With the Obamas’ Kitchen Garden in Washington D.C and Recession Gardens being grown in all 50 states of America and overseas, the decision of how to store any produce is an important decision.
photo credit: Tavallai

There are several methods of preserving food, which include drying, freezing and canning.

Home canning will be covered in this article.

Home canning used to be a yearly event in most homes. But with changes in our society many people have limited knowledge or no knowledge at all of how to safely can food. Canning is work but it can also be fun and done as a family event.

It is rewarding seeing the produce from your garden properly stored for use later in the winter and spring and canning your extra produce will help stretch the income available in your home.

The you tubes below will give you an idea of the steps in home canning. Both water bath and pressure canning methods are covered in the you tubes.

Home Canning Basics – Part One

Home Canning Basics Part Two – Types of Canners

Home Canning Basics Part Three Easy – Steps to Home Canning

Types of canning methods

Home Canning Basics – Part Four – Water-bath-method

Home Canning Basics – Pressure Canning Part One

Home Canning Basics – Pressure Canning Part Two

Any additional questions about home canning can be answered through your local home extension office. Many extension agencies give away free information and pamphlets to help you safely preserve your food.

Ball canning products also gives away free information and money saving coupons. Canning recipes can also be found online. 
photo credit: PaulEisenberg

And if you have additional food in your garden you will not be using, trade with you neighbors or donate the extra to your local food pantry.

There are many people that would benefit from your help and generosity.

Technorati Tags: home canning, how to store garden produce, recession gardening

With continuing economic uncertainty foreign holidays are becoming more of a luxury than ever and families are looking for other ways to enjoy their summer.
photo credit: chrisdlugosz

Adding a conservatory to your home, in the long run, can save you money, increase the value of your property and provide you with a place to relax and enjoy the summer from your own home.

The positive personal impact of gardening cannot be overstated. From the sheer beauty of the plants, to the tranquility and sense of accomplishment growing plants can bring, a conservatory can make a huge contribution to the quality of life enjoyed by its owners.

Some people love the idea of having fresh flowers or lovely plants available but are stymied by the costs or the difficulty of keeping plants alive in a harsh environment.

The conservatory allows these people to indulge in a luxury at a fraction of the cost involved in purchasing plants from a retail outlet. Since the conservatory is a controlled environment, it is also possible to have a flourishing garden of plants that would simply die if left to the whims of Mother Nature.

The conservatory allows year round growing of healthy vegetables for far less than purchasing them. In addition to cutting the cost of living, the wise conservatory owner has complete control over the plants and the chemicals associated with those plants.
photo credit: pirate_renee

Conservatories are a multiple use addition. It is very simple to add passive solar heating or electricity production to a conservatory. The wise home owner who takes advantage of this possibility can simultaneously reduce his or her costs and reduce the environmental impact he or she causes simply by living life.

Conservatories are often viewed as a luxury that, especially in the current economic climate, many think they cannot afford. However, the addition of a conservatory to your home may prove to be a wise economic decision. There is potential for long term money opportunities that would not otherwise be available without a conservatory.

Today we depend upon large supermarket chains to provide our food. However, with the future sustainability of the planet in question we can save money and increase sustainability by begging to grow our own produce. Conservatories are a great help to begin saving money and growing our own food.

As well as offering an escape from a noisy household, providing sheltered enjoyment of your garden area and adding further space to your property a conservatory can help save money and increase the quality of life you enjoy in your home.

Technorati Tags: conservatories, conservatory, gardening, greenhouse, indoor gardening

The longest day of summer, summer solstice, has also been referred to as “midsummer’s day.” This is the period in the summer where daylight is the longest during the year and the duration of night, the shortest.
photo credit: gmoorenator

The sun-worshiping ancients built Stonehenge to accurately identify this time. The celebration at Stonehenge has been documented in history and held great significance to the participants.

Plants harvested on this day (mainly herbs) were believed to be imbued with special powers and healers of this time believed that herbs cut on this date would be more potent and help to heal the ill.

While gardening you may notice that the plants constantly change in color and strength during the season. If you notice this year even though the season is young for many there will be a subtle change in plants after solstice.

Before solstice, garden plants put their energy into growing roots and shoots and leaves. After the solstice, you’ll see a small change in the vegetables. The plants will shift their efforts to reproductive growth and set about developing flowers and fruit. The additional vegetative growth that was so apparent before will drop off.

For those who follow the solstice or plant and harvest by moon, these gardeners  plan for solstice and start their plants indoors not just to get a head start, but so they’ll be as large as possible by the solstice. These gardeners feel that the plants will peak on this day and want the plant to be as mature as possible.

Harvesting Herbs

Throughout history herbs have been known for their healing quality. Their prime harvesting is when the vegetative growth is most leafy.

The ancients harvested the leaves because they held the essential oils, which carry the scent and medicinal qualities. Many herbs also hold their highest oil content at this time. The heat of the summer causes the herbs oil to evaporate out of the leaves.

A cool, still midsummer morning is the traditional time to harvest herbs for drying and storage.

Herbalists try to cut the herbs all at once before the rising sun hits the leaves, to retain as much of the oil in the leaves as possible. The sun and wind can also cause oils to evaporate out of freshly cut herbs.

For this reason, you want to cut herbs and get them into the shade before sunrise. It’s better to cut some of the herbs and move them indoors, then go back out and cut more. You don’t want the herbs to wilt in the sun while you are harvesting more herbs.

It is best to cut most herbs with long stems. This makes hanging the herbs in bundles, upside down easier. You will also have a benefit of the plants being stimulated into growing more vegetation with a low, rather severe cutting.
photo credit: TheatricAL 03

You can hang herb bundles in your kitchen, which will scent the air as they dry, if they do not receive any direct sun through the window. I dry my herbs in the barn, which is dark, cool, and dry. It also has excellent air circulation, which is very important for the herbs to dry evenly.

Herbs that do not have strong stalks will dry better on an old window screen. Oregano and clover are two examples. Space herbs on the screen so there is little to no overlap. They will dry faster and will not develop a mold problem from not having adequate air.

By watching your plants in the garden you will notice the effects of the seasons on their growth and this will also help you notice any plant disease or growing problems.

Technorati Tags: herb gardening, herbs, summer solstice and herbs