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.
I have been wanting one of these for a while. I garden and we water chickens with many buckets laying out everywhere to catch the rainwater right now. It would be nice to have it all in a convenient barrel. Thanks for the opportunity.
I need a rainvarrel to collect water for my garden.
Thanks for the chance to win
I really appreciate your kindness in letting me enter your giveaway. I have been looking at the all of the ideas for making me a rain barrel but living way out in the country doesn’t have very many choices if any for these types of barrels.. Thanks again for your offer.
Thank you
I would Love this. I try to go green every way possible. I sotra live off the grid and this would be so much help with my garden and animals
contest
Thanks for the awesome contest and chance. It inspires me to look forward to spring and my gardens.
I’m trying to share the link on FB but it’s showing up as the Feb contest. 🙂
I would love this!
thanks so much! This is really nice and I am so ready for Spring!
We are beyond ready for spring, too! Good luck! -Leigha
Would love to enter for the seed starting kit but since Facebook crashed and burned ..
I am excited about finding your website and all the amazing things I have been learning from it! It’s time to become more self sufficient, as my son has been saying to me for years now. A starting seed kit would be a nice send-off. Thank you for the opportunity?
Thanks for the kind words, Julie! I agree with your son! I think we could all benefit from being a little more self-sufficient. 🙂 Good luck! -Leigha
I am excited about finding your website and all the amazing things I have been learning from it! It’s time to become more self sufficient, as my son has been saying to me for years now. A starting seed kit would be a nice send-off. Thank you for the opportunity?
Love digging in the dirt! Would love to have a go at these.
Thank you so much for this chance to win! I’ve been looking at getting one for too long! Thank you so much!
I need one!
Thank you for this awesome prize in the giveaway and chance to win. I would love this as I am always gardening and I love ways that help us to go green. This would be perfect! 🙂
This would be a much better solution than my current ‘plan’ of composting in an open pile in the corner of my yard…where my dog like to pick certain items out & bring them back inside the house (sad face).
wow
Just been thinking of starting a compost site.
Would love to start composting!
would love to compost
I welcome any and all gardening aids and hints.
It is time to get out into my garden, these tools would make it easier for me!
Bring on the birds, bees, and blooms! Fresh fruit and veggies are more than welcome. too. Thanks for a fun giveaway.
I couldn’t agree more! Good luck! 🙂
Thanks for a great giveaway!
I need 2 read more articles. I guess.
Started dabbling a few years ago. I love it!
Thank you for this great sweepstakes. I do a lot of gardening and these would be great to win.
Unique for water resourcing as well as conservation
Would love this!
These have always looked so interesting to me!
Great information! Thanks for the chance!
Fantastic, good luck everyone.
I have been wanting one of these. Thank you for the chance to win.
Hope everyone wins! These are such great dehydrators~
Good luck
Thanks for the chance to win!!
Ive been wanting to start canning for a long time now. My grandma did and i helped her but i dont remember much. I really need this!! Thanks for the entry!
Hi Deb!
I canned with my grandma too! It’s such a fun family tradition. Good luck! 🙂
Leigha
Just getting into canning and pickeling. This would be awesome to have!!
Hey Carrie!
Canning is pretty great. 🙂 Good luck!
Leigha
Would love to have this starter kit — Thanks for the opportunity!
Thanks for the chance to win this kit.
I would gift it to my sister who is an amazing gardener and cook.
I love to garden and this would be nice to have, to can all those extra veggies from the garden. Thanks!
Be awesome to win this… Thanks for the chance…
This is so cool. I love sourdough bread.
Me too! Isn’t it delicious?! Good luck!
Leigha
Would love to win this!
Really excited to have found this! Here’s to good luck
I was trying to sign up for the Sour Dough Starter kit, but I don’t think I signed in the right place. Can you be sure I have signed up for it:)? I have wanted to make my own sour dough bread forever.
Thank you,
Susan O’Neil
Hi Susan!
I just checked and we did receive your entry. Thanks for signing up!
Leigha
Would love to win this.