Preserving the Garden Harvest

My first year of gardening was a whirlwind. Keeping my plants alive and healthy was my sole focus that by the time I got to the end of the season I had nothing to show for it. I ate some of what I grew, and other times it went to waste. I invested so much time growing food that I didn’t know how to use or preserve it.

Since then, I’ve made it my mission to increase the amount of food I am preserving and consuming from the garden. Am I perfect? Absolutely not. I believe that I am still quite a novice when it comes to using all of the preservation methods.

Did you know that there are more than 10 ways to preserve food? You can Freeze, Pickle, Ferment, salt, Can, and even dry your food to name a few. You can even use different preservation methods for the same food. Choose the option that works best for you and have fun experimenting with new methods.

Today I preserve my garden harvest in a few different ways.

Freezing

This is my go to method because it’s easy, requires little time and keeps my garden harvest fresh for use. During the summer months when my tomato plants are exploding with fruit, freezing has been my go to for storing bags of whole tomatoes that I can later take out to can in the winter months. I also use the freezer to preserve brassicas, peas, green beans, hot peppers and even herbs.

Can you believe that I am still using my hot peppers from two seasons ago? The freezer can definitely be your friend and is an easy method to preserve food. I use Ziplock bags, Food Saver bags, Ice cube trays and even reusable storage containers. The key to ensuring your food remains fresh and without freezer burn is by ensuring you have an airtight container. Labelling your food also helps to ensure that you are cycling out your older produce first. I cannot begin to tell you how many times I put things into the freezer and forget what it is later!

If you have a bit of time, you can blanche your veggies before freezing them. Blanching will give you the best taste, colour and texture once your produce is defrosted (this excludes hot peppers and herbs).

Pickling

Who loves a good crispy Pickle?? Pickling is the process of preserving food in an acid solution that can be either Vinegar or Brine (Salt Solution) which prevents bad bacteria from growing in your food. Some of my favourite veggies to pickle include carrots and red onions.

I store my pickled foods in the refrigerator, but depending on the type of produce and method used, Pickled foods can last anywhere from a few weeks to several months.

Canning

Canning is a great way to preserve your garden treasures without the need for a refrigerator or freezer over an extended period of time. Canning generally involves placing food in clean jars, heating them to a temperature that kills harmful microorganisms while vacuum sealing the jar. If done right, canning can be an amazing way to preserve your harvest and save you money on your grocery bill. However, if done incorrectly, can lead to food-borne illnesses like botulism which can be deadly. Many gardeners will use a reference guide for canning food which will include recipes that are safe for use. I use the Bernardin Complete Book of Home Preserving as my guide for canning anything.

There are two main methods used to can your food. Water Bath Canning or Pressure Canning. Water Bath Canning is generally used for high-acid foods or recipes that have a measurement of acid. I like to use Water Bath Canning for my Tomatoes, Jams and Jellies. Its a very simple method that requires a stock pot, mason jars and tongs. Pressure Canning is used for low-acid foods such as vegetables, salsas and meats. I have not tried this method of canning yet because I do not have a pressure canner and I have alternative methods to preserving my veggies.

Drying

Drying is one of the easiest and most convent ways to preserve food. I usually dry food in my Oven. Most Conventional Ovens have a dehydrate setting that works well as long as the temperature stays no higher than 140 degrees Fahrenheit (60 Degrees Celsius). I have even dehydrated food in my Air Fryer! Many gardeners purchase a Food Dehydrator or Freeze Dryer to preserve a variety of food at the same time.

The only downside that I find with drying food is the length of time it takes to dehydrate. Dehydration can take anywhere from 6 to 12 hours and can even extend to 24 hours depending on the thickness and the water content in the food you are drying.

When I harvest herbs from the garden, they are usually dehydrated, crushed and stored in mason jars for future use in recipes. From time to time I will dehydrate other foods for the purpose of making them into powders. This year I experimented with dehydrating Paprika peppers and turned them into powder for seasoning.