We hate to say it, but summer will be over before we know it. Now is the time to preserve some of the season's gems like tomatoes, peaches, corn, and peppers. Preserving isn't just about canning, though. Here are some tips for freezing, pickling, making sauces, and more.
Berries: Berries may be frozen, of course, but our favorite way to preserve their flavor is in a shrub syrup, which you can use in sodas, cocktails, and salad dressings. Vinegar is also a great option for berries.
Cherries: Check out this post on 10 Ways to Preserve Cherries and get ready to make frozen cherries, dried cherries, pickled cherries, Maraschino cherries, boozy cherries, vinegar, and liqueur!
Corn: Corn freezes very well. Select tender corn in the milk stage, husk, and blanch on the cob for about 5 minutes. When cool enough to handle, cut the kernels off the cob. Freeze in an airtight bag or container with 1/2-inch headspace (the space between the top of the food and the inside of the lid) to allow for expansion.
Cucumbers: Refrigerator pickles are easy and rewarding. Here's a basic formula for pickling brine, and also try Marisa McClellan's recipe for Garlic Dill Refrigerator Pickles. The same process can be used for green beans, okra, and summer squash, too.
Eggplant: Freeze slices of eggplant to use in eggplant Parmesan and other dishes. Slice eggplant 1/3-inch thick and blanch for 4 minutes in 1 gallon of water with 1/2 cup of lemon juice. Cool, drain, and freeze in an airtight bag or container with 1/2-inch headspace.
Figs: Preserve figs in brandy (delicious on ice cream!) or dry them in the oven or a dehydrator to make fig salami. Get the details here.
Peaches: The best peach jam we've ever had was a freezer jam, which really preserved the vibrant flavor of the fruit. If you like peach pie, check out this tip for freezing fruit fillings.
Peppers: Sweet peppers don't freeze terribly well, but a sauce like Red Pepper Paste does. Spicy peppers can be turned into DIY hot sauce.
Tomatoes: Freeze whole tomatoes (or chop them up) for year-round use in sauces and stews. Homemade tomato paste is another great ingredient to freeze.
Watermelon: It might sound strange, but we highly recommend dried watermelon – it's like a fantastic, chewy candy.
• For more tips on food preservation, including freezing and drying, visit the National Center for Home Food Preservation site.
Related: Preserving Without Canning: Tips and Tricks for Spring Produce
(Images: Emily Ho)
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Good post. Actually, sweet peppers freeze exceptionally well. Clean, core & slice or dice as you prefer & place on a cookie sheet and/or wax paper until frozen solid. Store in a freezer appropriate container for out-of-season use in various dishes. You can take out as little or as much as you need.
What great timing! I just froze some CSA green beans. I followed the pickyourown.com recipe: wash, cut, blanch for 3 minutes, cool in ice water for 3 minutes, put in a ziploc and freeze.
Can't wait to try freezing eggplant now. And yes sweet peppers do freeze exceptionally well. I freeze sweet and hot peppers as mentioned above and also do roasted red peppers. They all work well.
I'm a big fan of freezing because it's the least labor-intensive method of preserving, and because (assuming the produce won't be totally destroyed) it stays the most like the fresh version, at least if you're going to cook it. Jams and pickles are good but they're a totally different version of the food at that point.
I have frozen (blanched) corn on the cob with good results. I also freeze hot peppers whole, just cleaned and wrapped in foil, and they're good to go (assuming you're going to chop them; but how often do you need whole jalapenos anyway?). In my experience sweet peppers freeze ok but only if you're going to cook them; when raw and defrosted, they're kind of soggy and sad. Blanched or cooked beans of all kinds also freeze pretty well.
Also, I notice some freezer jam recipes use a ton of sugar, or the sugar doesn't dissolve enough, etc. I just make regular cooked jam and freeze it instead of heat-processing it. It always defrosts perfectly and it still lasts pretty long in my fridge.
So much time is spent in the grocery store picking the right healthy foods but then time goes by and before you know it the tomatoes are spoiled, the eggplant is spoiled, etc...and the list goes on. I've wasted so much money this way. I always freeze corn so that's one food that never goes bad but in the future freezing is going to be a priority.
I freeze fresh corn right in their husks with no prep at all. I just put 2 or 3 ears right from the farm or grocery into a freezer bag, squeeze out the air and freeze. When you thaw, husk and boil them in December they taste just like they did in August and much better and cheaper than buying winter corn.