Preserving Summer

The harvest season is in full swing, and it’s the perfect time to think ahead to the long months we’ll have without this bounty.

Above: Peach sauce, made with local scratch-and-dent peaches. We rarely sweeten any of our sauces, and this sauce in particular didn’t need it. The flavor is fresh and rich–we’ll enjoy this treat in the colder months ahead. Below: Sour pickles. Yep, that’s mold you see, and it’s supposed to be there.  These have been pickling for about a week, with about 3 more to go. The mold is skimmed every few days.

Since we have a garden this year, we’re planning a lot of preserving. A partial list:

-Pesto (this freezes beautifully)

-Tomatoes, diced and sauced (canned)

-Melon (dehydrated)

-Mushrooms (frozen & dehydrated)

-Green & pole beans (frozen)

-Apples (sliced and sauced)

-Peaches (sauced, chunked for pie & cobbler filling)

-Blackberries (Frozen)

-Pickles (dill, sour, bread & butter)

And probably some things I am forgetting. Home-preserved products taste so much better than store bought, and are usually better for you because you can pick the produce fresh and at peak ripeness. You can also control the type and am0unt of additives and spices, which is wonderful for people who are watching their sodium, who have problems with things like MSG or certain spices, who are diabetic and need to watch their sugars, or who are trying to stay away from too many additives. It’s also cheaper than buying out of season produce, and easier on the environment.

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