Your harvest is in. Time to think about preserving. Cathy Isom tells you how to save your summer harvest so you can enjoy it this winter. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours.
Canning or Freezing-Preserving the Harvest
In the later months of summer sometimes the harvests are just too bountiful to eat. So instead of wasting, save your homegrown food well into the winter months by either canning or freezing.
The first thing to know about preserving is which foods you can freeze and which foods you should can. Highly acidic foods (with pH balances between 1.0 and 4.5) can be canned because the acid keeps bacteria at bay, so they won’t require valuable freezer space. Low-acid foods are more susceptible to bacterial issues when canned, so they require a pressure cooker and some extra steps in the process. It’s much better to freeze them for later.
Common garden vegetables with less acidity include green beans, peas, peppers, onions, corn, greens, carrots, asparagus, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts. If freezing any of these, make sure none have any type of bruising or trouble. Blanching your vegetables before freezing is also recommended.
I’m Cathy Isom…