be removable so you can stick your pan in the oven. While that’s a great idea, in reality, the connection is very loose, and it sometimes comes apart when it’s not supposed to. It’s not enough to bother me, but you will notice it.

Have you received a great kitchen gift?

Share your ideas in the comments!

The post 10 Best Kitchen Gifts For Vegetable Gardeners appeared first on You Should Grow.

As women, we don’t always ask for what we need. So it can be hard to buy the perfect gift for that special lady in your life. If she’s a gardener, though, she’s sure to like one of these unique and useful gift ideas.

Gardening Gift Ideas For Women

The first set of gifts on our list will be perfect for a gardener at any level. These affordable and thoughtful gift ideas will make her happy no matter the occasion. If you’re looking to splurge a little, check these ideas out first.

Hand and Nail Care Products

Gardeners should invest in healing hand creams. Fancy scented items are not usually on our shopping list. It’s one of those things we’d definitely use but are unlikely to buy for ourselves. Treat your lady friend to a set of high-end lotions that will help moisturize and protect her skin after a day of gardening.

I really like this sampler set from Crabtree and Evelyn who make some of the most luxurious lotions out there. It’s a small splurge your gardening gal is unlikely to get for herself but is greatly appreciated.

If she’s a nail person and you frequently hear her lamenting over her chipped manicure, get her this dip color starter kit from Kiara Sky. I know good gardeners don’t have pretty nails, but the dipping system for nails is literally revolutionary.

This manicure stays in place for weeks without chipping, and there are hundreds of color options. It’s easy to do at home and saves her the $30-70/month she was spending on going to the salon to have her nails done.

SPF Hoodie

Gardeners spend a lot of time in the sun, and it’s imperative that we protect our skin while we’re tending our plants. She’ll appreciate this SPF 50 hoodie that is thin enough to wear on even the hottest days of summer.

There are many other options for SPF clothing, but I like this hoodie because it’s easy to slip on over whatever she’s already wearing and the hoodie can be pulled up to protect the back of her head and neck when she’s leaning over her plants.

Plants and pots

Gardeners often say that they buy dozens of plants without the first idea of where to plant them. And I’d add to that that we also love containers…and for giving a woman a gift, look for something that really represents one of her favorite things.

If she’s an animal person, find a fun planter in the shape of her favorite species. I’ve seen everything from alpacas to sloths!

Animals aren’t her thing? Look for a unique and lovely planter in her favorite style. I love the look of these Moroccan themed planters.

Make this gift even more special by dropping in pots of her favorite in-season plants or flowers. If you like, you don’t even have to plant them. Just set them inside the pots, and it’s sure to make her smile.

Gift ideas for beginner and experienced gardeners

For those who are just starting out, these gift ideas will help them get going on their gardening journey. A lot of learning gardening is trial and error, and these thoughtful gifts will support her success as she’s getting started with a new hobby.

Gardening kits

A simple all in one solution for getting started with gardening, garden kits include everything you need to be successful with your first garden. There are dozens of kits out there from indoor herb gardens to growing your own mushrooms.

Our choice for beginners: Herbs In The Burbs garden kit by Garden Republic

This all in one herb garden kit will have her growing her own kitchen herbs in no time! Herbs are easy to grow plants, and this kit includes everything she needs for success. But if cooking is not her thing, also check out their succulent kit.

Our choice for experienced gardeners: Aerogarden Harvest Elite

Technically, you don’t need to be experienced to grow with an Aerogarden. The process is super simple with the included seed pods, but while I love growing in the Aerogarden it does need a lot of maintenance.

Plants grow super quickly, and she’ll need to be paying close attention to harvesting her herbs!

Easy watering solutions

Beginners and experienced gardeners will love getting an Olla as a gift. This ancient method of watering involves burying a terracotta vessel in the soil near your plants. Once filled with water, it slowly seeps out through the unsealed terracotta into the soil around it.

Our pick for beginners: Terracotta watering spikes

A cute watering solution for container gardens is these adorable flower terra cotta waterers. Shaped like a tulip, they add a little decorative touch to your potted plants while providing a slow and steady watering solution.

Our pick for experienced gardeners: Growoya

This is a traditional olla that will provide slow and steady watering to a 4 square foot area. Perfect for a veggie flower garden, she’ll love how much time using this olla will save her.

