A Variety of Veggies
The "busy beavers" at the blog Creating Nirvana have been busily canning corn. It only takes about three ears of corn to fill a quart jar. It’s a simple process, but you will need a pressure canner. And, if you have young kids, you can have them husk the corn and get it ready for you to can. Make it a summer family tradition!
Photo courtesy of Creating Nirvana Today
Canning doesn’t stop at corn. Here’s an FDA-approved, safe, boiling water canning process that you can use for high-acid foods like fruit and fermented foods that contain lactic acid.
Photo courtesy of Tori Avey
Another great option for preserving your fruits and veggies is pickling. The best part? You can pickle almost anything you grow. Here’s a great way to pickle all kinds of vegetables from mushrooms to patty pan squash.
Photo courtesy of Cooking Rut
Or try Pickled beets. Beets have lots of health benefits, but lots of people won’t eat them plain. However, a great way to introduce this delicious and nutritious food into your diet is to pickle them, and you can enjoy them all winter.
Photo courtesy of Spoon Feast
If you like your pickled veggies spicy, you'll love these Mexican-style pickled jalapenos.
Photo courtesy of Greg’s World on a Plate
If you don't like it hot, try the crispness of pickled radishes. Although these are delicious raw or cooked, pickling adds extra flavor.
Photo courtesy of Misoginger
Pickled carrots are the perfect side dish for a warm winter stew, or make a healthy and savory snack.
Photo courtesy of Farmer’s Trophy Wife
If you want to take these two favorites and combine them into one, pickle beets and carrots together.
Photo courtesy of Gradually Greener
Veggies and fruits are not the only things that you can pickle. Try these chili pepper-spiced pickled eggs.
Photo courtesy of Relishing It
Just Tomatoes
Tomatoes are usually pretty hardy and grow easily, so it’s no surprise that it’s often what gardeners have in abundance. If you find yourself with a big tomato harvest this year, here are a few ideas for what you can do with them. First, is tomato paste. This can be used in soups, pasta dishes and lots of other tomato-based recipes.
Photo courtesy of The Paupered Chef
Another option is stewed tomatoes. These can be a meal all by themselves, or they can be combined with meat or pasta.
Photo courtesy of Brooklyn Farmgirl
Classic Pickles
There are lots of variations on this favorite, but here are some recipes to get you started. First, the sweet-and-sour variety.
Photo courtesy of Averie Cooks
If you’re one of those people who will eat anything if it’s fried, you'll love fried pickles. These would be great on a burger, or as a side to any savory dish.
Photo courtesy of My Fare Foodie
Simply Fruit
Canning and pickling might be among the most common ways to preserve food, but there are plenty of other techniques, too. For example, these dried apple chips are simple to make. All you need is some lemon, a knife and a dehydrator.
Photo courtesy of FitFoodieFinds
You can also freeze your harvest. If you have extra berries growing in your garden, you can take whatever you can’t eat now and freeze them. All those wintry months when you can’t buy seasonal, delicious fresh fruit won’t matter because you won’t have to look any further than your own freezer.
Photo courtesy of The Prudent Garden
Once you've frozen your berries there are many delicious ways to enjoy them, beyond smoothies. Like this berry crisp with rhubarb.
Photo courtesy of Blueberry Files
Of course, we can’t forget one of the best ways to use all of those berries: jam. This version only takes 10 minutes to make.
Photo courtesy of My Italian Smorgasbord
Have you ever sipped some kvass? It's a sour yet refreshing Russian berry drink made from fermented fruit. Full of natural probiotics, it's much easier to make than kombucha.
Photo courtesy of Culinaria Eugenius
One fruit that you might not think to pickle, is cherries. Pickled cherries add a savory-sweet twist to any dish.
Photo courtesy of Ken Rivard
Preserved lemons are more intensely lemony than fresh lemons, and it’s for that reason that just a tiny slice or bit of juice adds extra zest to any dish.
Photo courtesy of Cooking Lessons
What Will You Preserve?
Do you have ideas for how you can continue to enjoy your seasonal harvest all year long? If so, we would love to hear them. Please share in the comments below how you pickle, preserve, freeze, dry or otherwise enjoy the “fruits” of all of your hard work in the garden!
