Food preservation in some form or other has become an inevitable part of today’s life and foodstyle. A major factor has been the changing home and family structure where both husband and wife are working full time as bread winners. Jams and sauces, relishes and chutneys have become an integral portion of any meal, any snack. However, if we can find some time once in a way to prepare your own preserves, you can far overweigh the joy of relishing these tasty preserves by making them at home. You can pick the best of fruit/vegetables in peak season, hygienically prepare your choice of varieties and to your own taste. A little hard work during the season will reap rich benefits for a long time. The all-important factor of cost also counts a lot. Preserves made at home cost a little over one fourth the cost of off-the shelf products.

The basic masala powders which though commercially available these days, some of them are so much cheaper preparing at home. Some of them are cheaper by almost 3 to 4 times than the price. One more advantage is that small amounts prepared, say, monthly, will give you fresh powders, having a wonderful unmatched aroma, which cannot come with powders that are stored for months even a year. Above all they are so easy to make.

Batters to be ground may be done either in mixers, or by stone grinders, the electrical versions are now a household name. In India however, there are still many areas where there are grinding shops who will grind you batter for you in their wet grinders, for a very nominal, charge, and save you a great deal of hassle. They are a godsend! However the best results are still got from the traditional stone grinder, operated by hand. Cheers for the stone age, and for those who have the time, this procedure tones your biceps, arms and upper back like no other exercise!