Frugal Fridays: Share the Bounty
Canning, freezing and drying food are ways to preserve the abundance of your garden for the winter months. Not only does it provide delicious, nutritious food but it can save money. Especially if the food you preserve is free!
So far this season I have canned 36 pints of pears and dried about 30 lbs of potatoes. Right now I'm in the process of drying and canning apples, 24 pints and almost 2 gallons of dried apples so far. I have almost a bushel to go. All of this wonderful produce was given to me by good friends.
My Frugal Friday tip is to let family and friends know that you will be willing to take any extra produce off their hands.
Be willing to exchange some labor for the opportunity to receive it. Maybe there is an older person who can no longer can or preserve and would be happy to exchange the fruit from their apple trees for a dozen or so jars of canned fruit and apple butter. Maybe a busy mom would love to have someone pick pears from her tree in exchange for half of what you can or dry. If you are the one with the produce but no time to preserve it, approach a friend about preserving it for you in exchange for a share.
Check out Crystal's site for other Frugal Friday Tips.
6 comments:
Yummy... I have a peck of apples that I need to do something with. Apples are my favorite, I should learn to can. Thanks for commenting on my blog.
Join me on Thursdays when I host Thirsty Thursday meme. I'm going to be guest hosting Toolin' Up Tuesday this upcoming week over at LifeAsMOM too... join in the fun!
I have not done nearly as much canning this year as I usually do. I am regretting it! That is so wonderful you were able to get that much food for free! What a blessing!
That is one of my goals when we get out of the army and settled in our own place. My own garden and fruit trees. I also am going to spend a summer with my cousin and have her teach me canning. I'm a little familiar with it, but not enough to do it on my own. My mother preserved things but she did freezing. I will prefer to can.
It has been a blessing to have so much given to us. I have some good friends.
Rebecca I like to can, freeze and dry food because I don't like depending on just one method. Drying takes up so much less space and makes sense if I'm going to use the food in a way that works well with it. I like to can better than freezing but there are items I like frozen better, like green beans. I don't like pressure canning and prefer freezing those items instead. It is good to know the basics of all methods.
Oh my Goodness. You got me beat, I am doing tomato's today and they seem to be growing bright red every day, more and more. I have almost stopped people on the road and ask if they would please take a tomato....
Happy fall, we are going to be so glad we got all this food in the dead of winter.
Your, Mary
What a great frugal idea, and it also prevents waste! It makes me sad when I see a tree laden with rotting fruit.
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