The Shepherdess
Grace is an entrepreneur, Shepherdess, and rotational grazing enthusiast. This eclectic mix converges here on the Shepherdess Podcast where we talk about regenerative farming for profit, raising Dorper sheep, and daily life as a small-scale, regenerative farmer.
The Shepherdess
Food Preservation 101 with Carolyn of Homesteading Family | What I Learned After Canning 500lbs of Meat
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
🐑 Sign up for my FREE one-hour masterclass on raising, grazing, and marketing sheep for $480 per head
📙 Order my book for beginner sheep farmers on small acreage
I was so excited to sit down with Carolyn of Homesteading Family, whose videos gave me a huge head start on my first pressure canning project. We cover water bath vs. pressure canning, the most common mistakes that lead to failed seals and siphoning, and how Carolyn shapes her family’s diet around what actually grows and preserves well instead of trying to stock her pantry like a grocery store. If you're new to food preservation or looking to simplify a system that's become too much work, this episode is full of practical, tested advice you can begin using today!
TIMESTAMPS
00:00:00 Introduction to Carolyn’s North Idaho homestead and how she arrived at this lifestyle
00:06:20 Why community sufficiency beats total self-sufficiency
00:08:03 Shaping your diet around what you actually grow instead of stocking every ingredient in your pantry
00:10:25 Practical tips to streamline your growing, preserving, and eating
00:14:12 Fighting homestead burnout by giving up the pressure to “do it all”
00:17:20 Water bath vs. pressure canning, and the pH science behind food safety
00:22:54 Signs that your canned food has gone bad, and what's actually safe to eat
00:26:35 Troubleshooting failed seals, fat layers, and siphoning in the jar
00:34:45 Nutrient loss in canned vs. freeze-dried food and how to build a rotation system
00:40:16 Practical ways to fit canning into your schedule and choosing the right canning equipment
00:44:21 Troubleshooting liquid loss and when to choose freeze-drying instead of canning
RESOURCES MENTIONED
Shop the All American Pressure Canners—Carolyn’s top choice for pressure canning
Check out the Presto Electric Canner she recommends for beginners
Get step-by-step guidance from Carolyn’s canning class on water bath canning, pressure canning, safety, and recipes
Subscribe to the Homestead Kitchen Magazine for tested preserving recipes, homesteading tips, and more!
CONNECT WITH CAROLYN
Website: https://homesteadingfamily.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/HomesteadingFamily
Podcast: https://homesteadingfamily.com/podcasts/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/homesteadingfamily/?hl=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/homesteadingfamily/
CONNECT WITH ME
Email: shepherdess@shepherdess.com
Patreon: http://bit.ly/ShepherdessPatreon
Blog: http://bit.ly/ShepherdessBLOG
Merch: http://bit.ly/ShepherdessMERCH
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/harmonyfarms.shepherdess/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HarmonyFarmsDorpers
MORE FROM THIS EPISODE
View full show notes and transcript on the blog