Easy Ways to Preserve the Harvest

Thursday is green:eats day, when we give you tips on how to green your diet.

If you’re a gardener, whether you have a huge garden on several acres or a small balcony garden, chances are that once the end of the gardening season nears, you still have some produce that you haven’t gotten around to eating. We’ve all heard of canning and pickling, but those are activities that take a little more time and some specialized equipment. They can be a lot of fun, but we’ll cover them another time. All you need to preserve some of our favorite crops are ice cube trays, freezer bags, and an oven or stovetop.

To Preserve Garden Herbs:

You can try drying them, either out in the open or in the microwave, but you get a fresher taste from your preserved herbs if you freeze them. Simply chop your herbs (any herb will work) fairly small, and drop about a tablespoon into each section of an ice cube tray. Add water to fill the tray, and pop it into the freezer. Let it freeze overnight, and then pop the herb cubes out and put them in a labeled freezer bag. You’ll have the taste of fresh basil and parsley in the middle of winter!

To Preserve Tomatoes:

There are two easy ways to preserve tomatoes: freezing and drying. You can freeze tomatoes whole to use later in sauces and soups; simply wash them well, pop them in a freezer bag, and use them as needed throughout the winter. Here are instructions for how to oven-dry tomatoes.

To Preserve Dark, Leafy Greens:

For crops like kale, spinach, beet greens, and the like, the easiest way to preserve them is to blanch them for a few seconds in boiling water, then shock them in an ice water bath to halt the cooking process. Place blanched, cooled greens in a freezer bag or plastic container. Don’t worry about drying them–the water will help prevent freezer burn.

To Preserve Green Beans:

Harvest beans when they are thin and tender. Wash, and trim off the stem end. Then, pop them into a freezer bag, and store until you need them.

Who needs overpriced, well-traveled produce? With these tips, you can go to the freezer and relive a bit of summer all winter long.