GARDENING can also be stuffed and frozen for a simple pop-in-the-oven dinner.
Freezing Freshly picked and washed produce can be placed in a resealable plastic bag or container and stored in the freezer. If you have an abundance of tomatoes that you will be canning, this is an excellent way to retain that fresh flavor while waiting for enough ripe fruit to warrant firing up the stove. Peas and beans should be hulled before freezing, but those pods can be tossed into a separate freezer bag to be used to make soup stock come winter.
Canning Canning tomatoes is an easy way to store food from your garden. The acidity in tomatoes makes them far less likely to develop mold. That being said, enlist the help of an experienced canner and be sure to follow food safety guidelines whenever canning.
Drying
JUNE 10, 2022 | PAJARO VALLEY MAGAZINE
TOP SAUCE Tomatoes can be enjoyed year-round by canning—their acidity makes them far less likely to develop mold.
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Got vegetables? A Top five methods to preserve your harvest By KATE RUSSELL
fter all the work home gardeners have done preparing garden beds, pulling weeds and irrigating, summer is normally a time of plenty. Plenty to harvest, plenty to store, and what on earth are you going to do with all those zucchini? You can make the most of your garden harvest by keeping everything fresh and harvesting fruits and vegetables as soon as they are ready. Leaving them on the vine or stem for too long can attract pests
and diseases. Flavor and texture also tend to deteriorate over time.
Cooking
Fruits can be simmered and pureed and then either canned or frozen. They can also be dried into fruit leather. Vegetables can be cooked, pureed, and then frozen for later use in soups, casseroles, and other recipes. All those zucchini can be cooked into Chocolate Zucchini Cake for a popular dessert that always disappears quickly. They
Many fruits and vegetables from your garden can be dried for future use and easy storage. Grapes, peas and beans can be dried at room temperature. For other foods, you can use a commercial dehydrator or your oven. Times and temperatures vary, depending on the type of food and its thickness. You can look online or go to your local library for specific instructions.
Gifting Sometimes, your garden will simply produce more food than you can use. Family, friends and neighbors should always top the list when your garden produces abundance. Local food banks and other charities are nearly always happy to accept donations of fresh fruits and vegetables. Rather than tossing out the fruits of your labor, make the most of your harvest with these simple methods for prolonging your garden's shelf life. Kate Russell is a UCCE master gardener.
