Countryman Know How

3 primary works

Preserving Everything

by Leda Meredith

Published 4 August 2014

There are many ways to preserve a strawberry. You can freeze it, dry it, pickle it or can it. Milk gets cultured or fermented and is preserved as cheese or yogurt. Fish can be smoked, salted, dehydrated and preserved in oil. Cucumbers become pickles. There is no end to the magic of food preservation and in Preserving Everything, Leda Meredith leads readers—both new to the art and old hands—in every sort of preservation technique imaginable.

The Forager's Feast

by Leda Meredith

Published 18 April 2016

Delicious wild edible plants and mushrooms are abundant throughout North America, not only in the wilderness but in urban areas, too. Learn how to identify, harvest, and eat the tastiest plants in your backyard. Intended as much for the cooking enthusiast as for the survivalist, this book includes recipes that will transform even the most common edible backyard weeds into guest-worthy fare. Even experienced foragers will be impressed with plantain leaf chips that are crisper and tastier than kale chips. Dandelion flowers become wine, Japanese knotweed becomes rhubarb-like compote and tangy sorbet, red clover blossoms give quick bread a delightfully spongy texture and hint of sweetness.

Pickling Everything

by Leda Meredith

Published 15 March 2019

Pickling is more than a form of food preservation. It is also a way of turning mild-flavored vegetables and fruits into crunchy, tangy side dishes and intensely flavored condiments. In Pickling Everything, food preservation expert Leda Meredith covers the ins and outs of home pickling, explaining the differences between lacto-fermented probiotic pickles and vinegar-based pickling and how to pickle and can safely. In addition to favorites like cucumbers, green beans, and beets, she includes recipes for nuts, legumes, eggs, and meats, encouraging readers to try something new. The 80+ recipes include:

• Half Sours (deli dills)
• Tabasco-Style Hot Sauce
• 48-Hour Mixed Garden Pickles
• Spiced Pickled Plums

Make the most of garden and farmers’ market abundance, create fabulous gifts, and expand your pantry with the unique flavors of pickled foods.