How to Preserve Figs – can, freeze, dehydrate, pickle, and ferment

cut and whole figs on wooden cutting board

Fig season is short, although it does come twice a year, so be sure to preserve figs while you can. Figs can be canned, frozen, pickled, dehydrated and even fermented! Fig season is season is something to celebrate. Like mulberries, figs don’t ship well which makes it hard to find fresh figs for sale. In … Read more

Probiotic Rich Fermented Dill Pickles – aka Sour Pickles

canning jars with cucumbers in them for fermenting

Traditionally fermented pickles are easy to make and full of probiotic goodness for your gut. These pickles are usually known as sour pickles. They aren’t canned and there’s no vinegar. Every summer we make jar after jar of these naturally pickled cucumbers to preserve for the year. We make whole dill pickles, spears and pickle … Read more

Preserving Meyer Lemons (and other citrus) in a Zero Waste Way

A bowl lemon zest on table with text overlay

There’s a cycle that happens every year in our neck of the woods. Every November through January we have more citrus than we know what to do with. Everyone is “sharing” and hoping someone will take some oranges, grapefruit, and Meyer lemons off their hands before they go bad. Then every summer everyone is wishing … Read more

4 Ways to Preserve Zucchini to Use Later

A close up a pile of various zucchini and yellow squash on wooden table.

Preserving zucchini and summer squash in a variety of ways is a wonderful way to cut your grocery bill and ensure your family has organic food through the winter months. We are in the height of zucchini and summer squash season right now and while it is overwhelming at times, it’s also a huge blessing. … Read more

Preserving the Harvest…Peaches

Preserving peaches is an annual event here. We preserve them by canning, freezing and dehydrating so we can have a variety throughout the year.

We got seven peaches off our peach tree this year. Oh my, they were so very good! But obviously, with only seven we just ate them and didn’t even think about preserving them. So, I did what I do every year. I purchased peaches so I could actually preserve peaches for the rest of the … Read more

Tips for Preserving the Harvest

A collection of ripe tomatoes in diverse shapes and sizes, including vibrant red and yellow varieties. Text overlays the image stating, "Preserving Harvest Tips," with the website "SchneiderPeeps.com" below.

Many years ago, I canned about 30 quarts of pear chutney. I had never tried pear chutney, in fact I had never even heard the word “chutney” before that day. But our pear tree was producing a bumper crop that year and I decided it would be fun to try something new. {ahem} No one liked it…not … Read more

Preserving the Harvest….Blueberries

Want to taste summer all year? You can! Learn how to can, freeze, dehydrate and ferment blueberries to enjoy now and later.

We kicked off July 4th weekend by going blueberry picking . Yes, we have blueberry bushes but they are not producing. Last year fire ants got into the pots and destroyed the roots. We bought new plants but they are still young.  Normally, we would just go without but because of all the rain we … Read more

Preserving the Harvest…Tomatoes

There is so much you can do with your tomato harvest. Learn how to can, freeze, dehydrate and ferment tomatoes for now and later.

Preserving tomatoes is a summer tradition in many homes. But preserving tomatoes can be more than spaghetti sauce and salsa.  There are so many ways of preserving tomatoes and really, you need to do what is best for your family. Because I’m pretty simple, I mainly can tomatoes with onions and garlic and dehydrate tomatoes … Read more

Preserving the Harvest….Cucumbers

Canning pickles is not the only way to preserve cucumbers. You can also ferment, dehydrate and even freeze them.

It seems to be feast or famine with cucumbers at our little homestead. Some years I just cannot get them to produce at all and other years I’m wondering what in the world we’re going to do with them all. We’re in a feasting year this year. Normally that would be a good thing but … Read more

Preserving the Harvest…..Herbs

Preserving herbs is easy and way cheaper than buying herbs and spices already preserved. Herbs can be preserved by drying or freezing them, putting them in salt and making extracts.

One of our goals this year was to add more herbs to our garden for both culinary and medicinal uses. Many times those uses overlap. The thing with herbs is that they do not grow year round outside (even in zone 9) and they are not always ready at the same time complimentary vegetables are … Read more

Preserving the Harvest….Green Beans

Preserving green beans doesn't have to be hard or boring. Learn how to can, freeze, ferment and dehydrate green beans to enjoy now and later.

Welcome to week one of Preserving the Harvest which will be a twelve week series on preserving fruits, vegetables and herbs to use throughout the year. My goals isn’t to teach you everything you need to know about every preservation method or every fruit or vegetable. My goal is to encourage you to not see … Read more

Fermented cabbage, beet and carrots (rainbow sauerkraut recipe)

Three jars of vibrant Rainbow Kraut rest on a wooden surface, each topped with a metal lid and airlock. This delightful fermented cabbage, showcased by SchneiderPeeps.com, bursts with color and flavor.

I love playing around with different ferments. My family thinks it’s weird but that’s okay. I have a slaw recipe that I learned from a friend from Kenya and I wondered what it would taste like as lacto-fermented sauerkraut. It’s tastes great. My family isn’t big slaw or sauerkraut. When I make this slaw I … Read more

Fermented (naturally pickled) peppers – a step by step guide

Skip the vinegar and pickle peppers the old fashioned way by fermenting them. Fermented peppers give you all the storage benefits of pickled peppers without the vinegar taste. Make fermented jalapenos or fermented sweet banana peppers, the recipe and process is the same.

Fermented peppers easy to make and are fantastic for someone just beginning the fermenting journey. Sauerkraut. Isn’t that where everyone begins with fermented vegetables? I think it must be as there are many, many sauerkraut articles all over the place I think one of the reasons sauerkraut is such a great place to begin is … Read more

Beginner’s Guide to Fermentation

Fermentation is an old way of preserving food, before refrigeration or canning. Fermented foods include common items such as yogurt, cheese, and sauerkraut, plus less common items such as kefir, kvass, and kimchi. Learn why and how to make homemade fermented vegetables for optimum gut health.

Fermentation is an old way of preserving food – really old, as in before refrigeration and before canning. Back in the day, you either dehydrated or fermented food to keep it from spoiling. Fermented foods include common items such as yogurt, cheese, and sauerkraut plus less common items such as kefir, kvass, and kimchi. Years … Read more

How to Preserve Lemons by Fermenting

A jar of fermented lemons rests on a wooden table, sealed with plastic wrap and a metal lid. In the background, citrus fruits and a knife are visible. Text reads: "Preserve Lemons with fermentation - SchneiderPeeps.com.

I used to think it was silly to preserve lemons because they were available year round at the store whenever I happened to need one. Then I tried my first Meyer lemon and preserving lemons became a necessity. We have an amazing lemon tree that gives us several hundred pounds of lemons each year. So, … Read more