Regardless of whether you had a large harvest of food from the garden this year, or simply found a lot of cucumbers on sale at the grocery store, preserving food is an excellent way to provide yourself with a little more self-sufficiency in the winter months. While canning and dehydrating are common methods of food preservation, another method to consider is fermentation! Fermented foods add a unique flavor to your meals and provide you with beneficial probiotics.
For this month’s contest, we’re giving away a fermentation starter kit including a 1.3-gallon fermenting crock and the book Fermented Vegetables.
Want to learn more about preserving food at home? Check out our articles about fermentation recipes, dehydrator recipes, and our guide to canning at home.
Insteading December Contest GiveawayReady to sign up? To enter, submit your email below and share this contest with your friends via Email, Facebook, or Pinterest for an extra entry.
Past Competitions:
- 2019-11: Homesteading Starter Library: Storey’s Guide to Raising Chickens, The Beekeeper’s Bible, Practical Permaculture, and Homesteading: A Backyard Guide. Winner: TBA from TBA
- 2019-10: Cast Iron Cooking Set: a 5-quart cast iron dutch oven, a 12-inch cast-iron skillet, and The Dutch Oven Cookbook Winner: Jackie G. from California
- 2019-09: 3-Tray Worm Composter. Winner: Nina E. from Massachusetts
- 2019-08: Sourdough Bread Making Kit: Bread Proofing Basket, a Sourdough Starter Jar, a Dough Scraper, a Cast Iron Dutch Oven Bread Pan, and Artisan Sourdough Made Simple. Winner: Karrie L. from Florida
- 2019-07: Canning Starter Kit: Granite Ware canning set, the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving, a set of 12 Ball canning jars, and Ball canning labels. Winner: Connie B. from New York
- 2019-06: 5-Tray Excalibur Dehydrator. Winner: Kari P. from New York
- 2019-05: Summer Garden Maintenance Tools: a soaker hose, a 4-claw weeder, pruning shears, and a hori-hori knife. Winner: Kayla from Pennsylvania
- 2019-04: Compost Tumbler. Winner: Deidre H. from Lethbridge, AB
- 2019-03: Seed Starting Kit: Heirloom seed bank and Seed growing heat mat and germination station. Winner: Amanda F. from Nevada
- 2019-02: Wild Edibles Foraging Kit: The Forager’s Harvest Handbook, a foraging basket, a foraging knife, bamboo work gloves, and pruning shears. Winner: Paula C. from North Carolina
- 2019-01: 50-Gallon Rain Barrel. Winner: Daryl S. from Illinois
- 2018-12: Spring Garden Prep Kit: Backyard Homesteader Seasonal Planner, a metal raised garden bed, and a hori-hori knife. Winner: Jarib B. from Oregon.
- 2018-11: Bird Feeder Kit: Handmade Cedar Bird Feeder, 16-Pound Bag of Bird Seed, and a bird feeder hook pole. Winner: June G. from Pennsylvania.
- 2018-10: Backyard Shiitake Mushroom Growing Kits: Shiitake Mushroom Farm, and The Book Mushroom Cultivation: An Illustrated Guide to Growing Your Own Mushrooms at Home Winner: Jim C. from California.
- 2018-09: Urban Homesteading Library: The Backyard Homestead, Practical Permaculture, Storey’s Guide to Raising Chickens, and The Beekeeper’s Bible. Winner: Al W. from Minnesota and Susan A. from Victoria, BC.
- 2018-08: Gardening Weeding and Maintenance Set: Hori Hori Knife, Root Assassin Rake, Step and Twist Weeder. Winner: Kathy R. from Washington.
- 2018-07: Canning Starter Kit: Granite Ware canning kit with a blancher, a Put ‘Em Up Canning Book, 12 Ball jars, reusable lids, and canning jar labels. Winner: Nancy H. from Oregon.
- 2018-06: Summer Garden And Planter Set: Hori Hori gardening knife, a Fiskars lopper, a heavy-duty soaker hose, and two 15-inch galvanized hanging planters. Winner: Owen from Toronto, ON
- 2018-05: Tomato Growing Kit: 4 Lifetime tomato cages, an 8 pack heirloom tomato seeds, a Fiskars garden trowel, and the book Growing Tomatoes. Winner: Jacob G. from Texas.
