How to Save Your Veggies and Your Wallet!

Want to savor the flavor of summer? Ever bought a weeks worth of produce only to find a biological experiment in your fridge when you went to use them? Try these simple preservation methods to save veggies that are at risk of going bad or simply to ensure that you can enjoy fresh summer flavors all year long!

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Blanch and Freeze

Ideal if you have little time and/or equipment! Blanching refers to briefly boiling fruits or veggies for 2-3 minutes and then IMMEDIATELY submerging them in ice water. This is an ideal method to utilize if you want to freeze fresh produce for future use. Frozen foods are good for 6 months after freezing!

Canning

This one takes a little more time and know-how and equipment. Ideally you will need a canner with a rack but many products can be canned with a hot water bath. Most vegetables require the use of a pressure canner, however jellies, jams, pickles and tomatoes can be canned in a water bath. Whether you are doing a water bath or a pressure canner, you will however need to make sure that all products are in a sealable jar with a lid (Mason or Ball jars work great here). If you are not using a canner you will also need a pot large enough to submerge your jars completely, and I highly recommend a wire rack for easy and safe placement and removal. Once your products have been processed and cooled, they can be stored virtually anywhere (at room temperature). Another advantage is that they require little or no cooking when you go to use them. Just open, heat (if desired) and enjoy!

DIY Sauces, Jellies and Jam

This can be a wide variety of things. Use extra garden veggies to make your own pesto or tomato sauce from garden. You can also buy fruit in season when it’s cheap and use it to make preserves to send out as Christmas gifts. The beauty is the amount of time and complexity is controlled by you!

Add Them to Soups, Stocks and Pastas

You may have noticed that when you cook vegetables (or fruits), they shrink considerably. This is because most have a large water content that is reduced through the cooking process. As such, cooking vegetables can help prevent them from going bad, even if you aren’t going to use them right away. Cooked vegetables will stay good in the fridge for approximately 1 week. Boiling, roasting or sautéing vegetables that look as though they might spoil sooner than you plan to make the soup or pasta dish you bought them for can help prevent that last minute trip to the store to replace what had spoiled.

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Roast 'Em

When in doubt, roast your vegetables. Simply coat them in oil, salt, pepper and any other seasonings you desire, spread them on a baking sheet and roast at 400 for approximately 20 minutes until they are tender and caramelized (browned on top and bottom). They make a great add to any meal! ​

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Now that you have new ways to enjoy your veggies year round, go forth and create! Drop me a comment below with your favorite recipes and combinations!