Fresh Picks

Capturing the peak flavor of freshly harvested produce and preserving it for year-round eating is easier than ever, with this ultimate guide to freezing and enjoying fruits and vegetables.

“Invaluable information about the art of freezing—a must-have homesteading resource!” ?—Deanna Talerico, creator of Homestead and Chill

Author Crystal Schmidt’s time-tested preparation techniques ensure that color, texture, and flavor are retained in the freezer. From familiar favorites like apples, corn, potatoes, and peas to surprises like lettuce, avocado, and citrus fruits, Schmidt details the best ways to prepare each food for the freezer, including pre-cooking, slicing, blanching, and more. She offers more than 100 recipes, such as:

• Blueberry Maple Pancake Sauce
• Pickled Sliced Beets
• Mango Chutney
• Honey Butter Carrot Mash
• Creamy Parmesan Confetti Corn
• Tart Cherry Oatmeal Bars
• Broccoli Cheese Soup

Home cooks and gardeners alike will love discovering how easy and economical it can be to fill your freezer with produce customized to your own tastes and needs.

This updated and revised bestselling guide to fermenting vegetables shares even more recipes, techniques, and a greater emphasis on zero-waste processes.

Since the first edition of Fermented Vegetables was published in 2014, enthusiasm for fermentation has bubbled over—in part, because of the ongoing research into the importance of gut health. Unlike other forms of food preservation, fermenting offers the benefit of boosting gut health while introducing unique flavors into ordinary dishes. Kirsten and Christopher Shockey have been at the forefront of the fermentation movement and are two of its most widely respected teachers.

Fermented Vegetables has become the go-to reference for people who want to start fermenting; its broad scope, accessible recipes, and attractive package, combined with the Shockeys’ authority, are a winning combination. The second edition of the book builds on the success of the first, with new techniques like using Japanese pickle beds and turning ferments into seasoning pastes and powders. It includes 65 new recipes; other recipes that utilize fermented foods have been revised to minimize the use of animal products and alcohol.

In addition, the authors have written 8 new fruit and vegetable entries and 12 new profiles, which feature producers from around the world. All information about the science of gut health has been updated to reflect the enormous amount of research that has been done over the last decade.

Brew your own kombucha at home! With more than 400 recipes, including 268 unique flavor combinations, you can get all the health benefits from this fermented drink—for a fraction of the store-bought price.

This complete guide, from the proprietors of Kombucha Kamp, shows you how to do it from start to finish, with illustrated step-by-step instructions and troubleshooting tips. The book also includes information on the many gut health benefits of kombucha, fascinating details of the drink’s history, and recipes for delicious foods and drinks you can make with kombucha (including some irresistible cocktails!).

Silver Nautilus Book Award Winner

With her in-depth guide, bestselling author Kirsten K. Shockey takes readers on a deep dive into the science of vinegar as well as the basics of equipment, brewing, bottling, and aging to give readers the foundational skills and knowledge for fermenting their own vinegar.

With its long history as a folk remedy for a variety of health conditions, Apple Cider Vinegar has achieved cult status among natural health enthusiasts. But many don’t realize that there is a whole world of options beyond store-bought ACV or distilled white vinegar. In fact, vinegar can be made from anything with fermentable sugar, whether leftover juicing pulp or brown bananas, wildflowers, or beer. The wide-ranging possibilities are alive in this ancient condiment, health tonic, and global kitchen staple.

As the book delves into the many methods and ingredients for making vinegars, from apple cider to red wine to rice to aged balsamic, Shockey shares insights into vinegar-making traditions around the world and her own recipes for making vinegar tonics, infused vinegars, and oxymels.

This essential companion for putting your food dehydrator to work features instructions and techniques for creating dried versions of your favorite foods.

You’ll learn to dry fruits and vegetables at their peak, giving you an easy and economical way to stock your pantry with apple rings, mango slices, banana chips, dried soup beans, tomatoes, and much more for year-round enjoyment. In addition, drying guidelines for specialty items like meat jerky, fruit leather, dried herb and spice mixtures, backpacking meals, and even baby food round out this friendly handbook.

The must-have reference guide to all the methods used for preserving every type of food—from canning vegetables to making fruit wines to curing meat—with more than 250 recipes and creative zero-waste options.

Featuring clear step-by-step instructions and original photography, Essential Food Preserving is organized by type of food, with multiple preservation methods for each one, so you can preserve almost anything in a variety of ways, including:

• Canning
• Fermenting
• Brewing beer, wine, and vinegar
• Pickling
• Making jams and jellies
• Drying
• Smoking
• Cold storage

Food-preserving expert Julia Skinner focuses on minimizing waste; every part is used, including the byproducts of processes. Just as important as her comprehensive approach is Julia’s expert curation of the topic and creative recipes that go beyond the basics.