- 2018-04: Gardening With Kids Kit: Giantex raised garden bed, a kids toolset, kids gardening gloves, two gardening books from Pantry Paratus, and an 8 pack of heirloom seeds. Winner: Dirk M. from California.
- 2018-03: Cooking With Cast Iron Set: Lodge cast iron dutch oven, a Lodge cast iron skillet, a set of 2 pan scrapers, and the book Dutch Oven Obsession. Winner: Carol M. from North Carolina.
- 2018-02: Algren Soil Saver Compost Bin. Winner: Laura L. from Oklahoma.
- 2018-01: Spring Garden Prep Kit: Groundbreaking Food Gardens: 73 Plans That Will Change the Way You Grow Your Garden, Certified Organic, Heirloom, Non-GMO Garden Seeds, a Fiskars Big Grip Trowel, and a Gorilla Cart. Winner: Sherry L. from Missouri.
- 2017-12: Fermentation Starter Kit: 1.3-gallon fermenting crock and the book Fermented Vegetables: Creative Recipes for Fermenting 64 Vegetables & Herbs. Winner: Nathan M. from North Dakota.
- 2017-11: Scratch And Peck Chick Starter Kit. Winner: Barbara M. from Arizona & Sandra K. from Arkansas.
- 2017-10: A Set Of Two Giantex Portable Cold Frames. Winner: Melissa S. from Kansas.
- 2017-09: Fall Garden Cleanup Kit: A Fiskars Stand-Up Weeder, a Hori Hori Knife, Pine Tree Tools Bamboo Working Gloves and a Fiskars Kangaroo Gardening Bag. Winner: Barbara S. from Alabama.
- 2017-08: Dehydrator Starter Kit: A 5 Tray Stackable Food Dehydrator by Excalibur, a 400 Recipe Dehydrator Bible, and a 3-Piece Set of Airtight Hinge-Lock Jars. Winner: Anthony G. from New York.
- 2017-07: Ball Canning’s Home Canning Starter Kit: A Ball Canning Starter Kit, Dill Pickle Mix, a 4-Piece Set of Ball Sharing Mason Jars, and the 500+ Precipe Guide to Preserving. Winner: Dave C. from Ohio.
- 2017-06: The Ultimate Drought Fighting Kit: A Heavy Duty Metal Hose Nozzle, a 2.5-Gallon Steel Watering Can, a 50-Foot Rubber Garden Hose by Craftsman, & a 50-Foot Soaker Hose. Winner: Jennifer C. from Massachusetts.
- 2017-05: The Epic Tomato Growing Starter Pack: Set of 4 Heavy Gage Tomato Cages, Assortment of 8 Heirloom Tomato Seed Varieties, & a Copy of Epic Tomatoes Book. Winner: Eileen B. from West Virginia.
- 2017-04: Crown Bee’s BeeWorks™ Cottage Kit: A Cedar Wood Cottage, Trays for Mason & Leafcutter Bees, a “How to” Booklet, & the actual bees themselves. Winner: Katie J. from Washington.
- 2017-03: Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company’s 25-pack Heirloom Seed Collection & Clyde’s Garden Planner. Winner: Nicole B. from Arkansas.
- 2017-02: Two of our favorite gardening time-savers: A Hori Hori Knife Gift Box and a Steel Frame Dump Cart. Winner: Jean C. from Oregon.
- 2017-01: Two sets of books on permaculture: Gaia’s Garden and The Permaculture City. Winners: Maureen L. from Oregon & Michael S. from Washington.
- 2016-12: New Country Organics 50 lb bag of Organic Layer Chicken Feed: Supplemented with Kelp, Alfalfa, & Poultry Nutri-Balancer, formulated with additional Calcium & Flaxseed, Soy-free, 7 Certified Organic. Winner: Michael B. from Indiana.
- 2016-11: Bramble Berry’s Natural Soap Making Kit: Soap Making Tools, Reusable Mold, Essential Oils & Natural Botanicals, Lye, Lather & all other soap ingredients. Winner: Rachel B. from Washington.
- 2016-09/10: Home Canning Starter Kit: A Ball Canning starter kit, a copy of Ball Jar’s Complete Book of Home Preserving, a 12-piece set of Ball Mason Jars with Lids and Bands, and a 60-piece set of Dissolvable Jar Labels. Winner: Dora M. from Michigan.