Gardening books

When I was first getting started in the garden, I relied heavily on my favorite garden books. Sure there’s tons of free info on the internet, but sometimes you need a good old fashioned ink and paper book.

The first book I ever used was an Encyclopedia of plants and flowers. This helped me to be able to identify different types of plants and the environments they’re most likely to thrive in.

Our choice for beginners: Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers

Our choice for experienced gardeners: The Year-Round Vegetable Gardener

Challenge her to grow her food year-round with this classic by Nikki Jabour. With the tips and encouragement in this book, she’s sure to find something new to try in her garden.

Splurge on these gardening gifts for women

Women usually hold back when it comes to spending big money on their hobbies. If you have the budget for it, these gift ideas may be a bit of a splurge, but she’s sure to swoon!

Elevated self-watering planters

These cedar planters will fit in with any style, and the fact that they’re elevated and the self-watering feature makes them a gardener’s dream. Whether she wants to plant a food garden or grow her favorite flowers, she’ll love the ease and beauty of these planters.

If she has the space for it, a set of these would be perfect on the patio or front porch!

Potting bench with shelves

Potting benches make seed starting and potting plants so much easier. Choose a smart design with upper shelves, a dry sink, and storage space underneath.

A lot of potting benches are small and flimsy in my experience. But this one from Gardener’s Supply has everything a home gardener could need. The upper shelves offer plenty of space for holding garden tools, plant markers, and small pots.

The top of the table slides open to convert the tabletop into a dry sink and side shelves. Brilliant! This potting bench is a definite splurge and will set you back a few Benjamins, but isn’t she worth it?

What garden gift has your special lady loved?

If you’ve purchased one of these gifts and loved it let us know. Please share your experience in the comments below!

The post 12 Best Gardening Gift Ideas For Women appeared first on You Should Grow.

That got me diving into inspiration on Pinterest looking for ways to use baskets and crates in fall decorating. Turns out, it’s kind of a thing! So in this post, I’m sharing the best ideas I found.

If you don’t want to use your harvest baskets, head out to some vintage or thrift stores. When you are shopping, keep an eye out for unique baskets. Don’t be afraid to get creative and use things you wouldn’t usually think of, too.

Take a look at these helpful tips and ideas, and you will be well on your way to fall decorating indoors and outdoors with fall-appropriate baskets.

Fall Basket Decor For Your Porch

When someone comes to your home, the front porch is usually the first thing they see. Why not make it inviting and welcome them into your home with these ideas?

1. Find a basket with a flat back and fill it with fall-colored faux flowers and pumpkins. Then hang it on your front door with a hook or hanger. It makes a lovely fall wreath that isn’t your traditional style. It’s super inviting too.

2. Use a small basket, and arrange flowers in it. Place it on your porch for a pleasant and unusual decor piece. You could even add in a little scarecrow on a stick too, for extra fall flair.

3. Put a basket with a handle on your porch or near your front entrance. Fill it with some colorful fall plants and flowers. It’s so pretty and a great way to use live plants.

4. If you have flower beds, place a couple of large baskets filled with fall flowers or mums in the bed. It will look gorgeous, and we all know that mums are the perfect flower for fall.

5. Make pumpkins from your crates. You can paint several different sized wooden crates orange. Then stand them on their end and add a cut piece of tree limb or wood to make the stem of the pumpkin. Glue it down with wood glue and add some taffeta bows. So simple, but has a huge impact. This is a great craft to do with kids, too.

6. Another idea for using a crate outside for fall decor is putting it on its end and standing it up. Fill it will pumpkins, small hay bales or mums. Basically, use it as a table to show off all your decorations. It will be so pretty!

7. Fill a basket or crate with fall items like pinecones, then add in some small white or yellow lights. It’s inviting and gives you a little bit of a warm and cozy feeling.

8. Use an upside-down basket as a side table. Set a couple of chairs on either side of it and then add a pumpkin or two! This looks especially great with a wooden basket or one that is galvanized.

9. When decorating for fall outdoors, use items that are from nature. Magnolia leaves make lovely wreath centerpieces. Pinecones, eucalyptus, kumquats, evergreen branches, and fall flowers all look fantastic.

Gorgeous Baskets & Crates You Can’t Live Without

Each of these crates and baskets are so beautiful it’s impossible to pass them up! Take a look at these and get inspired to jump-start your fall decorating today.

