Spring is my favorite time of year on the homestead! Our radishes, peas, lettuces, and beets are already growing like crazy in my little kitchen garden on the back porch. The fun will really begin when I start planting in the big garden this week. This year’s garden will be our largest ever. As the gardening season kicks in, it’s also time to think about preserving the harvest. I like to have all of my canning, freezing and dehydrating supplies on hand and ready to go. I don’t want any of my hard work to go to waste! Here’s my list of supplies to have on hand for preserving the harvest:
Canning Supplies To Have On Hand For Preserving The Harvest:
- Pressure Canner– Be sure to check your gauges and gaskets to make sure everything is working properly.
- Water Bath Canner– It’s nice to have a basket to lift the jars in out of the water too.
- Large Stock Pots-You need these for processing things like tomatoes, sauces, and soups in large batches.
- Jar Lifter Tongs– These are a must for lifting jars in and out of the pressure canner.
- Canning Funnel– I suppose you could get by without one, but they sure make life easier.
- Jars, Lids, and Rings- I have an assortment of quarts, pints and 1/2 pints ready to go as well as plenty of rings and new lids.
- Citric Acid And/Or Bottled Lemon Juice– Used to raise the acidity level in some home-canned foods.
- Canning And Pickling Salt
- White Vinegar– 5% acidity
- Pickling Spice– I like to make a lot of pickles, so I stock up on a lot of pickling spice at the beginning of the season.
- Liquid And/Or Powdered Pectin– For making jams and jellies
- Labels For Your Jars- Labeling is important. Don’t just write on the lid with a permanent marker. That will wear off over time. You can find ready to use labels in the canning section or you can print your own labels if you have time and you’re feeling creative.
Freezing Supplies To Have On Hand For Preserving The Harvest:
- Zip Top Freezer Bags- I stock these in gallon and quart sizes.
- Freezer Containers– These are used for freezing soups and sauces and also for making freezer jam.
- Sheet Trays– I freeze my fruits and vegetables on these before I put them into freezer bags so that they don’t clump together.
- Fold Top Baggies– I like to separate fruits and vegetables into portion sizes and then put them in baggies before putting them into the big freezer bags. It just makes it easier to grab just the amount you need at one time.
- Large Stock Pot And Collander- This is what I use to blanch vegetables before freezing.
- Disposable Casserole And Loaf Pans- I like to make and freeze some casseroles, meatloaves, and bread to have on hand for quick meals. I will usually make and freeze them in these and they can go right into the oven for cooking after thawing.
Dehydrating Supplies To Have On Hand For Preserving The Harvest:
- Dehydrator– I have two of them.
- Vacuum Sealer And Vacuum Sealer Bags– This is how I store most dehydrated foods.
- Mylar Bags And Oxygen Absorbers– When I’m dehydrating something that I know I’m going to want to store for a long time, I use these. They don’t let in any light and they can be stored flat so they don’t take up as much room as jars. Also, dehydrated foods can sometimes have sharp edges that will poke holes in regular vacuum sealer bags, so keep that in mind when you’re packing up your dehydrated foods. Mylar bags are much thicker.
- Fruit Fresh And/Or Bottled Lemon Juice- Used to keep certain fruits from turning brown during dehydrating.
- Jars- Various sizes for storing dehydrated foods that get used regularly.
Books I Recommend Having On Hand For Preserving The Harvest:
- The Ball Complete Book Of Home Preserving– This book is essential for all home preservers. It’s my go-to for safe canning, freezing and dehydrating procedures and recipes. I refer to it almost daily throughout the harvest season. It’s easy to follow and has pictures and step by step instructions for canning, freezing and dehydrating.
- The Dehydrator Bible– I love this book! It is full of recipes for dehydrated foods that I would never have thought of on my own. My dehydrators would not get nearly as much use if I didn’t have this book. In my opinion, it is a MUST HAVE!
- From Freezer To Table– A great resource for those wanting to get started with family freezer cooking. I like to prepare some meals ahead during harvest season. It’s a great way to use up and preserve some of the harvest and a little variety to your food storage.
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