Fresh corn cut right off the cob, a bushel of peas, fresh baked muffins and other desserts from fruits you just picked; no, this is not a scene from days gone by, it is still possible to get that fresh taste you remember as a child. For areas that have local Farmers Markets, you know the food you are buying is fresh and local. Hopefully this book will help even the novice learn how to easily prepare and preserve fresh, healthy foods for their family. This step by step book will show you what type of produce is best for preserving, what equipment you will need for freezing as well as for canning your fresh fruits and vegetables. Try the recipes which are made from those fresh fruits and vegetables. It is important these days that we know where and how our food is processed. With all the scares over the past several years, isn't it time we take charge of we put on the table for our family? Growing up and then raising a family in rural Northeast Florida, farming has always been a way of life for us. For years I have enjoyed working side-by-side with my husband and children on our family farm. We plant, nourish, and harvest the crops knowing that the fruits of our labor will be well rewarded in the winter months ahead. It is important to me to be able to place a homegrown, great tasting meal in front of my family and friends. I so enjoy watching them all eat the food that was grown right here on our farm. I pray the next generations will value the work and benefits that we have in producing some of the foods we place on our table.