Food preserving can be quick & simple.

Most people believe that food preserving means slaving away in a hot kitchen for 12 hours a day. But, it doesn’t have to be all about canning. There are lots of simple things you can do instead.

You don’t need a lot of fancy equipment or tons of free time. You don’t need to be an expert with a commercial kitchen. You can be a regular person with a busy life who wants her hour or two of weekend food preserving to deliver big results.

You can put away a lot of food for delicious meals throughout the year with small and simple steps during harvest season.

Last October I was delighted and amazed when I took stock of what I accomplished at the end of food preserving season. I put a lot of food away for winter meals, but I didn’t feel like I had spent a lot time doing it. I didn’t give up weekends and evenings, and didn’t toil away in the kitchen for hours. My chest freezer and fridge were full, and my basement was stacked with crates and boxes of produce.

Looking back, I realized that I had broken my food preserving into quick sessions that added up to an overflowing pantry by the end of the season. (And I was still using some of those vegetables for cooking 10 months later!)

Food preserving can feel overwhelming - but not when we do it together!

It’s the height of the harvest season and food preserving can feel overwhelming. It’s often a solitary activity that we each do alone in our kitchens, which means it can be difficult to keep up motivation and momentum. So, let’s come together and do it as a community instead!

Food Preserving For Busy People is a four week online class where you’ll (virtually) gather with other gardeners and food preservers to learn how to quickly and easily preserve your favorite vegetables, fruits and herbs to use in delicious meals the rest of the year. I know you don’t have time to spend hours in the kitchen every week, so we’ll keep in simple, basic and fun!

Join a community of like-minded gardeners and food preservers!

This course if for you if:

  • Food preserving feels overwhelming. You’re not sure where to start, you don’t know what equipment you need, and you have no idea how much time to set aside.
  • You run out of energy for food preserving each year and end up giving away or wasting extra produce from your garden.
  • You feel like you’d benefit from my expert advice and want individualized feedback throughout the process.
  • You’d love to have a pantry full of fruits, vegetables and herbs to get your through the winter with less store bought produce.
  • You want to learn simple food preserving steps and shortcuts made for every day people with busy lives. 
  • You love the idea of getting support and encouragement from a community of people who make gardening and food preserving a joyful priority in their lives.

At the end of the four weeks you’ll have a pantry full of flavor packed produce for use in delicious, healthy meals all year round. Fruit for smoothies and desserts, herbs and herb sauces to accent your dishes, and vegetables for everyday meals and holiday celebrations!

So glad you taught me about freezing so many vegetables! I love turning slow food into fast food. Salsa and pizza sauce are my favorite things to make and preserve from the garden.
Abby Ross

Here's what you'll learn during our 4 weeks together:

  • Week 1: Preparing to Preserve
    • How to make sure you’re preserving only what you eat so that you’re making the most of your time and energy.
    • Guidance in setting your priorities for food preserving this season so you set yourself up for success.
    • Why you don’t have to grow everything you preserve and suggestions for sourcing vegetables outside of your garden.
    • A complete explanation of the supplies you’ll need and where to source them (many you may already have in your kitchen!).
    • If you’ve already done the 7 Day Free Challenge I’ll have some bonus material for you to work on during this week.
  • Week 2: Mastering Fresh & Fridge Storage

    You can use cool spaces in your house and your refrigerator to store fresh produce for long amounts of time. (Like 12 months!)

    • We’ll delve into which foods you can store fresh right in your house without any refrigeration or root cellaring and which vegetables are best for keeping in the fridge.
    • I’ll walk you through each vegetable: the best time to harvest/buy it, how to prepare it for storage, what containers to use, and which varieties are best for extended storage.
    • You’ll learn how to create the optimal conditions to make the food last as long as possible.
    • Bonus: We’ll have a quick lesson in planning your garden for fresh and fridge storage for next year.
  • Week 3: Mastering Freezer Storage

    Freezing vegetables is one of the most popular and simple ways to extend your harvest for up to a year.

    • You’ll learn the different methods for preparing vegetables, fruits and herbs for freezer storage.
    • We’ll go step by step through several of the most popular vegetables and I’ll share my tips and tricks to make freezing quick and easy.
    • You’ll learn the options for the best containers so that your frozen food lasts as long as possible.
    • Bonus: We’ll have a short lesson in planning your garden for freezer storage for next year.
  • Week 4: Easy Recordkeeping & Making Delicious Meals
    • You’ll learn why record keeping is critical to saving time and energy  and my quick tips for keeping it simple.
    • I’ll share my top favorite recipes gathered over the years for highlighting stored vegetables, fruits and herbs.
    • I’ll demonstrate how to cook with frozen vegetables so they don’t come out overcooked or underdone.
    • You’ll end the class with my tried and true resources for recipes and tips for finding new dishes to feature your preserved food.

