Learning New Homemaking Skills

The vision of a pantry overflowing with rows of colorful jars containing home canned vegetables and fruits has appealed to me for quite some time.  Along with a freezer loaded with meal-sized containers of produce and neatly labeled packages of meats and poultry.  Add to that shelves brimming with colorful jars of dried fruits and tasty jerky, and you have several of the items on my list of 2020 goals.

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To achieve this wonderful vision will involve learning a few new homemaking skills.

My canning experience is very limited and began years ago with an ill fated attempt to make pear jam from rock hard pears gleaned from our back lawn tree.  I boiled and simmered those pears for hours, and they never did soften sufficiently for canning.  My second attempt was much more successful and resulted in beautiful jars of lemon marmalade made from an overabundance of lemons we acquired.  That gave me the confidence to someday try it again.

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My dehydrating experience, however, is nonexistent.  But, I'm up for the challenge.

As I tend to do, I'm going to jump right in and let my overflowing enthusiasm take over.  Equipment has already been obtained in the form of these beauties:

NESCO FD-75A, Snackmaster Pro Food Dehydrator, Gray

FoodSaver FM2435 Vacuum Sealer Machine with Bonus Handheld Sealer and Starter Kit | Safety Certified | Silver

 

Granite Ware Enamel-on-Steel Canning Kit, 9-Piece

These are all midpriced versions - and the canner may even be on the low end of the price range, as it's a water bath canner and not a higher end pressure canner.  From what I understand, you can use a water bath canner for practically anything except meats and for that you do need a pressure canner.   However, I've read that the Instant Pot can be used as a pressure canner as well, so I may give that a try when I'm brave enough to experiment with canning meats.  (Thanks to the Instant Pot, I've finally overcome my fear of pressure cookers.)

I did tried out the FoodSaver vacuum sealer and it works like a charm although I've not yet tested the jar sealing accessories.

Will update you on each one as I put them to the test!

Do you currently practice food storage in the form of freezing, canning and dehydrating?  What methods do you use and are you pleased with the equipment you have?  What would you do differently if you could?