Farmhouse Style Wooden Basket (get it here)

You can use this for indoor or outdoor decorating. It has a whitewashed finish and comes in a pack of 3 which makes it easy to add a festive touch around your home. Fall decorating never looked so good.

Metal Round Baskets (get them here)

These would look fantastic with a few pumpkins or gourds in them. They will look lovely in your home or even your office. The only downfall is all your friends are going to be jealous of how cute they are.

Rustic Crates (get some here)

Nothing screams fall more than these rustic wooden crates with chicken wire sides. I can’t get over how fabulous they look. Use them as an accent or even for your centerpiece.

Wooden Crates (available here)

The fronts of these wooden crates are chalkboards! Imagine how much fun you can have with that. You could put words like, “harvest,” “fall,” or “welcome” on the chalkboards too.

Bushel Basket (get one here)

Fill one of these baskets with flowers, pumpkins, or other fall decorating ideas. It would look amazing on your porch, or you could even place it beside your mantle. The options are truly endless.

Decorating Baskets For Fall

The options are seriously endless when it comes to fall decorating with baskets and crates. You could actually decorate many rooms in your home, and each one can have a completely different look. Check out these awesome ideas.

Lighted Fall Pumpkin Basket | Clean & Scentsible

This is such an easy project and it gives a HUGE impact. Use it as a centerpiece, on your mantle, or even just in a corner on the floor. You can even add one outdoors too. The options are endless, and you will be impressed by how little you need to do to replicate this idea.

Fall Basket Wreath DIY | Clean & Scentsible

Make a fall basket wreath for your wall indoors or even your door. No matter where you hang it, those fall colors will give life to your space, and you can’t help but feel warm and cozy when you look at it.

Wire Basket & Bundt Pan Pumpkins | Bless’er House

Who would have guessed you could make such a breathtaking centerpiece with some wire baskets and a bundt pan! You really need to look at this idea.

Fall Harvest Basket Centerpiece | Opulent Cottage

Here is a delightful option if you want to decorate a centerpiece with a basket. I love this look and all your guests will too. No one will ever guess how simple it was to make, either.

Thanksgiving Table Centerpiece | The Idea Room

While the original intention for this project was to use this wooden crate centerpiece for Thanksgiving, you could actually use it for any time when you are fall decorating. This project uses fantastic colors and the style is incredible.

Basket Pumpkins | Dwelling In Happiness

Dust off your collection of baskets and transform them into pumpkins! You will just need some tree branches, baskets, paint, green wire, cardstock, and some basic supplies. It’s easy and looks fabulous.

Olive Basket Hack | Refresh Restyle

All you need is some plastic baskets, some paint, and faux flowers to add as decoration. You won’t believe how gorgeous this project looks when it is finished. Who would think you could make something so delightful with minimal supplies?

Baskets Of Bounty | Martha Stewart

Martha got it right when she called this baskets of bounty! The purple colors are vibrant and gorgeous for fall. All you need is a basket and a few inexpensive supplies, and you can easily replicate this lovely look.

Decorate Fall Mantle With Wooden Crate | The Frugal Homemaker

Decorating your mantle isn’t just fun for Christmas—it’s also a blast for fall too. Add in a wooden crate, and you will have an extraordinary focal point in your room.

How will you use baskets and crates in your fall decor?

I hope you have been inspired to use baskets and crates for fall decorating now! No matter how you decorate, I am sure it will be gorgeous.

The post 18 Easy Fall Basket and Crate Decorating Ideas appeared first on You Should Grow.

This post is written by Kyle Erickson of Food Fitness Family

Fermented veggies have been around since time immemorial. It was a great way to preserve your harvest during the pre-fridge dark ages. (I actually wish I lived a lot more like the Amish, TBH – technology seems like more of a bane than boon anymore!)

And there’s more reason behind the tradition of fermenting food than just preserving it. They ate it because there are significant health benefits too!

But since things are so messed up with our food system and environmental toxins are everywhere, it’s more important than ever to get these tasty soured goodies into your diet on the regular. That said, because things are so messed up, some people may need to approach eating lacto-fermented vegetables with caution.

I’ll start with the main CONS. Then the PROS. And then a couple of bonus tidbits of useful info to wrap up. Ready?

