preservation...preserving seasonal fruits and vegetables is a fantastic way to add variety to...

The Preservation Notebook ©Angi Schneider, SchneiderPeeps.com

The

Preservation

Notebook By Angi Schneider

All contents copyright ©2020 by Angi Schneider and SchneiderPeeps All rights reserved. This publication may not be reproduced, stored or transmitted in whole or in part, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical or otherwise, without prior written consent from the publisher and author. Brief quotations may be included in a review. If in PDF form, it may be stored on your computer. This publication may be printed for personal use to create one custom notebook. Worksheets may be printed

as needed to create one custom notebook.

Disclaimer The information in this book is based on the author’s opinion, knowledge and experience. The publisher and

author will not be held liable for the use or misuse of the information contained herein.


Introduction Preserving seasonal fruits and vegetables is a fantastic way to add variety to seasonal eating and inexpensively stock

your pantry and freezer. I’ve found that the best way to do this is by using a variety of preservation methods - canning,

dehydrating, fermenting, and freezing. That’s why I wrote, The Ultimate Guide to Preserving Vegetables.

I love trying new preservation methods and recipes and I really needed a place to organize my very favorite ones – the

ones I use year after year. So, I began keeping a notebook of those recipes. This notebook is similar to the preserving

notebook that I keep in my kitchen. But this one is prettier and doesn’t have all my chicken scratch handwriting in it. It

also doesn’t have my recipes in it because it’s designed to help you create your own custom preserving notebook with

YOUR family favorite recipes.

To use this ebook, you’ll need access to a printer. You don’t need to print up all the pages, just the ones you need. I

suggest printing the pages that have the information for each fruit and vegetable on cardstock to act as dividers in your

notebook. You can put the page in a page protector or use removable tabs to tab them for easy access. You’ll also need

a three-ring binder and hole punch.

Tips for Preserving Food Only preserve food your family likes. This sounds obvious but I can’t tell you how many times I’ve frozen green beans

because it’s faster than canning them even though my family doesn’t like them frozen. They usually end up not being

used.

Keep notes on what you preserve each year. I use the worksheets included in the back of this ebook to keep a list each

year. This helps me preserve what we need for the year without preserving a lot of extra.

Store the preserved food properly. Shelf stable food should be stored in a cool, dry place. Unless you have a root cellar,

indoors is best. Fermented food needs to be stored in cold storage to slow down the fermentation process, a

refrigerator, root cellar, or cold basement are all good places. Frozen food needs to be kept frozen.

Find trusted sources for preserving information and learn why suggestions are made. Spend time on the National

Center for Home Food Preservation website. Learn when the recommendation is a safety or quality recommendation so

you can decide if you need to follow it or not. For instance, it’s recommended that green beans be blanched before

being frozen for quality sake. I choose to not blanch green beans. However, their recommendation that green beans be

pressure canned and not water bath canned is a safety recommendation so I follow that one.

Adjust for altitude! You need to know your altitude and how to adjust the time for water bath canning and the

pressure for pressure canning. You can find that information, in The Ultimate Guide to Preserving Vegetables or on

the National Center for Home Food Preservation Website.

https://nchfp.uga.edu/

https://nchfp.uga.edu/

https://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Guide-Preserving-Vegetables-Dehydrating/dp/1645670090/

https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/general/selecting_correct_process_time.html


Artichoke How to Preserve: can, ferment, dehydrate, freeze

Canning: Water bath canned in vinegar brine for 15-30 min

Fermenting: use a 2% brine

Dehydrating: 100°F for 18 hours

Freezing: Up to 12 months

Notes:


Asparagus

How to Preserve: can, ferment, dehydrate, freeze

Canning: Water bath canned in vinegar brine for 10 min

Pressure canned at 10psi for 30 min/pint and 40 min/qt

Fermenting: Whole spears or chopped, use a 2% brine

Dehydrating: Blanching required, 125°F for 6-8 hours

Freezing: Blanching recommended, up to 12 months

Notes:


Beans How to Preserve: can, ferment, dehydrate, freeze



Fermenting: Use a 2% brine


Freezing: Blanching recommended, for up to 12 months

Notes:


Beet Root How to Preserve: can, ferment, dehydrate, freeze



Fermenting: Add grated beet root to other ferments or use a 2% brine

Dehydrating: Pre-cook,125°F for 10-12 hours

Freezing: Pre-cook, Slices or cubes, for up to 12 months

Notes:


Broccoli How to Preserve: can, dehydrate, freeze

Canning: Water bath canned, peeled stem only, in vinegar brine for 15 min

Fermenting: Sauerkraut style, small florets and stems only, use a 2% brine



Notes:


Cabbage How to Preserve: can, ferment, dehydrate, freeze


Fermenting: Sauerkraut style, ferment for 14-21 days

Dehydrating: Blanching recommended for whole leaves only, 125°F for 10-12

hours

Freezing: Blanching recommended for whole leaves only, for up to 12 months

Notes:


