Preservation Link Roundup 2/11/10

Homegrown.org points out that the Smithsonian Institute has an incredible collection of vintage seed catalogs, which they then use to turn into gorgeous homemade seed envelopes (DIY Seed Envelopes: Museum-Quality). Why not use some of these images to make jar labels?

Couponing in Critical Times has a post that not only shares local bargains (if you live in Knoxville, TN) but, if you scroll near the bottom, has a very nice set of tips for using dehydrated fruits (Stockpiling, Emergency Preparedness, and Food Security). For example,

Most recipes call for you to rehydrate the foods in a warm liquid. Instead of using water, try to use a more flavorful liquid. For fruits use warm juice or if you prefer wine or brandy. For vegetables, use the cooking liquid from your soup or a stock or broth.

Food preservation guru Linda Ziedrich discusses her experiment with curing her own olives, one batch with brine, one with lye (Cure Your Own Olives). She uses the University of California's Olives: Safe Methods for Home Pickling - ANR publication 8267 [PDF]. Another note, she lets us know that you can buy raw olives online, if you don't have a tree readily available, or want to try different varieties.