Man Made DIY

I’ve been doing a lot of canning this summer because I really like the combined elements of food and craft. Plus, there’s something to be said about looking at a cupboard full of preserved fruits and vegetables in your kitchen during the middle of some future snow storm. There’s no better feeling. But what about your lonely fridge that’s craving some of-the-moment produce right now? That's what fridge pickling is for. No bulky canning tools, worrying about acidity levels, or boiling water necessary. Instead, you replace those with the satisfaction of getting to eat your produce the next day by following a few simple steps

Some people like to pickle cucumbers, but to me there is nothing better than a crunchy pickled green bean. Add some Asian flavors, and you won't be able to keep your hands out of… read more

"Why preserve a lemon," you're probably asking. Well, cause they're fabulous, and the secret ingredient of North African cuisine. With a jar of these homemade guys, you now have access to a whole new twist on Mediterranean cuisine, without a shred of Parmigiano Reggiano in sight.

Farm City author Novella Carpenter shares this story: "There’s this lemon tree in an abandoned lot a block down the street from my house (and urban farm) in Oakland, CA. For months I’ve walked past and thought, “Damn, that’s a lot of lemons!” Meyers lemons, I could smell them — sweeter than regular lemons... If we didn’t pick them all, they would have gone to waste. It’s also good for a lemon tree to have its fruit picked. Harvesting stimulates it to make more fruit, to flower and go on doing its job. And so we picked almost all of them."

Still not convinced its worth your time? Just Google it. You want some of this.… read more