In a joint food security project with our Ukrainian partner organisation Angels of Salvation, Libereco provided 500 households around Izyum in the Kharkiv region with seeds, seedlings, and jars. Three beneficiaries explain how you can preserve cucumbers, tomatoes, and other vegetables yourself.
After the Kharkiv region was liberated in autumn of 2022, civilians were able to return to their villages and rebuild their former lives. Although the area is fertile and many people lived self-sufficient before the invasion, this was no longer possible after the occupation: Fields were mined, kitchens and garden equipment destroyed, and the people could not harvest the crops. According to World Food Programme, 11 million Ukrainians are affected by food insecurity. Therefore, for many last winter was difficult to survive.
In a joint food security project with our Ukrainian partner organisation Angels of Salvation in spring, Libereco distributed seeds to 500 households in the de-occupied territory around Izyum. Over the past months, seeds and seedlings grew into vegetables and the beneficiaries were finally able to harvest their crop again. In late summer, we provided 35 preserving jars in different sizes and ingredients for the same households, so that they can conserve their own food and take care of themselves to get through the cold months.
In our video series, three women – Lyudmyla, Larisa, and Natalia – share their home recipe for preserving vegetables with you:
Lyudmyla
20 years ago, Lyudmyla heard a recipe for pickled vegetables in the radio, now it is her favourite one. She also explains that these preserved goods are especially valuable for her as there are many celebrations during the winter, and she is reminded of the summer. Download Lyudmyla’s recipe here.
Larisa
Larisa enjoys many different types of preservation. Therefore, she shares with us her recipes for cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, tomatoes with cognac, and even preserved salad. The period of Russian occupation was very difficult for Larisa, she had to seek shelter in the basement of her house, she witnessed close-by tank battles, and Russian soldiers stole her gardening tools. To survive, her family had to filter rainwater for cooking. Download all of Larisa’s recipes here: cucumbers, peppers, salad, traditional tomatoes and tomatoes with cognac.
Natalia
Natalia used to host lots of guests and enjoyed this get-togethers. She recalls the happy years with guests and celebrations, which is no longer possible. Her village was occupied by Russians for several months and most of her previous preserved food was destroyed. As beneficiary of our project, Natalia was able to grow her own vegetables and preserve them like in the past. She shares her simple, but delicious recipe of tomatoes with you.
