Читать книгу Canning Essentials - Jackie Callahan Parente - Страница 17

If you’re going to get into preserving, you’ll need to learn which vegetables and fruits respond better to which preservation styles. For example, blueberries freeze very well and make delicious jams, syrups, or pies. At the other end of the berry spectrum are those fragile, voluptuous red raspberries. They are decadent when freshly picked and make exceptional jams, sauces, and flavored vinegar, but they turn to red mush when frozen. As you explore the different preservation methods and recipes in the chapters that follow, you’ll learn what works and what doesn’t. If you’re a novice, start simple and build your technical skills.

Meats, seafood, and meat/vegetable-based sauces are all candidates for home preservation using various methods. The quickest, easiest, and safest one is freezing, but canning can offer a flexible and convenient alternative. If your family enjoys meats, contact a local farm and get a fresh side or quarter of beef (preferably grass fed), pork, or some free-range chickens. While you can preserve meat that you get from your local butcher or grocer, buying a local side of beef is generally less expensive and the meat is fresher.

Don’t have a garden of your own to harvest? Look for local farms where you can pay a small price and pick as much fruit or as many veggies as you need for your home preservation project.