Gardening

TOP SAUCE Tomatoes can be enjoyed year-round by canning—their acidity makes them far less likely to develop mold.

Got vegetables?

Top five methods to preserve your harvest

By KATE RUSSELL

After 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 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

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.

JEWEL THEATRE COMPANY PRESENTS

by Lisa Peterson& Denis O’Hare

based on Homer’s The Iliad, translated by Robert Fagles

“The result, in one evening, is everything theater should be: intense, soul-searching, funny, tragic.” — The Chester Telegraph

DIRECTED BY KIRSTEN BRANDT | FEATURING PATTY GALLAGHER ORIGINAL MUSIC COMPOSED AND PERFORMED BY JAKE SORGEN

WEDS.

May 18 7:30pm

(Preview) THURS.

May 19 7:30pm

(Preview) May 26 7:30pm

(Talk-Back)

Jun 2 7:30pm

(Talk-Back)

Jun 9 7:30pm

(Talk-Back) FRI.

May 20 8pm

(Opening)

May 27 8pm

Jun 3 8pm

Jun 10 8pm SAT. SUN.

May 21 8pm May 22 2pm

May 28 8pm

Jun 4 8pm Jun 11 2pm

(Talk-Back) 8pm May 29 2pm

Jun 5 2pm

Jun 12 2pm

This production is funded, in part, by grants from the following organizations: JTC voted best theatre company in Santa Cruz!

MAY 18 - JUNE 12 2022

at THE COLLIGAN THEATER | 1010 River Street, Santa Cruz

The timeless power of storytelling brings to life this gripping adaptation of Homer’s classic. A lone poet on an open stage throws us right into the midst of conflict where heroes and countries clash in a quest for power and glory. In this vibrant retelling, the Trojan War and present day are set side by side as ancient history is catapulted into an intense, intimate, and at times funny, story for today. Tickets: Adults $50 / Seniors & Students $45 Preview $27 all tickets www.JewelTheatre.net (831) 425-7506

LIVE THEATRE THRIVES IN SANTA CRUZ.

ALL PATRONS MUST PRESENT PROOF OF FULL VACCINATION WITH MATCHING ID AND BE MASKED AT ALL TIMES WHILE INSIDE. SEE OUR WEBSITE OR CALL THE BOX OFFICE FOR UPDATES TO THIS POLICY.