How to Clean and Store your Produce to make it Last Longer

This method is something I have been doing for years now, and I can't say enough about it.  Knowing how to properly store your produce items is key to prolonging trips to the grocery store, cutting down on meal prep, and most importantly, not throwing away money on food that goes bad. 

I am a big believer in organization.  The same holds true when it comes to my food.  Grocery shopping days require an hour or so of my time afterwards getting everything cleaned and put away properly.  This ensures that meal prep throughout the rest of the week/weeks is easier and quick.

Cleaning Produce

Before I put any produce "away", I wash it first.  I do this for 2 reasons:

Canning Apricot Nectar - How To

**2015 UPDATE: When this post was originally created, I was using a steamer for this tutorial.  Since then the FDA has deemed steamers unfit for healthy canning practices, since the necessary internal temperature for killing bacteria and microorganisms is harder to regulate in a steam canner.  Please be advised that you should use a hot water bath canner.

Since this is by far my most popular post ever on this blog, and because apricot season will be here shortly, I have decided to repost this for all of you newbies.

My brother has two apricot tree's.  He let me come and pick as many as I wanted; I can't pass up free fruit.

Instead of just bottling apricot halves, he gave me the idea to do apricot nectar instead.

I had never done it before, but it was really easy.

And I must say that I am overly excited to have that addition to my food storage.

I was seriously lacking in the drink department.

Anyway, if you want to make some of your own, here's how to do it:

Bottled Apricot Nectar