If you're planning to try your hand at preserving this summer, but still shopping the grocery store aisles until then, consider choosing products that come in glass canning jars. These jars have threads that will accommodate canning lids and rings so that rather than simply recycling the glass, the jars can be added to your collection. I have quite a few of these kinds of jars. The only drawback is that the labels leave a sticky residue, but that's a small price to pay for being able to use the jar over and over again. Both Classico and Barilla pasta sauces come in canning-type jars (Classico has a few organic options, too) as do certain brands of fruits. I'm sure selection varies by region, but look for glass jars that have raised measurement markings on the outside.
Photo by makdune
I read recently that seeds saved from a pepper are easy to grow. Of course, I had to try it. Instead of discarding the seeds from a jalapeno pepper I was cooking with, I stuck several of them into a small container full of potting mix. I now have several pepper seedlings that I can plant out in the garden once they’re a bit bigger. I’m going to try the same with banana peppers and bell peppers, too, rather than purchasing seeds or plants.
