How to Preserve Your Own Healthy Food
GeneralSustainable Farming

How to Preserve Your Own Healthy Food

Enjoying your own healthy produce right from your own backyard doesn’t have to end when the growing season is over!

With canning, you can make your homegrown produce last long after summer has gone and the cold weather has set in.

In fact, when using proper preservation methods, your food can last up to the entire year, giving you access to delicious, homegrown food as you wait for the next harvest season.

Imagine this: pulling out your own veggies to throw into a soup, spreading onto your toast a sweet homemade jam, and topping your burgers with pickles from last year’s harvest. By preserving your homegrown food, you can bring this vision to life!

By canning and preserving your garden bounty, you ensure that no food goes to waste and you save money from needing to purchase these items from the grocery store. Preserving your own food is eco-friendly, as it keeps you from relying on food that has been shipped thousands of miles to your local grocer.

Below, I want to share with you two of my favorite preserved food recipes.

Mama’s Candy Pickles & Pickled Okra Recipes

Here are two recipes from my family: Mama’s Candy Pickles (they are delicious, y’all!) and a Pickled Okra recipe from my Aunt Nelda. These are two of my favorite recipes to make!

MAMA’S CANDY PICKLES

Ingredients:

  • 7 lbs of cucumbers
  • 3 cups lime juice
  • 1 gallon water
  • 2 quarts (8 cups) vinegar
  • 5 lbs sugar
  • 1 tbsp salt
  • 1 tbsp mixed spices
  • 1 tsp whole cloves

Instructions:

  • Slice 7 lbs of cucumbers.
  • Mix 3 cups lime to a gallon of water.
  • Let stand 24 hours, then drain and wash well.
  • Then cover mixture with 2 (8 cups) vinegar, 5 lbs sugar, 1 tablespoon salt, 1 tablespoon mixed spices, and 1 teaspoon whole cloves.
  • Let stand 24 hours.
  • Heat mixture and can.

PICKLED OKRA FROM AUNT NELDA

Ingredients:

  • 7 cloves garlic
  • 7 teaspoons dill seed
  • ½ cup canning salt
  • 7 hot peppers
  • 7 pint-sized jars & lids
  • 1 cup water
  • Okra

Instructions:

Check out my video below to see a step-by-step guide to pickled okra. If you enjoy this video, you can subscribe to the Stoney Creek Farm Youtube Channel, where we share hands-on instructional videos on a variety of sustainable living topics.

Learn how to pickle Okra with my recipe from Aunt Nelda!