Reducing bushels of the best tomatoes or new-crop apples to a couple jars’ worth of space on the pantry shelves is worthwhile if you have good ways to use that dried produce—even if it’s just as snacks and healthful lunchbox filler.
Ferments
To Can or Not to Can?
Since I wrote the first edition of this book, I’ve come to understand and appreciate the benefits of fermentation more fully—especially after long discussions and email exchanges with my friend Leda Scheintaub , a fermentation expert. (You should definitely read her book Cultured Foods for Your Kitchen yogurt , promote digestive health by encouraging the development of a diverse range of microbiota in the digestive system. They also help to make nutrients in foods more bio-available. So please feel free to skip the canning step when it comes to fermented foods (my new favorite fermented preserve —coarsely chopped cabbage with fresh turmeric root and spices); simply cover and refrigerate them when they’re as tangy as you like, and use them live.
