By Corinne Hansch, organic farmer and chef at Lovin’ Mama Farm and Kitchen.
This is it! The moment to catch the last of the summer bounty into jars and freezer bags to enjoy through the dead of winter. This keeps your dollars circulating in the local economy, and preserving local food is one of the best ways to feed your family nutrient-dense, toxin-free food.
As a child in Northern California, my mom taught me to can and preserve out of necessity. Now, I run a farm kitchen, turning our organic farm’s extra produce into pantry goods.
The simplest canning project I can think of is pickling. My brine recipe is 1 cup water, 1 cup vinegar, and 1 tablespoon salt. Bring the brine to a boil while you chop any vegetables you have in excess (green beans, zucchini, green tomatoes, hot peppers, etc.). Prepare clean canning jars. Pack the jars with the chopped vegetables and add herbs or garlic if desired. Cover the vegetables with boiling-hot brine, leaving about a quarter inch of headspace in the jar; screw on clean lids until tight, then put the jars in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes. Remove the jars and let them sit for a few days to pickle. My absolute favorites are pickled banana peppers and dilly zucchini pickles.
Drying herbs is another simple way to preserve the summer bounty. Take bundles of herbs and hang them on a wire using a paperclip opened up into a hook. The best herbs for air drying include sage, thyme, basil, marjoram, and oregano. Cilantro, dill, parsley, and scallions do best in a dehydrator set to 115°F. Once dry, store the leaves in a glass jar.
Then there’s freezing. This is the simplest way to preserve summer produce! The key is to spread out fruit or blanched vegetables on trays to freeze, then pack them in freezer bags; otherwise, the soft fruit will freeze into a giant ice block. September is the perfect time to freeze tomatoes, green beans, peppers, and raspberries.
Putting in a little work to preserve September will go a long way in helping you survive the long winter with a delicious reminder of abundant summers.
The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is open Wednesdays, 3–6 PM, and Saturdays, 9 AM–1 PM, at High Rock Park in Saratoga Springs, and Mondays, 2–5 PM, in Clifton Park. For details, visit saratogafarmersmarket.org or follow on Facebook and Instagram.