The Cons of Lacto-Fermented Vegetables

#1 – They’re High In Histamines – Histamine Intolerance

As I mentioned in the opening, because of a jacked-up food system and environmental toxins, there are loads of conditions and intolerances that have cropped up over the recent years. One of them is histamine intolerance. Essentially people have been dealing with this for a while in the form of seasonal allergies.

What makes histamine intolerance different is getting seasonal allergy symptoms when it’s not allergy season. In other words, your body cannot metabolize histamine from food very well. That or you have bad gut bacteria that are producing histamine in excess. Either way, it’s not getting cleared.

Lacto-fermented veggies are high in histamine BUT there’s a potential solution. You can use these soil based probiotics as a starter culture for your ferment that don’t produce histamine during fermentation. In fact, anecdotal evidence suggests that these same bacteria may even metabolize histamines reducing your symptoms from histamine intolerance! For more info, Kiran Krishnan, a microbiologist specializing gut health, gives additional detail in this interview at 59:27.

#2 – Potential To Have A Batch Go Bad

Another downside to lacto-fermented veggies is that if you’re making your own, batches CAN go bad. I will say that in all the years I’ve been doing it myself, I’ve never had this happen. But I’ve read about lots of folks who have. Eating bad ferments can make you pretty sick so always ensure you’re careful about cleanliness before starting.

I use raw organic apple cider vinegar to clean everything before I put my veggies into my crock. I use an open air crock which is considered a little “riskier” than using water sealed anaerobic crocks. It’s totally up to you what you use. Just make sure you clean all your preparation tools, surfaces, crock weights and crocks/jars really well.

Last note here, use your nose. A good batch will have that nice sour aroma that almost has a sweetness to it. If your nose is telling you that something is even a little bit off, don’t risk it. Have someone else smell it and when it doubt, throw it out.

#3 – Making Your Own Takes Planning & Time

I’ll admit, I’m not the biggest fan of making sauerkraut at home. It takes me about an hour and a half to make a batch. Granted, I make huge batches because we barter some of our sauerkraut for 3 dozen pastured eggs a week from our friend’s farm. But it’s still a pain.

Then after chopping and mashing forever, it still takes 3 weeks to ferment. That seems to be the sweet spot for our sour-ness preference. All that said, we usually run out before the next batch is done if I don’t plan accordingly.

It takes diligence that I don’t always have the bandwidth for. (Working full time, being married, having twin 6 year old boys and a newborn and trying to build a business.)

It’s definitely worth the financial savings. And it’s WAY better than anything I can buy in the store in terms of taste!

That’s it for the cons! There aren’t many, that’s for sure. Now lets take a look at the pros…

The Top 3 Pros Of Lacto-Fermented Vegetables

#1 – Detoxification

This benefit comes twofold.

First, the process of fermentation detoxifies plant foods of anti-nutrients and toxins. Plant foods contain stuff like phytic acid, lectins, and oxalates that are mostly, if not completely, mitigated by fermentation.

Second, the bacteria in fermented veggies helps our bodies detox as well. Probably THE most important thing is that a strain of bacteria commonly found in fermented foods metabolizes Glyphosate. Yeah, the stuff in Roundup.

I would argue that Glyphosate is the “smoking” of our generation but that conversation is for another time! But suffice to say, fermented food is one of the few things on the short list of stuff that can fully detox Glyphosate out of your body. ‘Nuff said.

#2 – Nutritional Enhancement & Bioavailability

Lacto-fermented veggies get a nutritional boost compared to their raw counterparts. Cabbage contains 30mg of vitamin C per cup – not bad. Well, I guess it is bad compared to the 700mg of vitamin C found in fermented red cabbage!

Fermentation even ADDS nutrients that aren’t found in their raw forms. Sticking with the sauerkraut example, fermentation creates vitamin K2 which is non-existent in raw cabbage. Pretty cool stuff!

Bioavailability is a fancy word for “what nutrients your body actually absorbs.” Lacto-fermented veggies are much easier to digest and the nutrients in them are much easier for your body to use. They also make any other food you eat with them easier to digest and absorb!

I’m sure you’ve heard the saying, “You are what you eat.” Well, you’re not so much what you eat as you are what you can actually absorb. Another win for fermented food!

