Preserving Summer Rations
By: Cynthia Sparagna
With the latest farmers market trend and desire to eat seasonal foods, what happens to the left overs? Instead of throwing them out, why not learn to preserve the seasons bounty and extend the longevity of these highly desired, seasonal items? This summer, instead of tossing your slowly rotting asparagus into a heaping compost pile, learn how to eat your farmers market purchases all year long.
First, heed your habits. That is, what do you really like? If you wouldn’t want to eat peach cobbler every day from November to March, don’t buy crates of peaches and freeze them unnecessarily. Pick what you like. Also, first find a place to store it before you buy it.
This brings up the important task of freezing your items for preservation. Start small with things like berries in zip lock bags. Lots of items require freezing agents such as a large bag of sugar, a large jug of white vinegar, Ziploc bags, and canning jars. Big-box retailers like Costco stock bulk foodstuffs, while most grocery stores supply general preserving equipment and instructive canning booklets.
Last, stock up. Get the freshest items and preserve them immediately. The best preserved items are the ones that were preserved immediate after harvest. Don’t wait too long.
Good luck!
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