- 2016-07/08: Dehydrator Starter Kit: A Hamilton Beach 32100A Food Dehydrator, The Dehydrator Bible recipe book, and a 3-piece set of Bormioli Rocco Fido Airtight Hinge-Lock Jars. Winner: Carlin S. from Washington.
- 2016-06: Urban Homesteading Starter Library: The Beekeeper’s Bible, Urban Homestead, and The Chicken Whisperer’s Guide to Keeping Chickens. Winner: Marlene B. from Ohio.
- 2016-05: Felco Pruners, Oyster Mushroom Grow Kit, and Practical Permaculture Book. Winner: Nancy W. from Texas.
Thanks for your kind generosity; good luck everyone!
I Would Love To WIN This Great Giveaway. Thanks For The Chance… Good Luck Everyone.
Thank you so much for holding the great giveaways.
If I win this, it will go a long way in facilitating trainings for women from vulnerable farmer household in developing home gardens for access to diverse and quality foods in Bauchi state (Nigeria). Meanwhile best of luck to all of us!
Awesome giveaway. Thank you Mr. Jamison 🙂
Thanks for the chance to win.
sa serais une belle activiter a faire avec mon arcon
Good way to start.Thank you and good luck to everyone
could be a good gift for me
Un beau cadeau pour jardinner
wow….what a nice gift….thanks for the opportunity….
nice
I like gardening!
This would be great. We’re trying out some new tomatoes this year and this would be so helpful.
Fingers and toes are crossed for this wonderful prize.
I would love this because Growing tomatoes is a top priority! We love them and eat them almost daily. Thanks for the fantastic giveaway. 🙂
Love this one..
Great giveaway!
Thank you for your wonderful opportunity to enter this awesome giveaway. I love gardening. And would really love to have all of these prizes. I’d like to grow tomatoes and other vegetables, so that I can catch him and make sauces and things with. Thank you again.?
thx for my oppurnity i hope everyone wins
thx for my oppurnity i hope everyone wins including me.
it would be great to win this!
Lovely prizes. Who wouldn’t want to win these prizes ?
This summer I am all about hearty plants and flowers. Looking to earn a green thumb. Good luck to all.
I would love to win this. We garden for months because we live in the deep south and it’s hot here for months.
Fun! Good luck everyone!!
I would love to win this,Thank you for the chance.
Wow awesome thanks for this amazing chance
Would loveeee this
I love to can & my old canner is about worn out so thank you for the chance to win a new one!!! Love your “helps” on so many things & decorating tips & ideas!! You & your staff are awesome!!!
My old canner needs to be replaced. Thanks for the chance to win a new one!
Thanks!
Much needed!
Yay! Thanks!
Hey anyone knows how do you enter the contest to win the books?
Hi Sheila!
Underneath the image of the books, there is a button that says “Sign up for our newsletter (and future contests)”. Click on that, add your name and email and you’ll be entered!
Leigha
Starting to go back to the land:)
I love to win this. I haven’t been mushroom hunting in a long time cause of my husband health. Good luck everyone.
do you have recommend how we can winterize a fungi garden,
or extend its growing season with winter coming?
Thanks for the chance to win this.
This is so cool! Even give me some ideas of a nice gift for my aunt who loves to grow plants.
I would love to win the November prize, I love to watch small birds eating !! The only problem is there are to many cats in my neighborhood that go after small birds !!!
Thanks for the opportunity.
Thanks I feed the birds daily and go through a lot of seed
What a nice giveaway! I too wish everyone the best of luck.
Where do you enter? I only see a place to sign up for e-mails.
Hi Lorraine!
To enter to win you submit your email and then you can enter all future contests following that.
Leigha
Love the December prize package, great for a person that has disabilities, such as myself. I have MS. Arthritis and a few mobility issues. Thanks for this great contest & the chance to win it !!
Merry Christmas & Have a great New Year (Be Safe )
Carol Oddy
Thank you for the chance! Gardening is my greatest stress relief?
It’s my greatest stress relief too, along with yoga! 🙂 Good luck! Thanks for entering.
what an awesome give away
so economical
need to win this stuff