What the class includes:

  • Each week you’ll receive an audio/video lesson over email with lots of full color photos, clear and specific worksheets, templates, examples, and personal stories.
  • Super Easy Food Preserving Print/Ebook Bundle. Both the print and digital versions of my book, Super Easy Food Preserving.
  • Food Preserving For Busy People Facebook Group. Join a group of enthusiastic, like minded gardeners in this supportive, fun, and private Facebook group just for class participants. Group support helps you stay on task, quickly troubleshoot problems, and get the answers you need to successfully preserve food.
  • Personal Q&A with me! I’ll be participating in the Facebook group daily, so you can ask me any and all of your questions about food preserving. I want to make sure you feel supported and successful throughout the whole class.
  • Lifetime Access. Once you purchase the class you have access to it as long as it exists. You can revisit topics and lessons each year at the beginning of food preserving season to help you get prepared. You’ll also receive future updates and bonuses as they’re added.

Super Easy Food Preserving Ebook & Print Book:

Easy Food Preserving

I feel relieved that I'm not wasting any more precious time or food. I'm delighted thinking about the warm weather treats I'm storing away: preserved berries for a January pancake brunch or spicing up a cozy November night with homemade tomato sauce from my very own garden.
Elizabeth Ellen

Why Me?

Over the past 12 years as a garden educator I’ve taught thousands of gardeners of all levels how to get more from their food preserving. And I practice everything I preach in my own kitchen and garden! I’ve been putting away food for use in delicious meals during the off season for many years. I like the process to be simple, quick and painless. I know what works and my passion is sharing that knowledge with you! I like to strip things back to the basics so I can help you skip over the beginner mistakes and get more from your food preserving, sooner.

Megan has a unmistakable sincerity to equip others to be successful in their gardening efforts and to have fun doing it!
Kelli George

Registration is now closed.

Just because you have a busy life doesn’t mean you can’t work in some super simple food preserving during harvest season. With a few strategic sessions over several weeks you’ll end up with a pantry full of tasty produce to use in meals all year round!

 

 

FAQ's

There are lots of food preserving books and information out there. Couldn’t I just learn this all by reading?

There is a plethora of food preserving information out there. One common complaint I hear from clients is that the information is often contradictory, confusing, and overwhelming to them. I’ve worked with thousands of gardeners over the years and I know what works and what doesn’t. I strongly believe that you need to master the basics first before your start getting caught up in unnecessary details. You don’t need to read a pile of food preserving books – I’ve distilled the information for you!

Is this class about canning?

I’m not a big fan of canning for beginners because it can be overwhelming, scary and expensive. I like to keep my food preserving simple, so I use quicker techniques than canning. I walk you through them all step by step in the class.

Will you answer my questions about my own personal food preserving challenges?

Yes! I’d love to. That’s why we’ll have a private Facebook group. I’ll be there every day to answer your questions, offer advice and insight, and help you build a food preserving plan that works for you.

What if I’m just starting out food preserving?

If you’re new to food preserving then you’ve come to the right place! I’ll help you skip over the beginner mistakes that trip up most novice food preservers. Through this class you’ll be preserving food right the first time. You’ll get great results right away instead of taking several years to understand the basics.

What if I already do a lot of food preserving?
If you already have a food preserving routine you might feel ready for a fresh perspective and new ideas on how to make it go more quickly and easily. During the class you’ll have the opportunity to ask me specific questions about your techniques. You’re familiar with your strengths and you also know where you want to improve. I share a lot of details about my own food preserving in the class and you’ll also learn from the other students in the Facebook group.

How can I make time to participate in this workshop?
We’re all very busy and that’s one of the reasons I developed this workshop. You don’t have time to read tons of books, spend hours on the internet and take lots of classes trying to figure out how to preserve food successfully. I’ve taken all of my knowledge and boiled it down to the essentials so you can learn quickly and then get to work preserving food. The modules are available 24 hours a day/7 days a week so you can take each one when it works for you.

Do I have enough computer experience to take this workshop?
If you know how to click on a link, enter a password, and press play then you have enough computer know-how for this workshop! If you have any trouble I will be here to help you.

What if I don’t have a Facebook account?
Joining the private Facebook group adds a lot of value to the class experience. Participants share photos and stories, ask for input on preserving challenges and ask questions about the class material. That being said, it’s your decision whether you want to join the group. It’s not mandatory. If you aren’t a fan of Facebook you can always open a temporary account and delete it after the class.

How much time will it take me to complete the course content each week?
It all depends on how deeply you want to delve into the material and your own garden planning. You should be able to watch the lessons and do the homework in 1 hour per week. You might choose to do more as you get excited about the process!

If I discover the course isn’t right for me do you offer refunds?
I want to you to be happy with this class. If you watch all of the lessons, complete all of the homework and still aren’t satisfied I will refund your money.

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