The Preserver's Garden - by Staci And Jeremy Hill (Hardcover)

About the Book

"The Preserver's Garden is an essential guide to planning and planting a garden specifically for the preservation and long-term storage of the harvest"-- Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

Discover how to plan, plant, and grow a garden with food preservation and long-term storage in mind--plus, meet seven different preservation techniques.

Growing a garden with the intent to preserve the harvest and improve your self-sufficiency is an entirely different world than growing food for fresh consumption. When growing for preservation, your efforts need to be focused on the promotion of uniform ripening, high yields, and flavor that remains stable through the preservation process. Since the end goal is to have plenty of food to eat for months to come, how do you know how much to plant, which varieties are best, and which preservation method is ideal for each different vegetable and fruit? In The Preserver's Garden, you'll learn all that and so much more from a modern farming family with a pantry lined with jar after jar of preserved homegrown treasures, a fully stocked freezer, and endless bags of dehydrated and freeze-dried goodies!

In addition to taking a deep dive into seven different methods of food preservation--including freezing, drying/dehydration, pressure canning, water bath canning, salting, freeze drying, and fermenting--authors Staci and Jeremy Hill of @goosberrybridgefarm teach you how to:

• Plan your garden around the veggies your family eats the most.
• Figure out how much to grow to meet your preservation goals.
• Decide which preservation methods are best for your harvest and your home.
• Safely prepare your harvest for processing and preservation.
• Achieve success in growing a lot of food organically, with less time and less work.

Also included are 22 in-depth produce profiles--from tomatoes and squash to onions and berries--where you'll learn specifics about everything from growing requirements and harvesting tips to the best preservation methods and plant care techniques to increase the harvest. It's time to plan for your family's future with help from The Preserver's Garden.

Review Quotes

"...essential to anyone who has ever had too many apricots or tomatoes to consume and didn't want them to go to waste. With the processing techniques found here, you will never worry about what to do with an overly abundant harvest again. This is a book where you learn something new on every page."

--Joshua Siskin, Orange County Register

The information is useful to gardeners at all levels, with room for beginner growers to feel inspired to take the next step in their homesteading...excels at teaching and inspiring...a testament to gardeners who strive to make the most of their growth and live off the land."

--Cavit Ireland, Washington Gardener

"It is one of the best introductory books I have seen, allowing those with a home garden or a homestead to take advantage of these money-saving techniques. I consider this book a must for any food gardener!"

--Susan Bewley, Budget Earth

"The Preserver's Garden is a valuable resource no matter how large or small your garden is. You'll pick up plenty of helpful tips, choose great crops to grow, and perhaps try some new preservation techniques."

--Susan Mulvihill, Susan's in the Garden

"The Preserver's Garden is a heartfelt and empowering guide that brings the pantry and garden together in the most inspiring way. Staci and Jeremy have created something truly special for anyone longing to grow and preserve food with intention."

--Jill Ragan of @whisperingwillowfrm, author of The Tiny But Mighty Farm

"We opened The Preserver's Garden to 'just get a few ideas' and accidentally planned a five-year tomato strategy and a three-year crop rotation. 10/10!"

--Mary and Magdalene (M&M) from @busyhomebodies

About the Author

Staci and Jeremy Hill are the owners of Gooseberry Bridge Farm (@gooseberrybridgefarm), located in the Ozark Mountains of Southwest Missouri. They moved from the typical "house at the end of a cul-de-sac in a subdivision" to a 11.6 acre farm almost ten years ago and haven't looked back! In addition to producing and preserving as much of their own foods as possible by canning, freezing, dehydrating, and freeze drying their garden harvests, they also operate a you-pick flower farm with different varieties of flowers throughout the year. Their goals are to share their farm with the community and to be as self-sufficient as possible, within the boundaries of what is realistic in today's world.