Guest Author - Deborah Adams
Summer is here and soon the vegetables will be coming out of the garden and the fruit will be ripening. There is nothing like the taste of home grown vegetables and fruits! You will have the satisfaction of knowing exactly what ingredients and preservatives are in the food you eat when you serve what you have grown and put up yourself. If you've planted a large garden you will be looking for storage solutions so you can enjoy your harvest for months to come. Canning, Vacume packing, drying and freezing are some of the options available to keep your produce long after the harvest is over.
Here are some tips for various preservation methods:
Canning: Make sure your jars are properly sterilized and ready for use. It's a good thing to check for chips and cracks in previously used jars so you don't end up with a broken jar. Use new rings and lids each time you can something. Using tongs for transfering hot jars will prevent burns as the jars will be very hot. It is always best to place hot jars on a towel and not on the counter directly to prevent breakage. Use a ladel with a lip to pour food into jars. When that is done make sure the lids are on tight. You will need to follow the canning directions for each different recipe as many of them use different processes. You will always want to make sure the lids have sealed properly. They will pop when they seal. I always check to make sure they are still sealed before I open one to use. You can enjoy your harvest for months to come and it will be delicious!
For more tips on canning please visit these sites:
Jill Florio's Canning and Preserving - Jellies and Jams
Jill Florio's Canning and Preserving - Methods And Equipment
Sandy Moyer's site Successful Home Canning
Sandy Moyer's Home Canning Recipe Index
Vacuum packing: There are many machines out there on the market that will vacuum pack your produce. Then you can freeze your vegetables and fruits and they will be fresh when you are ready to use them. Vacuum packing keeps foods fresher up to five times longer than simple freezing because the vacuum process removes air from the container. To vacuum pack your food safely please visit the following site:
For more on vacuum packing foods please visit:
University of Geogia
Note: If you are interested in a vacuum food sealer I would recommend you check out the link regarding a good vacuum machine at the bottom of this page.
Freezing: Freezing food is a great way to keep it fresh. It is important to use good techniques when packaging any food. Keeping areas clean and hands washed and clean cutting boards well after each different type of food..
Here are links to more information on freezing foods:
Sandy Moyer's site Freezing Vegetables
Sandy Moyer's Vegetable Freezing Chart
NDSU Extension Service
Food Marketing Institute
American Frozen Food Institute
Drying: Dehydrators are abundant on the market and are a good way to preserve fruits, meats or beans.. ovens are also good to use. Sun drying is good for fruits due to the acid content but it is not as safe to dry meat or vegetables in the sun. You also have the need to cover foods and bring them indoors at night if you are sun drying. For more information here are a few places you can visit:
Clemson Extension
University of Illinois
Wisemen Trading and Supply
Drystore.com
Some of my recipes listed on my site are used with permission from One Million Recipes CD. For many more wonderful recipes please visit One Million Recipes and get your copy today!
