Canning ham is not the same job as canning fresh pork. Grocery-store ham, spiral-cut ham, and country ham are cured. The National Center for Home Food Preservation does not support using fresh-meat canning times for cured, brined, or corned meats,…
Water bath canning recipes work only when the food is acidic enough that boiling water can keep it safe on a pantry shelf. That usually means fruit, jams and jellies, pickles, relishes, chutneys, and tomatoes or salsas that have been…
Canning jalapeno peppers is safe when you match the method to the recipe. Vinegar pickles go in a boiling water bath. Plain peppers packed in water go in a pressure canner. Those two paths are not interchangeable, and that is…
Cooked chicken can be home-canned, but only in a pressure canner, and only with the tested hot-pack method: cook the meat until it is about two-thirds done, pack it hot with broth, and process for the full time at the…
Tomato paste can be canned at home, but only with a tested recipe written for paste—not a scaled-down sauce recipe. The National Center for Home Food Preservation (NCHFP) method uses 14 pounds of Roma or other paste-type tomatoes, 1 teaspoon…
Living in Florida means lush greenery, vibrant blooms, and year-round growing seasons—but it also means dealing with persistent pests that love the heat and humidity just as much as we do. I’ve spent over a decade tending to my backyard…
If you’re tending a garden, managing a home, or running a business in Miami, you already know the truth: pests aren’t just occasional visitors—they’re full-time residents. From ants marching through your kitchen to mosquitoes buzzing at sunset, Miami’s warm, humid…
Imagine stepping into your backyard and picking crisp lettuce, juicy tomatoes, or peppery radishes—all grown by your own hands. That’s the magic of growing garden veggies, and it’s easier than you think. Whether you’re planting in raised beds, containers, or…
Let’s be honest—most of us see a spider scuttling across the soil or a beetle munching on a leaf and our first instinct is to squish it. But what if I told you that those tiny garden bugs you’re tempted…
There’s something deeply satisfying about stepping into your backyard and feeling like you’ve entered your own private sanctuary. No prying eyes, no traffic noise, just the rustle of leaves and the scent of blooming shrubs. That’s exactly what I discovered…