It’s August and the garden is at its peak. We are currently harvesting corn, cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, beans, zucchini, and eggplants. Oh My! If we are not careful it can get out of hand, and then we are in jeopardy of losing all our hard work. Here are my six easy ways to preserve your suburban harvest.
Fermenting
Fermenting has become one of my favorite ways to preserve our harvest. Fermented foods is very important to our digestive system and we should find ways to add foods such as fermented pickles, sauerkraut, yogurt, kombucha, and kimchi to our diets. Fermented foods are living foods.
All you need is a jar, veggies, salt, and some filtered water. The jar below is my second gallon jar of dill pickles this year. I simply cut the cucumbers in half; added some dill and garlic, filled it with a salt water brine and closed the jar.
Using a jar like the one below means I have to burp the jar every day. It is so cool when you open the jar to burp it and the bubbles start rising. I also like to use mason tops which have a little spout that lets the gases out itself. Mason tops also come with weights which is another important note on fermenting. The veggies being fermented need to stay below the brine.
In additions to pickles, I have also been fermenting jalapenos, carrots, onions, and turnips.
We have been getting so many peppers that I’m going to try another ferment for the first time – hot sauce. In the jar below I put various hot peppers along with garlic and tomatoes. Once they are completely fermented, I will blend it into hot sauce. I will let you know how it comes out.
Freezing
Freezing is another great way to preserve the harvest, and may just be my favorite way. Many things can be frozen with little preparation and just put into the freezer. The only hazard with freezing is that if your freezer goes out you may lose everything.
One thing I like to freeze in zucchini. I shred all the extra zucchini and freeze it in bags. The best way to do this is to freeze it 2 cups at a time. We really like zucchini bread and most zucchini bread recipes call for 2 cups of shredded zucchini. Then when you are ready to make a batch of zucchini bread it is already to go.
I also like to use it to make one of our Salvadoran dishes – pupusas. Maybe using it in zucchini fritters or lasagna would be great as well.
This year, I’m trying something new. I had so many cucumbers that I decided to try freezing some. I read where you can freeze them for use in Tzatziki later on. Since Tzatziki is one of our favorite uses for cucumbers I decided to give it a try. When ready, just remove from the freezer, defrost, squeeze out excess liquid and make that Tzatziki. I will let you know how that one comes out too.
I also freeze corn. All it takes is blanching it for a few minutes and then putting it in an ice bath. Then into bags and the freezer. One tip is that I like to cut the ears in half before blanching it. It just fits nicer in the freezer. You can also take it off of the ear before blanching.
Dehydrating
Dehydrating is another favorite of mine. It might just be tied with freezing. I have been dehydrating herbs and greens since the beginning of the summer. It is a great way to get added nutrients into your family’s diet. I like to save the leaves from all my root veggies – radish, turnip, and beets. Then I dehydrate them along with kale and celery. Finally, I grind them up and make a veggie powder that I put in about everything I cook.
We also like to dehydrate garlic and onion. I then turn them into garlic and onion powder.
The cherry tomatoes are coming on strong right now and we can’t keep up with eating them. Soon we will also be picking yellow pear tomatoes. This is when I like to start dehydrating them. We slice them in half and place on to the dehydrator for about 24 hours. I did this last year and we are just finishing up the last jar.
Lastly, since I buy organic oranges and lemons I will dehydrate the peels. I simply remove them when cooking or juicing the oranges or lemons. Then I will remove the pith, slice them down and dehydrate. These can also be ground into an orange/lemon powder. These are great for tea or baking.
Canning
I admit, canning can be more difficult than fermenting, freezing, and dehydrating. However, it shouldn’t be overlooked. It is obviously one of the six ways to preserve your suburban harvest.
I have been water bath canning for years such things as pickles, relishes, chili sauce, and jams. This year so far I have made bread and butter pickles, watermelon pickles, and strawberry jam. I also have plans for spaghetti sauce, pickle relish, and a few more items.
I am new to pressure canning this year but I will soon be pulling it out to can up a few of our crops. My plan is to can green beans, carrots, and peas from the garden. I also plan to pick up some corn from our local organic farm to can, in addition to freezing corn from our garden.
Eating
Okay so eating really isn’t preserving the harvest for later. However, we can’t talk about some of our favorite ways to use our produce without talking about a few favorite fresh recipes. I mean creating recipes is one of my favorite easy ways to preserve your suburban harvest.
I have two words for you, TOMATO SANDWICH. One of the large tomatoes in that basket above made it’s way on to this yummy tomato sandwich I shared on Instagram.
As I mentioned above, our favorite way to enjoy the cucumbers is to make Tzatziki. We also love them sliced with lemon and hot sauce or in a summer cucumber salad. My mom always made that salad growing up. Cucumber, tomato, red onions, cubes of cheese and a homemade vinaigrette.
Corn, eggplant, and zucchini are enjoyed on the grill almost nightly when in season. Zucchini also finds its way into zucchini bread and zucchini fritters. My daughter especially likes when I make fried zucchini and eggplant. Personally, I could make a meal out of breaded fried zucchini and a few fried green tomatoes. YUM!
We also like to sauté zucchini, onions, and tomatoes in a little bit of olive oil.
What are some of your favorite ways to enjoy your harvests? Please comment below.
Sharing
I can’t end this blog post without mentioning sharing. If you have a garden, you know what a blessing everything you pick is. So why not share it?
We have an older couple that lives across the street from us. I love taking some of the harvest over to them a couple times a week. It blesses me as much as it does them in the time we spend talking about when they used to garden, or ways they like to cook certain foods. I love it so much that I’ve planned a few surprises in my fall garden just for them.
I hope my six ways to preserve your suburban harvest inspires you to know you can grow a garden full of produce in a small space.
It is also not too late in the year to plant something. We are getting ready to transition to our fall garden. I will be back soon to share with you some of our plans. My biggest desire with Small Steps Homestead, is to inspire a revolution of backyard gardeners.
Especially in this crazy time, this is one area of our lives we can control if we will just try.
Thanks for stopping by and hope to see you again soon.
Please be on the lookout for our YouTube Channel to start in the next few weeks.