Home Preserving

FOOD PRESERVATION includes any of a number of methods by which food is kept from spoilage after harvest. Such practices date to prehistoric times. Among the oldest methods of preservation are drying, refrigeration, and fermentation. Modern methods include canning, pasteurization, freezing, irradiation, and the addition of chemicals.

• CANNING - a method of food preservation in which food is processed and sealed in an airtight container. Canning provides a shelf life that typically ranges from one to five years.

• PICKLING  - the process of preserving or extending the shelf life of food by either anaerobic fermentation in brine or immersion in vinegar.

• DRYING- the removal of water by evaporation, from a solid or liquid food, with the purpose of obtaining a solid product sufficiently low in water content.

• FREEZE DRYING - a form of dehydration. Food is first frozen, then dried under pressure to remove its water content.

• FERMENTATION - The brining method: Mix a brine of salt and water, then submerge the vegetables within that brine.

• CURING - food preservation and flavoring processes of foods such as meat, fish and vegetables, by the addition of salt, with the aim of drawing moisture out of the food by the process of osmosis.

• FREEZING - dividing food into smaller portions and putting in containers or freezer bags to freeze

SIX MONTHS OF GARDEN HARVEST FOR PRESERVING

• May & June - Rhubarb, strawberries, pease, greens, baby beets, spring flowers, herbs

• July & August - Berries and cherries of all kinds, beets, carrots, cabbage, summer squash, cucumbers, green beans, early onions, garlic, potatoes, medicinal herbs, corn, some fruit

• September & October - Apples, stone fruit (plums, apricots, peaches, nectarines), tomatoes, peppers, tomatillos, corn, early winter squash, cabbage, root vegetables, herbs