#3 – Improves Gut Health

By now I think most people have caught on to the fact that our gut health plays a critical role in our overall health. Lacto-fermented veggies improve gut health in a variety of ways. Here are a couple to consider:

1. Contributes Probiotics – these are beneficial bacteria and yeast that grow when fermenting your veggies. They can help manage IBS symptoms, upregulate your immune system, improve your mood, reduce inflammation and discourage the overgrowth of “bad” bacteria in your gut. They also create a more acidic environment in your gut which is the environment that the “good” bacteria thrive in.
2. Includes Prebiotics – aka soluble fiber is the “food” for the beneficial bacteria and yeasts in our gut. The wider the variety of plant foods you experiment with in your ferments the better. This is because the diversity of plant foods in our diet increases the diversity of healthy gut microbes. This creates a more resilient immune system and more robust health overall.

So there you have it – the PROS and CONS of lacto-fermented veggies. In my not-so-humble-opinion, the pros FAR outweigh the cons.

If you want to learn more about the benefits of fermented foods and would like a step-by-step tutorial on how to make an absolutely delicious Eastern European Sauerkraut, check out my comprehensive article here.

More Useful Info About Fermented Vegetables

Some under the radar fermented veggies to try: condiments!

Healthy store-bought condiments are hard to come by. At best, most contain concentrated sweeteners and at worst, food dyes and unpronounceable corn or soy-based ingredients.

One great way to get delicious condiments that have all the benefits I just went over in the last section is to make your own at home! Typically when people think of lacto-fermented veggies they only think about sauerkraut, pickles, and kimchi.

Here are a few condiments to try making using lacto-fermentation that will taste (and be way healthier) than any of their storebought counterparts:

• Ketchup
• Salsa
• Relish
• Chutney
• Hot Sauce

The “Gastric Cancer” Study Debunked

The last thing I want to address is the “go to” study you’ll find whenever anyone talks about fermented foods and their potential downsides. The “Gastric Cancer” study published in the January 2011 “Cancer Science”. Here’s why it’s bogus:

1. It’s specifically referring to soy foods
2. It’s a meta-analysis but it’s a meta-analysis of observational studies which doesn’t mean much when you factor in #3
3. The methods used in the study do not account for lifestyle factors such as smoking, exercise, etc.

Even within randomized, controlled trials, you have to be careful with study data. It’s definitely worth learning how studies work and are conducted especially in the internet info age. But hopefully you get my point here…lacto-fermented veggies are REALLY GOOD for you!

What You’ve Learned So Far

I’ve covered quite a bit – let’s recap!

1. The CONS of lacto-fermented veggies are:
   • They’re high in histamines so could be a problem for histamine intolerant (and a possible solution in using spore-based probiotics as a starter to make your own!)
   • There’s always the potential to have a batch go bad – you can possibly get sick if eating bad batch – use your nose! When in doubt, throw it out.
   • Making your own takes planning and time.
2. The PROS are:
   • Detoxification – this is two-fold – it detoxes the plant foods themselves and also help you detox stuff out of your body (most notably Glyphosate).
   • Nutritional enhancement & Bioavailability – increased nutrients, added nutrients, and absorbable nutrients.
   • Gut health – probiotics & prebiotics.
3. Try making your own lacto-fermented condiments with your veggies: ketchup, salsa, relish, chutney & hot sauce.
4. The “Gastric Cancer” Study debunked.

What kind of lacto-fermented vegetables are you going to try out?

What are your biggest takeaways? Did I miss anything?

Share your tips and favorite lacto-fermented veggies in a comment below!

And again, if you want to learn more about fermented foods and want to give my delicious Eastern European Kraut recipe a try, click here.

|Guest author Kyle Erickson of Food Fitness Family – a traditional foods, nutrition and health coaching website based out of Snoqualmie, WA | foodfitnessfamily.com |

The post Lacto Fermented Vegetables: Should You Eat Them? appeared first on You Should Grow.

I used to feel the same way. But once I’d gone through the process a couple of times, I realized it wasn’t that big of a deal.

Remember this:

When you’re just starting to can at home, you don’t have to try to fill your whole pantry. It’s okay to work in small batches until you get more comfortable canning and find a few favorite recipes.

How Canning Works

Don’t be intimidated by the canning process. In the simplest recipes, it’s really just a matter of boiling your jars in water bath canner to heat the internal contents and destroy any harmful bacteria.

Once out of the boiling water, the lids on your jars create a vacuum seal as they cool and can be stored in a cool dark place for months or years.

