Produce & Pantry

Vital to the rising of bread, how you store active dry yeast determines how it performs. You might not realize that the yeast in those envelopes lives. Drying the yeast extends its storage time....

Vegetables can be dried whole or sliced, using the sun, air or heat. Some vegetables dry best when strung; others have their tops braided together. Still others must be sliced thin and placed on...

Dry plums using a centuries-old technique requiring no electricity or pricey equipment. With the power of the sun, you can dry plums to preserve them for later use. Plums require several days to...

Freeze drying is a form of food preservation that removes all of the moisture from the food. Freeze drying food is a popular method because it doesn't have much of an fan effect on taste, and...

Black walnuts are very different from the more common English walnut. The flavor is earthier, vaguely unripe and slightly bittersweet. The black walnut is a hard nut to crack, and has a messy...

Plant more than two summer squash plants and most people will have an over abundance of the vegetable. Summer squash cannot be canned and freezing is not always an option. Dehydrating the squash...

One of the nice things about carving pumpkins (besides making jack-o-lanterns) is all of the wonderful pumpkin seeds. You can use pumpkin seeds to make edible treats, add to craft projects or grow...

Frosting buckets are an ideal way to store wheat, as these buckets are "food grade," which helps to keep the food from being contaminated from the chemicals in the plastic. Wheat can last...

Once you've identified and harvested wild edible mushrooms, preserving them for future use is almost mandatory, as mushrooms have a very short shelf life. There are several ways to preserve and...

Gardeners with an herb garden usually enjoy fresh herbs all summer long while the herb plants are growing and thriving in the soil. Once you grow accustomed to herbs fresh from the garden, using...

Most of us parents have heard the saying that we should pick our battles. Well making my children eat their bread crusts on their sandwiches is one battle that I don't fight because I cut the...

Preserving your own home-grown tomatoes is easy. Sun dried tomatoes are great for recipes like salads and Italian dishes but we love them for snacking. You can use small cherry tomatoes but...

If you want to preserve foods, dehydration has many advantages. The procedure is safe and the resulting products take up less storage place than frozen or canned foods. Following these tips can...

Dry foods are lighter, so they take less space to store. They are more profitable to transport than fresh produce, and are not as likely to spoil before reaching your destination. It is important...

Habanero plants generally produce more peppers than you can eat. This is because of how incredibly spicy they are. Just a little bit of this fiery pepper can really go a long way! So what do you...

Drying is the oldest way of food storage. Have you gotten too many veggies out of your garden yet? Ready for an easy and cheap way to store them for the winter?

The best way to store ginger root depends on how you plan to use it. It is a staple spice for Asian stir-fry, and for baking various kinds of breads and cookies. Asian recipes require ginger to be...

Very often when making a new recipe, the ingredients will call for a milk product you do not have. That can be a problem unless you have a box of dry milk on your pantry shelf. In many cases you...

Because of its versatility, dry milk is a product that should be on every pantry shelf. Dry milk can be purchased in 1-pound boxes or larger, or in many stores it can be purchased in bulk. Most...

Food dehydrators are used to dry fruits, vegetables and meats to preserve them. Drying foods as a means of preservation has been done for centuries. It began by laying them out in the sun to dry...

Kidney beans can be eaten fresh from the garden or dried for later use. Once dried, kidney beans can be stored in a cool place for several years and used when needed. There are several methods of...

Drying is a great way of preserving fruits. Dried fruits available in the supermarket are usually expensive and you don't get much for the price. They also usually have added sugar. Dried...

Did you know that you can eat the sunflower seeds from the sunflowers in your garden? Be sure that you only use seeds from plants that were not treated with chemical pesticides or fungicides....

Dry fresh rosemary by laying the stalks of rosemary flat on a counter for a day, removing the rosemary leaves and letting the leaves sit in the sun for several hours. Use a dry frying process to...

Weevils seem to come from nowhere and invade the dry foods in your pantry. If weevils are ruining your cereals, flour, noodles, or any other dry food items, there are a couple ways you can help...

