With over three decades of culinary experience, Holly combines traditional preservation techniques with modern practicality.
HOLLY CAPELLE IS A PASSIONATE HOME COOK, FOOD PRESERVATIONIST, AND ADVOCATE FOR SUSTAINABLE LIVING. SHE IS THE FOUNDER OF @BIGFAMILYLIVING, A flourishing ONLINE COMMUNITY OF 350,000 INDIVIDUALS INTERESTED IN PRESERVING, COOKING, AND GARDENING.
With over three decades of culinary experience, Holly combines traditional preservation techniques with modern practicality. Together with her husband, Kevin, and their six children, she has transformed their suburban home just outside Portland, Oregon, into a thriving mini homestead, growing, harvesting, and preserving their food. You can follow Holly’s journey on IG @bigfamilyliving, TT @bigfamilyliving, and YT @bigfamilyliving225.
Growing and enjoying a garden is the first step. The next step is learning to use, preserve, and cook what you grow.
When I began my gardening journey three decades ago, I never imagined it would lead to sharing my love of gardening with hundreds of thousands of people or writing a cookbook about Preserving the Seasons. Those wonderful early years of making mistakes and persevering flourished into a lush, old garden that now brings me immeasurable joy, weekly harvests, and endless possibilities.
It took my husband and me several years to find a good rhythm in the garden. Our first harvest consisted of a few ugly carrots, insect-eaten spinach leaves, and a handful of strawberries. I was so proud of those tasty little harvests. My passion for gardening and the plants I was growing would eventually lead to bountiful harvests of produce, herbs, and edible flowers beyond my wildest imagination.
If I had a dime for every time I said, “Can you believe all that came from our backyard?” I’d be rich. I would happily bring in our homegrown produce, and set them on the counter or in the refrigerator, and, you guessed it… they would go bad. My heartbreak over bowls of moldy berries and shriveled cucumbers prompted my decision: no more. I was determined to find ways to preserve our produce. I dedicated years to teaching myself how to save our harvests, grocery hauls, farmstand scores, bulk buys, and even leftovers through various home preservation methods for short- and long-term storage. Over time, I also found ways to use what I preserved to pamper myself and fuel my spirit.
Juggling a full-time corporate job and raising six kids (two sets of twins!) was not easy. Taking a little time to create beautiful toast for breakfast or adding fancy ice to my mocktails were simple pleasures I could give myself in those harder days. I nurtured the garden, and it nurtured me in return.
Cooking with what I preserved became my love language. I am constantly creating custom tea blends, signature vinaigrettes, and new marinades using my dried herbs, infused vinegar, oils, and honeys. Simple boxed cake mixes get leveled up using dried citrus, cookies are made with infused sugars topped with edible flowers, and flavored simple syrups make beverages at our house extra special.
Sharing these creations with my friends and family brought me so much joy, and writing a cookbook to share with the world has been a dream come true.
Preserving the Seasons is a beautifully photographed cookbook that is a love letter to creativity, nature, and home cooking. It’s not just for the home gardener; this book is a must-have for anyone stocking a pantry, buying in bulk, or wanting to savor the seasons all year long.
Part One includes methods, best practices, troubleshooting, and storage guidance for freezing, drying naturally, dehydrating, water boil canning, quick pickling, jams and jellies, and freeze-drying.
Part Two explores the wonderful world of infusions, elevating basic pantry staples into custom flavors and blends using water, vinegar, oil, honey, sugar, salt, herbs, fruits, and flowers.
Part Three is dedicated to recipes using what we’ve preserved and infused!
The book also includes charts on culinary herbs, tea herbs, and edible flowers. It also consists of a handful of “me time” ways to care for yourself and a few journaling pages in the back to keep your recipe creations.
This is our book, and I can’t wait to create and cook with you. I hope Preserving the Seasons becomes a treasure in your cookbook collection.
Cheers to your next harvest! May it be bountiful, with vibrant crops and plentiful yields. Here’s to the hard work that turns dreams into reality.
