Keeping Summer Fresh in the Fall

Don’t want to let go of the taste of summer just yet? Try out some of these food preservation methods. ​

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Freezing: Freezing is the quick and easy way to save your summer fruits and veggies. Wellness magazine SparkPeople suggests just washing and drying your produce before laying it out on a baking tray in a single layer. If you are freezing a larger fruit - like a peach - core, skin, and slice it into smaller bits before putting it on the tray. Stick the tray in the freezer for several hours. When you take it out, your produce pieces should be separately frozen, which will make less difficult to break them apart after they have been sitting in freezer bags for a couple of weeks!

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Canning: For the canning method, clean all canning jars and lids. Clean, peel, seed, and cut the fruit or vegetable before placing it in the jar along with the salt, sugar, or other spice content specified by the recipe you are following. Cap the jar with the lid and ring before placing it a large pot. Add enough boiling water to reach an inch above the top of the jar. Let everything simmer for the time listed by your recipe before carefully removing with tongs. You should be left with nicely sealed jars.

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Pickling: Pickling is the perfect process for your freshest vegetables. After cleaning your pickling jars, prepare the vegetables by washing, peeling, and cutting them into short spears. Pickling brine can be made from a combination of equal parts water and any basic vinegar. Simply place the brine mixture in a saucepan and bring to boil, adding a little sugar and salt. Then pour the brine over the vegetables in the jar and cap it tight. Store everything in the refrigerator, and you are all set! ​

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Drying: Dried foods make terrific lightweight, nutritious snacks. Just wash, peel, and cut your fruit or vegetable (thinly sliced pieces will dry faster), and then spread all of it out on a baking sheet. The Kitchen recommends putting your oven on the lowest possible temperature before placing the sheet in it for 6-8 hours and watching for signs of shriveling or brittleness.

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We hope that your kitchens end up well-stocked with summer flavors! Happy preserving!