In addition to basic staples, sugar is recommended as part of a balanced diet and to provide carbohydrates. When storing food long term for emergencies, consider adding granulated sugar to your...

Having ample food available in an emergency is one way to stay prepared. Spaghetti, an excellent pasta for food storage, will remain edible for upwards of 30 years when packaged properly. Follow...

If you love beautiful flowers, take a second look at them. There are many flowers that are grown in your own garden that are edible. You can add a splash of color to your meals when you sprinkle...

Drying your own vegetables is a great way to save money and space! Veggies that aren't suitable for eating raw or cooking, or perhaps have been in the fridge too long, are perfect for dehydrating....

One way to maximize the use of your fresh herbs is to dry and store them for future use. Dill is a versatile herb that is easy to grow and dry. Dried dill leaves can be used in dips, soups and...

There are many methods for drying peppers. However, the easiest and most commonly used form of drying peppers is to air dry them by hanging them on a thread and allowing them to dry in the sun. ...

Has this happened to you? You pick out what you thought were juicy lemons at the grocery store. You take them home, cut them open and they are dry, dry, dry inside. Try these easy tips to get...

It's easy to save big by buying whole grains and dried foods. Foods such as dry beans, lentils, rice, and other grains will store well in the proper conditions. Invest in some storage...

Making pumpkin flour is not that hard, just needs a lot of time.

Dry wells keep fruit, vegetables and other perishable items cool and dry, or from freezing during the winter. Having been around for centuries a dry well is simply a hole in the ground kept cool...

Growing a large garden produces fresh vegetables in season and provides the gardener with a source of economical nutrition. At harvest’s end, there’s no reason to throw your...

The type of lettuce you purchase determines the method by which you should store it. All lettuce should be stored in the refrigerator away from ethylene-producing fruits because these cause the...

Storing bulk food properly for use at a later time is both convenient and prudent. Knowing you have food "put by" provides peace of mind and saves money. The cost of food is rising continuously...

When it comes to eating healthy, the foods that are good for you can get a little boring. Case in point: fruit. Sure it's fresh, sure it's nutritious. But after you've had your 100th apple in as...

In addition to wheat, rice, and dry beans, pastas are an excellent choice for long term food storage. Most pasta varieties, including macaroni, store well and can be kept for upwards of 15 years...

It is known that as early as 12,000 B.C.E., ancient man preserved food by drying. By preserving foods, he could store food for future use. To preserve food by drying, you need to remove the water...

If you’re lucky enough to have walnuts, hazelnuts or filberts, and the birds have allowed you to keep a few, it’s an easy matter to dry the nuts. The result will be the rich, delicious flavor of...

In addition to wheat and rice, dry beans are one of the staples of long term food storage. Most dry bean types, including kidney beans, navy beans, pinto beans, and black beans, store well and...

Sun dried tomatoes are so delicious that you can eat them like candy, but they’re also superb in pasta and a number of hot dishes, and delicious tossed on a salad. You can make your own sun-dried...

If you love to spice up your recipes, then you must try using chillies. But if you've ever tried to buy them at the store, you know they can be quite expensive. The smart chefs buy them whole or...

In many homes, eggs are a staple in the kitchen. When paper or dry goods go on sale, we can stock up, but how can we stock up on such a perishable item as eggs? In other homes, eggs are rarely...

It can take a lot of vegetables to get to your recommended five servings per day. Whether you grow your own vegetables or you buy enough vegetables for a week, it can be a challenge to store them...

Fresh whole onions are a cooking staple in many households throughout the world. It can sometimes be a challenge to keep the onions fresh until needed. Follow the steps below to store whole onions...

Stored grains, cornmeal, and pet food are often susceptible to being eaten by insects and are often a breeding ground for harmful bacteria. You can use inexpensive dry ice as a very effective and...

Flash freezing with dry ice is a cheap, quick, and easy way to preserve most kinds of food, but fruits and vegetables work particularly well. Freezing with dry ice is very quick and causes less...