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Summer Harvest
Preserving Homegrown Fruits, Vegetables and Herbs By Suzy Feine
Freezing produce is a quick and efficient method of preservation. "These days, I most often choose to freeze anything that will freeze well," says Hayes. "It is so easy and you can do one package at a time if that is all you have."
Blanching – the process of plunging produce into boiling water for a period of time, then placing the produce in ice water to stop the cooking process – is a critical step prior to freezing most vegetables. "Blanching inactivates the enzymes that cause spoilage," says Hayes. "It also destroys any bacteria on the surface of the fruits or vegetables and sets the color."
Freezing is an economical way to preserve produce. Top-quality freezer bags and extra storage space in your freezer is all you need. "These days, people are more likely to freeze things because the process is easy, it captures the freshness and flavor of the product, and most homes have a lot more freezer space to fill than they used to," says Hayes.
Drying
Drying is basically the process of removing moisture from produce. There are many ways to dry produce including air drying, sun drying, oven drying or by using a food dehydrator. Herbs, tomatoes and many fruits are ideal for drying.
Drying is a relatively easy process, although the drying times can be quite long, often up to two days. However, the end result is worth it. "I look forward to drying apples, peaches and tomatoes at the height of their season, because it concentrates the flavor and sweetness to the extent that you just want to snack on them rather than using them in cooking," says Hayes.
Blanching is also recommended prior to drying produce; however, steam blanching is the preferred method, as boiling water blanching adds water back into the produce, increasing the drying time.
Rehydrating produce after the drying process is simple; cover the dried produce with boiling water and let stand for several hours. In no time you'll have fresh homegrown flavor to add to your meals.