Canning at home: basic supplies

Canning fresh produce is a very cost-effective way to preserve your harvest and stock up on a your favorite seasonal items for use year-round. To get started, you just need a few, inexpensive canning supplies. 

So which canning supplies are the most essential and which ones are optional?

Tired of canning and want more options for preserving? Read 4 Ways To Preserve Tomatoes

Supplies required for canning at home

Canning is a great way to enjoy healthy, nutritious foods throughout the year. It allows you to preserve everything your garden has to offer throughout the year and take advantage of produce you find at the farmers market.

Water Bath Canner

Aside from canning jars, the main piece of equipment you’ll need is a water bath canner. While you can use any large stockpot to boil your jars of homegrown goodness, a water bath canner is often more convenient and can fit more jars.

If you’re in the market for a water bath canner, consider the Granite Ware Water Bath Canner. This large pot has a jar rack that your canning jars will sit on for easy insertion and removal of your filled canning jars.

The 21.5 quart pot is a great size for canning and holds 7 one-quart jars, 9 one-pint jars or 13 half-pint jars. The stepped design of this canner produces more even heat and allows more boiling water to contact the top half of the jars.

This canner is designed to work on both gas and electric burners, but the manufacturer suggests against using it on glass top stoves.

Why you need a water bath canner

Two reasons: size and the jar rack.

The large size means you can can as much as possible at a time. And the jar rack can be lifted and rest along the edges of the pot for easy placement of your jars.

It remains in place during canning to prevent the glass jars from touching the bottom of the pot. Why is this important?

Because having the glass in direct contact with the bottom of the pot may cause your jars to bust open! Let me tell you that is not something you want to clean up. For that reason alone it is well worth investing in a proper water bath canner.

When the water bath process is completed, you can lift the rack with the cans out of the water for easier removal. The jar rack gives you more control over the heat and jars, resulting in better overall canning results.

Canning Recipe Books

The All New Ball Complete Book Of Home Canning comes highly recommended by all home canning experts.

Everyone knows that Ball is one of the biggest names in the canning world. When they publish a book on canning, it’s something worth paying attention to, and the newest edition of this canning reference does not disappoint.

Yes, there are a lot of free resources about canning available online, but there’s just something about having a big book sitting on your kitchen counter that you can reference throughout the canning process. It’s also nice to have and leaf through for inspiration when you’re facing a big batch of produce that needs to be put up.

As expected from a book like this, it has a lot of recipes for a large variety of canned products you can make right at home in your kitchen. What makes this book such an invaluable resource though is all the extra information packed into these pages. 

You’ll find detailed information on the basics of canning and each step of the food preservation process.

Safety is crucial when you’re preserving food that you and your family will eat months from now. This book has a lot of information about foodborne illnesses and how to prevent them.

You have to make sure you kill bad bacteria when you can your own food and, to make that happen, you should follow the time tested processes that this book will teach you.

This is a book on canning that you will come back to again and again for canning advice, to review the handy guide on produce weight vs. volume, and of course, to try some of the amazing recipes included.

I highly recommend you add this to your library of cooking and homemaking books.

More canning books in my library:

Put ’em up

Canning For A New Generation

Canning Tools Kit

If you’re new to canning, the idea of handling hot jars submerged in boiling water can be pretty terrifying. Grabbing hot, wet, slippery canning jars with your kitchen tongs and wrestling them out of the pot and onto a folded towel on the counter does sound a bit dangerous.

Fortunately, there are tools that are made just for this purpose. Enter the HIC 5-Piece Canning Set.

Make sure you have a canning kit that includes jar tongs in your canning supplies. These special little tongs wrap around the jar, making it easy and safe to handle even the hottest canning jars.

You also get a set of kitchen tongs for lifting canning lids out of the pot when boiling them to sterilize and handling hot food that needs to get into the jars and a magnetic lid lifter for pulling the can lids out safely.

Another essential for your canning supplies, the included funnel makes it easy to pour liquids into jars without the risk of spilling it all over the jar and the counter. The funnel is nice and wide, making it easy to pour chunky things without making a big mess.

When you’re canning, you need to tighten lids after you get the hot jars from the water bath. The included jar wrench is much safer and easier to use than grabbing some kitchen towels to tighten the lids. 

Canning Jars

Who doesn’t love mason jars? They are, of course, great for their intended purpose, but there are many other uses for these essential canning supplies.

