Olivia Brooks

Out of all the herbal teas I’ve tried—and I’ve sampled quite a few— Yerba Santa is one of my favorites, very top of the list. It’s not just about the taste, though that’s part of it. There’s something grounding and comforting about this plant, especially when I brew it as a warm tea on a cool evening. If you’ve never heard of Yerba Santa, or you’ve only seen it mentioned in passing, let me share why this herb has earned a permanent place on my shelf.

If you're serious about self-reliance and long-term food storage, there’s one canning method that consistently comes out on top: pressure canning . While water bath canning has its place, and newer methods like steam canning have gained popularity, neither compares to the reliability, versatility, and safety that pressure canning brings to the table. Whether you're putting away meat, hearty soups, beans, or low-acid vegetables from your homestead garden, pressure canning is the gold standard. Let’s dig into why every prepper should make this method their go-to for food preservation. Safety First: Pressure Canning Kills More Than Just Time Low-acid foods —like carrots, green beans, potatoes, and meats—are prime candidates for long-term storage, but they’re also the most dangerous to preserve incorrectly. These foods can harbor Clostridium botulinum , the bacteria responsible for botulism. A simple boiling water bath isn’t enough to kill those spores. You need the high heat of...