Looking for Many more resources for fruit, vegetables, canning, preserving, storing, health, etc. in 2023?  Scroll down this page and  follow the links. And if you bring home some fruit or vegetables and want to can, freeze, make jam, salsa or pickles, see this page for simple, reliable, illustrated canning, freezing or preserving directions. There are plenty of other related resources, click on the resources dropdown above.  If you are having a hard time finding canning lids, I've used these, and they're a great price & ship in 2 days.

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Many more resources for fruit, vegetables, canning, preserving, storing, health, etc.

More resources for fruit, vegetables, canning, preserving, storing, health and much more

Over the years, I've added so many pages of additional related information it's getting impossible to find it all.  So, I've added this table of contents page to help!

 

Finding a farm to pick a specific fruit or vegetable

• See this page to find a specific crop (strawberries, blueberries, corn, tomatoes, etc.) in your local area

Picking

• Harvest calendars - These crop calendars tell when specific fruit and vegetables are normally ready to be harvested in a your local area
• Picking tips for fruit
• Picking tips for vegetables
• Varieties to pick - our master guides
  • apples - Alphabetical apple varieties or  Apple varieties by harvest date
  • peach varieties
• How much do I need to pick? Yields and conversion tables

Storing

• How long do fresh and preserved fruit and vegetables last? How and how long to store fruits and vegetables - master chart
• Curing Vegetables to Improve Shelf-life - Several vegetables benefit from post-harvest curing.
• Specific Guidance for Storing Certain Vegetables and Fruits - see this page for detailed information about storing apples, garlic, onions, peppers, potatoes, pumpkins, root crops, tomatoes and winter squash,
• Where to store fruits and vegetables
• Storage temperatures to avoid - some fruits and vegetables can be damaged by temps that are too high or too low
• Apples - detailed information about storing for the winter

Preserving

• Master list to ALL of the canning, freezing, preserving, dehydrating, jam, jellies, sauces, salsa etc recipes
• Community canning facilities
• Fixing runny jam: how do I fix a jam or jelly that turned out too runny?
• Pectin: for making jams, jellies and preserves, all about pectin - what it is, how it works, types, etc.
• FAQs - Questions and answers to many questions about home canning, freezing and making other preserves!
• Jar sealing: why jars don't seal and how to correct it.
• How to reduce your canning costs - save money on your home presering!

Canning supplies

• Canners
  • Water bath canners - Good for acidic foods, like applesauce, pickles, salsa, jams, jellies, most fruits
  • Pressure canners - needed for low and non-acidic foods, like canned vegetables (corn, green beans, etc), and meats
  • Canners for glass top stoves if you have a glass or ceramic stove
  • Canners for induction stovetops
• Canning Lids and Rings,
• Canning jars,
• Pickling supplies, equipment, crocks and additives
• Food dehydrators - easy and fast to dry your own fruits, veggies, sun-dried tomatoes, etc.
• Vacuum Foodsealers for freezing, dried foods, and refrigerated foods - the FoodSaver line
• KitchenAid mixer and attachments for home canning
• Steam Juicers
• Strainers, pit removers, seed-skin-stem removers, jelly strainers, etc. All types, makes and prices (from $19 to $350)
• Cherry pitters reviews, prices and ordering

Books and guides

• Books on canning, freezing, drying, preserving and jam making
• Free replacement owners manuals  and instructions for pressure canners (Presto, Mirro, Old National, All-American, etc.)
• Free replacement ice cream maker manuals

 

Selling your own homemade foods

• Can I Sell My Home-Canned Jams and Other Preserves?
• How to start a food business
• Cottage food rules
• Commercial kitchens
• Copackers

More foods, fun and recipes

• Fruit and vegetable festivals - look for a festival for your favorite fruit or veg in you area
• How to make ice cream, gelato, fat free, sugar free, any type - at home
• Jobs on farms

FAQs - Q & A

• Many canning Q/A FAQs
• How to fix runny jam
• Why canning jars break
• Tomatoes canning FAQs
• Why jars do not seal
• Loss of liquid in jars
• Pressure canning questions and answers - FAQs.

Food reference

• Nutritional Content of Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Compared with Canned
• pH charts for every fruit and vegetable
  • pH of fruits
  • pH of Vegetables
  • pH of meats, beef, chicken, fish, pork
  • pH of eggs, dairy
  • pH of soups
  • pH of some processed foods
• Making baby food at home
• Using artificial sweeteners and sugar substitutes in place of sugar
• Using honey in place of sugar
• Using Agave Nectar in place of sugar

More types of farms to visit

• Farm markets and roadside stands
• Local Honey Finder
• Local Meat, Milk and Eggs
• Road trip and camping tips, tricks and How-to's
• Venues: Farms, Wineries, Orchards for your event, wedding or party
• Easter egg hunts
• Children's consignment sales
• Winery tours and wine tastings
• Horse rides, stables, lessons, trails
• Maple Syrup farms and sugarworks
• Bed and Breakfasts on Farms, Wineries, Ranches and Orchards
• Pumpkin patches
• Corn mazes
• Zombie Paintball venues
• Christmas Tree Farms and lots
• Environmental resources
• Consumer fraud information
• Wholesale food sources

Other Agencies and Organizations

• Local agriculture county extension agencies for growing advice, local canning classes, and other help
• State Secretary of State's Office websites for each state
• State health department contact list - useful for starting a food business or checking on health and food standards.

Resources for Farmers looking to start a PYO

• How to start a pick-your-own!
• This page has many resources, books, publications, agencies, growers associations and other guides