Use ball mason jars as drinking glasses, flower vases, storing leftover food, carrying lunch to work, and more. Older jars that are past their canning prime can be turned into all sorts of arts and crafts around the house.

Ball is the most popular brand when it comes to canning and mason jars. In addition to canning, they are a great storage solution for the freezer as well.

With more and more health concerns popping up about plastic storage containers and the risk of contamination into the foods we eat, some homesteaders feel safer using glass instead. Ball jars have yet to break on me in the freezer or in the canner, which is important in my book.

It’s important to note that once you freeze a jar you should no longer use it for canning.

When you start to make things like freezer jam, or use jars as freezer containers, keeping good track of what can go in the freezer and what’s used only for canning is important.

Home Canning Beginner Tip:

Before you start to can anything, think about the serving sizes you end up using for any particular food. 

For example, if you use only half a jar of spaghetti sauce at a time, and then struggle to use it all up before it goes bad, pick a smaller jar when you make and can your own. 

The same goes for jelly. If you’re not a big jelly or jam eater, make small batches and can them in little half-pint jars. This allows you to still make a variety of different fruit preserves and more importantly it makes sure that jelly stays tasty to the last bite.

Ball mason jars come in a huge variety of sizes as well as regular and wide mouth jars. You can order them straight from Amazon and have them delivered to your front door.

With free Prime shipping, this is one of the most cost-effective ways to get them. 

Optional Home Canning Supplies

Automatic Jam and Jelly Maker

If you love your bread maker and rice cooker, you’re going to love the Ball automatic jam and jelly maker. It’s one of those nifty little appliances that can save you a lot of time and effort.

This fancy-do-dah electric appliance heats, stirs, and cooks a batch of homemade jelly or jam on autopilot.  You add the ingredients, turn it on and come back to yummy jam, ready to pour into canning jars.

From there, you can process the jars in a hot water canner, freeze the finished fruit preserves, or just start eating it.

This will come in very handy for anyone that loves making homemade jelly but has a hard time standing at the stove stirring posts for long periods of time. 

Other ways to use the jelly maker

While this is marketed as a jam and jelly maker, it is actually a lot more versatile than that. Essentially, it’s an electric cooker with built-in stirring paddles.

When you look at it that way, it opens up all sorts of cooking possibilities. Use it to make spaghetti sauce, small batches of soup, or any type of sauce that involves a lot of cooking and stirring. Now it’s a much more versatile and usable small kitchen appliance.

The Ball Automatic Jam and Jelly Maker is a small appliance that won’t take up any more room than your slow cooker on the kitchen counter. It’s also pretty light-weight, making it easy to move it from the cabinet to the counter and back. 

No matter how busy you are, you can turn on this jelly maker and have it take care of the cooking and stirring for you leaving no excuse not to have fresh homemade jam on the breakfast table.

Do you need a pressure canner?

Some foods, like low acid vegetables and meats, are not safely canned in a water bath canner. In those instances, you need a pressure canner.

A pressure canner effectively raises the temperature of the canned contents to 240 degrees Fahrenheit which is high enough to kill the organism that causes botulism. Water bath canning, on the other hand, only raises the temperature to 212 degrees Fahrenheit.

This is fine for acidic foods and jellies because the Clostridium bacteria cannot survive in a low pH environment. But if you want to can your veggies without pickling them, you need to use a pressure canner.

Instead of being submerged in boiling water, a pressure canner uses steam to push all the air out of your canned food and fill the space with boiling water and steam at much higher temps than can be achieved with a water bath canner. Since there is no air in the jar, the heat is distributed evenly to all parts of the jar.

Presto Pressure Canner and Cooker

Pressure canners come in many sizes and price ranges. The Presto Pressure Canner and Cooker is a great choice because it is affordable, has a large capacity, safe and sturdy locking lid, and easy to read pressure gauge.

This pressure canner also has nice safety features like plastic handles so that you won’t burn yourself when the canner is hot and a pressure regulator that releases excess built up steam. You can also use this canner for water bath canning and pressure cooking.

The Presto pressure canner and cooker comes with a canning rack, instruction manual, and recipe book.

Now that you have all the essential canning supplies, what will you can first?

 Here’s a quick rundown of the whole canning process in an infographic. PIN IT!

The post Canning At Home – Tips For True Beginners appeared first on You Should Grow.