It seems the garden grows a foot every time I turn around. Sprouts are bursting through the soil, blooms are budding on every stem, and pollinators are busy finding their way around the garden's bounty. In this flurry of work and wonder my mind looks toward harvest. There are many wonderful methods to preserving the
harvest, and I have tried most of them, but three have remained tried
and true and top of the list. I know I have shared some of this before, yet, with the season in full swing it seems fitting to review.
1. Freezing
In the heat and humidity of our southern home freezing is my top method
of choice. Produce is picked at its peak, mildly processed (if at all)
and frozen quickly. Safe in the freezer, mold and pests don't stand a
chance. The down side of freezing is space; with broilers and turkeys
also stored in the freezer, space is precious and must be used wisely.
My food freezing musts are: cole crops, greens (chard, spinach), okra,
corn and squash/gourds.
2. Canning
Second in line and next on the list is canning; water bath and pressure
methods. High acid foods, jams, jellies and relishes and pickles hold
well with a gentle water bath set up where as sauces, veggies, and pie
fillings require the intensity of a pressure canning. Space is not quite
as competitive with canned goods since they store easily in the top of a
pantry, under a bed, or in any cool dark place. Tomatoes, cucumbers,
beans and carrots along with berries of all kinds are excellent canning
candidates.
3. Dehydrating
Last, but not least I love dehydrating. Dried goods are space friendly
and easy to incorporate into everyday cooking. Some items lend well to a
simple open air drying method: hot peppers, garlic, onions and herbs
are a few...while some require a bit more intensity. My electric
dehydrator is perfect for putting up apples, bananas, bell peppers. We
love the tasty tang of kale chips and the chewy zing of a dry pineapple.
Dried foods need airtight conditions to keep well; canning jars or
sealed bags work very well and store right alongside other canned
goods.
As I walk through my growing garden, my thoughts look to the future:
the pop and sizzle of the canning vent, colorful peppers hanging in rows
along the kitchen walls, the steady hum and comforting fragrance of the
dehydrator working its magic. Gardening holds toils and troubles, but oh I can hardly wait until harvest
comes and preservation begins.
Shre your preservation experience..do you can or dehydrate? Recipes? Yes, please!
2 comments:
I am so looking forward to be in my garden every day. My favorite of the three is canning.
I'm a freezer girl. I can freeze just about anything, and it is so fast and easy! (I'm not LAZY, I'm EFFECIENT!)
Post a Comment