April McGreger on Preserving Without Pectin, Radical Homemaking, and Cooking by Feel

April McGreger is a preserver, writer, and fermentation teacher best known for founding Farmer's Daughter Pickles and Preserves, where she earned 13 Good Food Awards. In this episode, she talks about growing up in Vardaman, Mississippi, the self-declared sweet potato capital, learning to cook at her mother's elbow, why she makes preserves without commercial pectin, and the plate test her mom taught her that she still uses today. We also get into her unlikely road from studying volcanoes in Italy to running pastry at Lantern in Chapel Hill, how one sweet potato crème caramel landed her a cookbook deal, teaching people to trust their senses again, radical homemaking, the difference between food sovereignty and food security, and the mutual aid kitchen she now runs in Philadelphia where volunteers get as much out of it as the people they feed. This one is for anyone who believes the kitchen is where culture gets passed down. Find April: Substack Preserving the South: https://preservingthesouth.substack.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/preservingthesouth The People's Kitchen Philly: https://www.instagram.com/peopleskitchenphilly Sweet Potatoes, part of the Savor the South series from UNC Press: https://uncpress.org/9781469677491/sweet-potatoes/ \_\_\_\__ Silvercore is built on a lifetime spent outdoors, on ranges and in the company of people who live with skill, purpose and integrity.  Here you will find real conversations, fieldcraft, practical training, stories from the wild and the lessons that help us grow mentally and physically.  Whether it is a podcast with someone who has been tested, a tip you can use today or a look behind the scenes, the goal is to help you live stronger, safer and more capable in the outdoors and in life. Silvercore Club members receive exclusive podcast episodes, online courses, insurance for their adventures and discounts on premium gear: https://www.silvercore.ca/club Online Training: https://www.silvercore.ca Training and Services: https://www.silvercore.ca/course/category Merchandise:  https://www.silvercore.ca/collections/all-merchandise Blog: https://www.silvercore.ca/blog Host Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bader.tiffany Silvercore Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/silvercoreoutdoors Contact: info@silvercore.ca 604 940 7785 www.silvercore.ca All content on this channel is for informational purposes only.  Always follow the law, follow safe handling practices and train with qualified professionals.  Silvercore assumes no liability for the use or misuse of any information shown here. \_\_\_\__ TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Introducing April McGreger 01:00 The Garden & Gun recipe that started it all 02:00 Mud pies, index cards, and learning by doing in Vardaman, Mississippi 04:30 Why Mississippi and Nova Scotia cook the same food 06:30 Growing up in the sweet potato capital 10:00 The sweet potato festival, queens, and tasting booths 13:00 Why sweet potatoes still need human hands 14:30 The crème caramel that landed a cookbook deal 16:30 From volcanoes in Italy to a life in food 22:30 Becoming the pastry chef at Lantern in Chapel Hill 24:30 Starting Farmer's Daughter at the Carrboro Farmers Market 27:00 Preserving without pectin and the plate test her mother taught her 32:30 Cooking by feel and why recipes are limiting 36:00 Taste education and flavor memory 39:00 The fear of delicious food 40:00 The kitchen as a warm, social place 44:00 Mothering is a verb: valuing the work of the home 47:30 Why home kitchens deserve protection as cultural centers 49:30 What radical homemaking means 56:00 Food sovereignty vs food security 1:01:30 Why one full pantry can't save you: community as the real buffer 1:03:30 Empowering food education instead of fear 1:11:00 These foods are not just important to me, they are me 1:12:00 Raising kids who love real food 1:18:30 The People's Kitchen: mutual aid in Philadelphia 1:24:00 What volunteering in the kitchen gives people back 1:31:00 Where to find April