Preserving Abundance
If you're a Newfound Foodscapes Personal Farmer member, then you’ve certainly experienced those times in Summer and Fall when you can’t possibly keep up with the productivity of certain plants. The best way to handle this is — sharing with neighbors, of course!
Sometimes, your neighbors are like, “Stop! I couldn’t possibly eat another Caprese salad, so please give your extra tomatoes to someone else” (said no one ever) and that’s where food preservation comes in! Below we’ve walked through a handful of preservation techniques we use in our own kitchen to save the deliciousness of Summer & Fall abundance for use during Winter and Early Spring, when the garden is quietly preparing to explode with life.
PRESERVATION TECHNIQUES
FREEZE IT!
Super simple with minimal preparation
Freezing is a super simple method of preserving the freshness of summer with minimum prep. All you need is a vacuum sealer and freezer space.
Whole tomatoes and peppers work well with this method, and feel free to pop in some garlic and onions too. In the middle of winter you simply oven-roast all the ingredients and immersion blend to make a salsa or pasta sauce that brings you right back to summertime flavor.
Another freezing method is to make sauces or herb pestos (but leave out any dairy!), puree’d and frozen in ice cube trays and stored in the freezer in an air-tight bag to be used in a pinch.
PICKLE IT!
Vinegar preserves, while adding a bit of tang
Pickling is the method of preserving using vinegar. You can either do the quicker refrigerator pickling for sooner consumption or canning in a water bath for longer shelf stability.
Above we are showing pickled late-season green tomatoes, but this can be done during the summer's abundance with just about any vegetable. Fill the jar with the veggie and seasonings of your choice and top up the jar with the vinegar-based pickling brine. An easy-to-remember brine ratio for a quart jar is 2 cups vinegar (5% solution), 2 cups water, 2 tablespoons of kosher salt. Have fun by trying different kinds of vinegar (i.e. distilled white vs apple cider vinegar), switching the flavor profile with spices and herbs, adding sugar for balance, and/or kicking it up a notch with Thai chilies or red pepper flakes.
FERMENT IT!
Nature’s way of preserving with salt (+ time)
Fermentation is a method that has been used for thousands of years in most cultures without any special equipment. With just a container and a salt brine, you can create gut-healthy preserved vegetables that can last up to a year.
We are showing fermented peppers here, which we fermented and then pureed with garlic and a portion of the salt brine to make a fermented hot sauce. You can use this same method to make sauerkraut, kimchi, or just simple fermented vegetables. Salt brine recipes range from 2-5% of the weight of the jar contents, and the brine ratio depends on what you are fermenting.
If you are getting into fermenting, we love the education and recipes from Grow Forage Cook Ferment.
DEHYDRATE IT!
Drying makes for concentrated flavor
Water is what breeds molds, so dehydrating preserves by simply removing the moisture that could host fungus. Depending on what you are drying, the drying process can take place the traditional ways of air curing ( with herbs, garlic and onions) or sun drying (with fruit). With modern appliances, such as an oven on low temp or a dedicated dehydrator appliance, you can speed the process up.
Once dried, store herbs, dried fruits or veg in airtight jars — make sure to keep them in a cool, dark place. If your fruit still has any moisture (i.e. larger fruit, suck as prunes or apricots), it’s best to place them in the fridge or freezer, as the cooler temperature will further deter mold. Vacuum sealing and freezing will provide the longest storage.
Here we are showing dried fuyu persimmons, which were sliced 1/4in thick and dried using a dehydrator.