Carrots How to Preserve: can, ferment, dehydrate, freeze



Fermenting: Add grated carrots to other ferments or use a 2% brine


Freezing: Blanching required for slices but not shredded, for up to 12 months

Notes:


Cauliflower

How to Preserve: can, ferment, dehydrate, freeze



Dehydrating: Blanching required for pieces, not for riced, 125°F for 10-12 hours

Freezing: Blanching recommended for pieces, not for riced for up to 12 months

Notes:


Corn How to Preserve: can, ferment, dehydrate, freeze

Canning: Water bath canned in vinegar brine for 15 min or as corn cob jelly



Dehydrating: Blanching required, remove kernels from cob 125°F for 10-12 hours

Freezing: Blanching recommended, on or off cob, for up to 12 months

Notes:


Cucumbers How to Preserve: can, ferment, dehydrate, freeze


Fermenting: Whole or slices, use a 3% brine

Dehydrating: 125°F for 4-6 hours

Freezing: Slices or cubes, for up to 12 months

Notes:


Kale and Other Greens How to Preserve: can, ferment, dehydrate, freeze

Canning: Pressure canned at 10psi for 70 min/pint and 90 min/qt




Notes:


Okra How to Preserve: can, ferment, dehydrate, freeze


Pressure canned at 10psi for 25min/pint and 40 min/qt




Notes:


Onions How to Preserve: can, ferment, dehydrate, freeze

Canning: Water bath canned in vinegar brine for 15 min or as a jam

Pressure can whole, small bulbs only, at 10psi for 40 min/pint and 40 min/qt

Fermenting: Add to other ferments or use a 2% brine

Dehydrating: Diced or sliced, 125°F for 10-12 hours

Freezing: Diced or sliced for up to 12 months

Notes:


Peas How to Preserve: can, ferment, dehydrate, freeze






Notes:


Peppers How to Preserve: can, ferment, dehydrate, freeze

Canning: Water bath canned in vinegar brine for 15 min or jellied

Pressure canned at 10psi for 35 min pints only (Peeling recommended)

Fermenting: Use a 2-3% brine


Freezing: Up to 12 months

Notes:


Potatoes How to Preserve: can, ferment, dehydrate, freeze

Canning: Pressure canned at 10psi for 35 min/pint and 40 min/qt

Fermenting: Not a long-term storage option


Freezing: Blanching required, for up to 12 months

Notes:


Radishes How to Preserve: can, ferment, dehydrate, freeze


Fermenting: Add to other ferments or use a 2% brine



Notes:


Squash – Summer How to Preserve: can, ferment, dehydrate, freeze

Canning: Water bath canned in vinegar brine for 15 min or jellied


Dehydrating: Blanching recommended, 125°F for 10-12 hours

Freezing: Blanching recommended, not necessary if grated, for up to 12 months

Notes:


Squash – Winter How to Preserve: can, ferment, dehydrate, freeze

Canning: Pressure can cubes only at 10psi for 55 min/pint and 90 min/qt


Dehydrating: Blanching or cooking recommended, 125°F for 10-12 hours

Freezing: Blanching or cooking required, for up to 12 months

Notes:


Sweet Potatoes How to Preserve: can, ferment, dehydrate, freeze

Canning: Pressure can cubes only at 10psi for 65 min/pint and 90 min/qt

Fermenting: Add other ferments or use a 2% brine


Freezing: Cook until almost tender first, for up to 12 months

Notes:


Tomatoes How to Preserve: can, ferment, dehydrate, freeze

Canning: Can be water bath or pressure canned, needs to be acidified, and can

take anywhere from 25 minutes to 85 minutes

Fermenting: Whole cherry tomatoes, or chopped green tomatoes, 3% brine

Dehydrating: Peeling recommended, 125°F for 10-12 hours

Freezing: Peeling recommended, for up to 12 months

Notes:


Herbs How to Preserve: can, ferment, dehydrate, freeze

Canning: Add herbs to other canned good. Don’t add sage, it can get bitter

Fermenting: Add herbs to other ferments


Freezing: In ice cube trays with water or oil

Notes: With the exception of basil and cilantro, herbs retain their flavor best when

dehydrated and not frozen for long term storage. Basil and cilantro should be

frozen.


