Canning, pickling and preserving is very fun and also frugal! Most of these products are fairly easy to do and much cheaper and tastier when home made. You can control the consistency, sweetness and other flavorings when making it yourself. If you aren't looking to make your product shelf stable (keep in the fridge), then a jar with a lid, maybe a strainer and some pectin (thickener) is really all you need.
I tend to make jam out of fruit that is on it's way out (strawberries going soft), so it saves on waste. I made a batch of Strawberry Lime jam last night with a container that was a little far gone for anything but a smoothie but deliciously ripe for jamming.
Here is an America's Test Kitchen video for jam and pickling, but there are a ton of resources on Youtube (FoodWishes, Brother's Green etc).
As far as other ferments, I'm currently making Tepache (Meixcan fermented pineapple drink), Ginger Bug (for making ginger ale) and I've had a sourdough starter I use to make bread near every week. I have also made several varieties of pickles and can't recommend it enough!
Last but not least - homemade products also make great gifts around the holiday with a little bit of extra decoration!
June 27, 2018 at 01:51PM
