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Theresa Loe

Canning and Preserving the Entire Season

by Theresa Loe on July 23, 2011

Welcome to Season Two here at Growing a Greener World!

Since January, we have been traveling the country (and the world) filming special people and places who are making a difference and we can’t wait to share more of their stories with you!

Theresa Loe, Master Food Preserver discusses Water Bath Canning and Pressure Canning at home

While filming, I have also enjoyed visiting some of lush gardens and glorious farms brimming with edibles just waiting to be preserved. When the cameras were focused on our guests, it was all I could do to keep from packing my pockets, purse and suitcase with all that produce so that I could share it with you here in a jar! But I held back… instead I let that produce inspire me to can when I got home, and I will be sharing those recipes here throughout the season.

Besides the usual canning and preserving information, this year we will also have some Canning Videos for you! Sometimes, it really helps to see a recipe done visually and since canning is a new technique to many people, we thought that would be helpful. The clip here is from episode 204 on City Homesteading and it covers the basics of what you need in the way of equipment. For more information, visit some of my other blog posts. I cover everything from Canning Tomatoes and Apple Pie Filling to The Dangers of BPA in Canning Lids.

If you are a newbie, I suggest you start with Water Bath Basics 101, the companion post for the video clip above. Together, they give you all the basics you need to get started.

So as my own garden is brimming and the local farmer’s markets are packed with produce, I’m ready to capture those flavors of summer in jar!

Come on! Let’s do this! Who’s with me?

For more information:

Theresa Loe

Theresa Loe is the Associate Producer of Growing A Greener World. She is trained as a Master Food Preserver and is an expert in urban homesteading, home preservation, small space gardening, educational school gardens and gardening with children.

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Being Plastic Free or Trash Free – Which is More Important?

February 11, 2011

I’m a mother of two young boys who attend schools intent on lowering carbon footprints, incorporating school gardens and teaching eco-friendly living practices. Cool right? Well part of the program involves having “Trash Free Tuesdays” with the hope that every day will become more trash free. Tuesdays are dedicated to reducing landfill trash and increasing [...]

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Live Plastic Free? Failure IS An Option.

February 3, 2011

When the cast and crew of Growing A Greener World were first asked if we wanted to join in Rodale’s Plastic –Free February Challenge. My first thought was, “As a mother of two young boys, that is impossible for me. I can’t possibly do THAT!” Although I grow a lot of my own food on [...]

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BPA in Canning Lids – Seriously?

November 4, 2010

There has been a lot of talk lately about BPA (Bisphenol-A) and the fact that it is in most of the canning lids we use for home preservation. It raises a whole scary set of questions, like: What is BPA exactly? Is home canning still safe? Are there other options? Let me see if I [...]

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Preserving Fruit Flavors in Alcohol: Homemade Liqueurs

October 19, 2010

When we discuss food preservation, we are usually talking about canning, dehydrating, freezing or fermenting. But did you know that you can also preserve fruit in alcohol, such as brandy or vodka? It is a way of preserving the flavor or essence of the fruit for later use. This method consists of steeping fresh or [...]

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Preserving Apple Pie Filling for Winter

October 13, 2010

Imagine a cold winter day. You have a warm crackling fire in the fireplace as you gaze out the window at your forlorn apple trees standing tall in the blustery weather. You think about how only a few short months ago, those trees produced the most delicious apples. Boy, wouldn’t it be great to have [...]

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Preserving Blueberries: Freezing & Jam

October 5, 2010

A blueberry packs a lot into a tiny, delicious package. It is not only bursting with flavor, but has exceptional health benefits as well (including antioxidants, vitamin C and fiber). Of course, when it comes to capturing that deliciousness and nutritional value, fresh is always best. But what if you want to save just a [...]

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Rustic Homemade Apple Butter

September 29, 2010

Nothing says “autumn” like homemade apple butter. For me, it is as much a part of this season as fall leaves, crisp mornings and delectable pumpkin pie. Apple butter is like a rich cousin to applesauce. It is thicker, more concentrated and oh, so decadent. It can be used as a side dish (like apple [...]

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Low Sugar “Strawberries and Cream” Jam

August 26, 2010

I love making low-sugar jam because it allows the flavors of the fruit to shine without hiding behind gobs of refined sugar. This particular recipe is a bit decadent because it uses a real vanilla bean to add a touch of “cream” flavor to each jar. You can certainly make it without the vanilla and [...]

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Canning Crushed Tomatoes

August 23, 2010

Every gardener knows the agony of having too many tomatoes come on at once. We can’t let those marvelous flavors go to waste! Can your extra tomatoes and later, when you open that jar, you still have those garden-fresh flavors as if the tomatoes were plucked off the vine only moments before opening! My favorite [...]

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What is all this talk about Canning?

August 19, 2010

You may have noticed that home canning & preserving is really hot right now. Everywhere we turn there are articles and blog posts about preserving the harvest. In order to understand what all the fuss is about, it might help to look at the reasons behind canning. In the Past Home canning gained popularity through [...]

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Water Bath Basics 101

August 16, 2010

Now, don’t worry about this long list of instructions. I am covering EVERYTHING you need to know about the water bath method of canning. (aka the “boiling-water method”) This is the method used for canning high acid foods such as: jam, jelly, most fruits, pickles and tomatoes that have been acidified. It is NOT difficult [...]

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