How to Preserve Seasonal Produce
/There's nothing as fantastic as a big crop of vegetables and greens that you can enjoy after growing them yourself. Unfortunately, most people who grow food at home will admit that they've raised more than needed. In some rural areas, it's not uncommon for your neighbors to drop off giant bags full of zucchini because they grew far too much.
So what do you do with all of that extra produce?
Here are the top options to help make this extra food last longer.
Freezing
This option is the most simple of the list, but it also has the shortest safe-to-eat lifespan. To freeze items, wash them thoroughly, remove as much moisture as possible (a salad spinner works for this!), and then freeze in air-tight freezer bags. You can get more oxygen out of these bags by submerging the bottom of them into the water until it forces out most of the air. Seal, write the name of the item on them, and then freeze until you're ready to use them! Try to freeze things as flat as possible since this will allow them to defrost faster and make for easier storing in the freezer.
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Dehydrating
Taking the moisture out of foods slows down their ability to rot and creates a pleasing chewy texture. Dehydration has come back into popularity recently since many people have been making their banana chips and beef jerky at home. The good thing about a dehydrator is that you can dehydrate anything you set your mind to. Whether you have too many strawberries or you want to ensure your mushrooms last longer, dehydration has you covered.
You can even reconstitute most things with boiling water if you want to, but most items are tasty in their chewy dehydrated form!
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Canning
Canning can be dangerous if not done correctly. Glass that wasn't made for it might shatter, and if there isn't a good seal on the jar itself, you might be facing down rot or botulism. Before you start canning or jarring in modern times, you must do some heavy research first.
Jarring everything from pickles to beets takes a lot of practice and patience. You can create anything from pepper jelly to jarred peaches, and as long as you do it correctly, you’ll have tasty produce that will last for ages.
For jarring, the things you’ll need the most are some jars that were designed for canning, a pot large enough to hold them, patience, a completely sanitary cooking station, and a lot of produce.
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Fermenting
Cabbage, onions, carrots, and other leafy greens are some of the easiest things to grow: yet they don't keep that long once they've been harvested. If you had a bumper crop of these delicious foods, fermenting might be your answer! There are dozens of options for this, from kimchi to sauerkraut, and it all depends on your tastes.
To properly ferment something, you'll need a jar, some seasonings, vinegar, and a lot of patience. The best recipes say that it can take weeks to months, and if you properly jar them, these greens could last indefinitely!
Disclosure: This is a collaborative post.