Apples How to Preserve: can, ferment, dehydrate, freeze

Canning: Water bath canned

Fermenting: Add grated apples to other ferments or make soda


Freezing: Does not freeze well

Notes:


Apricot How to Preserve: can, ferment, dehydrate, freeze


Fermenting: Add other ferments or make soda


Freezing: Slices, for up to 12 months

Notes:


Bananas How to Preserve: dehydrate, freeze


Freezing: Remove peel, sliced, mashed or whole, for up to 12 months

Notes:


Berries How to Preserve: can, ferment, dehydrate, freeze


Fermenting: Add to other ferments or make soda


Freezing: Slices or whole, for up to 12 months

Notes:


Cherries How to Preserve: can, ferment, dehydrate, freeze

Canning: Water bath can

Fermenting: Add to other ferments or make soda

Dehydrating: remove pits, 135°F for 13-20 hours

Freezing: Whole, with pits removed

Notes:


Citrus How to Preserve: can, ferment, dehydrate, freeze

Canning: Water bath canned (can get bitter)

Fermenting: Cut and pack in salt or use to make soda

Dehydrating: Slices or zest, 135°F for 8-10 hours

Freezing: Slices, juice, zest, for up to 12 months

Notes:


Figs How to Preserve: can, ferment, dehydrate, freeze


Fermenting: Add to other ferments or use to make soda

Dehydrating: Sliced, 135°F for 22-30 hours

Freezing: Slices or whole, for up to 12 months

Notes:


Grapes How to Preserve: can, ferment, dehydrate, freeze


Fermenting: Use to make soda


Freezing: Whole or juiced, for up to 12 months

Notes:


Mango How to Preserve: can, ferment, dehydrate, freeze





Notes:


Melons How to Preserve: can, ferment, freeze

Canning: Water bath can rinds in vinegar brine, make jam

Fermenting: Make rind pickles or make soda

Freezing: Juice or cubes, for up to 12 months

Notes:


Passion Fruit How to Preserve: can, ferment, dehydrate, freeze



Dehydrating: 125°F for 10-12 hours (best if used in fruit leather)

Freezing: For up to 12 months

Notes:


Peaches How to Preserve: can, ferment, dehydrate, freeze



Dehydrating: Slices, 135°F for 10-12 hours


Notes:


Pears How to Preserve: can, ferment, dehydrate, freeze





Notes:


Pineapples How to Preserve: can, ferment, dehydrate, freeze



Dehydrating: Slices, 135°F for 10-18 hours


Notes:


Plums How to Preserve: can, ferment, dehydrate, freeze



Dehydrating: Halves or slices, 135°F for 8-16 hours

Freezing: Slices or halves, for up to 12 months

Notes:


Preservation Cheat Sheet Use this chart for a quick refresher of approved methods for preserving food

Item Pressure

Can

Water

Bath

Freeze Ferment Dehydrate

FR

UIT

S

Apples ✓ ✓ Most fruits

can be

preserved in

brine but

probably

need to be

added to

vegetables

because the

high sugar

content

could turn to

wine.

✓

Blackberries ✓ ✓ ✓

Blueberries ✓ ✓ ✓

Cherries ✓ ✓ ✓

Figs ✓ ✓ ✓

Peaches ✓ ✓ ✓

Pears ✓ ✓ ✓

Plums ✓ ✓ ✓

Rhubarb ✓ ✓

Strawberries ✓ ✓ ✓

VE

GE

TA

BLE

S

Asparagus ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Broccoli/Cauliflower ✓ ✓

Carrots ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Corn ✓ ✓ ✓

Cucumbers ✓ Can be frozen

but not used as

you would fresh

✓ ✓

Green Beans ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Onions ✓ ✓ ✓

Peas ✓ ✓ ✓

Peppers ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Potatoes ✓ Can be frozen

but must be

prepared

properly

✓

Tomatoes ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Squash ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

MIS

C.

Dried Beans ✓ ✓

Broth ✓ ✓ ✓

Meat ✓ ✓ ✓

Soup ✓ ✓


Preservation Goals for ____ Use this worksheet to set your preservation goals for the year

Item Can Freeze Ferment Dehydrate Notes

FR

UIT

S

Apples

Blackberries

Blueberries

Cherries

Figs

Peaches

Pears

Plums

Rhubarb

Strawberries

VE

GE

TA

BLE

S

Asparagus

Broccoli/Cauliflower

Carrots

Corn

Cucumbers

Green Beans

Onions

Peas

Peppers

Potatoes

Tomatoes

Squash

MIS

C.

Dried Beans

Broth

Meat

Soup


Canned, Fermented, and Dried Foods Use this worksheet to keep track of your preserved food

Item Canned Fermented Dehydrated Notes Qt Pt 8oz 4oz

FR

UIT

S

Apples

Blackberries

Blueberries

Cherries

Figs

Peaches

Pears

Plums

Rhubarb

Strawberries

VE

GE

TA

BLE

S

Asparagus

Broccoli/Cauliflower

Carrots

Corn

Cucumbers

Green Beans

Onions

Peas

Peppers

Potatoes

Tomatoes

Squash

MIS

C.

Dried Beans

Broth

Meat

Soup


Freezer Storage Inventory Use this worksheet to keep track of your frozen storage food

Item Date Amount Notes

FR

UIT

S

VE

GE

TA

BLE

S

Me

at

& M

isc.

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