Preserving the Local Harvest

This great article, reprinted by permission from “The Mix,” is by Susan Jane Cheney, St. Paul resident and former member of the Moosewood Restaurant Collective in Ithaca, NY. As the local growing season kicks into high gear, we thought it was a perfect way to prepare co-op shoppers, farmers’ market mavens, and CSA shareholders for the challenge of eating local, longer. Enjoy!

Eat locally” is an old idea making a comeback as the costs to individuals and the environment of long- distance shipping, packaging, and processing of foods are reevaluated. Consuming food close to its source is easy right now when markets are gorged with local produce. But what about the frigid monochromatic months to come here in Minnesota? Buy a bit more of the summer’s bounty and put it away for the inevitable “slim pickings” seasons ahead.

You have several choices of preservation techniques, but always start with best-quality produce. Freshness is fully as crucial for the flavor, texture and nutritional value of preserved foods as for those you eat right away.

Freezing
Freezing is a simple, straightforward food preservation starting point. You can do a lot with just your regular home refrigerator freezer and some heavy-duty zip-lock bags. For instance, quickly rinse and thoroughly drain some of those succulent local blueberries or raspberries and arrange them in a single layer on parchment- or waxed- paper-lined baking sheets. Freeze the berries for several hours, until firm, and then seal them in freezer-proof bags; they will keep for about a year.

For an almost instant “hit” of summer in the midst of winter, freeze blobs of perky pesto in plastic-wrap-lined ice cube trays until solid before transferring the cubes to freezer zip-locks. Likewise, fill canning jars or rigid plastic freezer containers with your favorite summertime salsas and chutneys, leaving room for expansion, and freeze them for cold-weather treats.

Except for peppers, vegetables require a bit of cooking before freezing to inactivate growth-promoting enzymes that continue to work even after picking. Steaming or blanching will preserve flavor and nutrients and prevent the texture from turning tough. Check the National Center for Home Food Preservation website (www.uga.edu/nchfp/) for information about individual vegetables and specific cooking times. This site gives detailed instructions for other preservation methods as well.

Canning
Canning is a bit more complicated than freezing but it doesn’t have to be a major project, especially if you stick to small batches. This method employs high heat rather than extreme cold to halt proliferation of microorganisms—bacteria, molds and yeasts—that promote food spoilage. The basic procedure is to pack prepared fruits and vegetables into sterile glass canning jars, leave appropriate headspace and then vacuum-seal the lids by processing the capped jars immersed in a boiling water bath. Times vary; refer to the Food Preservation website I cited earlier for specifics.

Jellies, jams, conserves, fruit sauces and cooked relishes are other good canning candidates. So are pickles: I like to pack colorful late- season vegetables, whole spices, salt and vinegar into jars to serve with everyday or holiday meals.

A special “canner” is not necessary for high-acid fruits, including tomatoes; a large, deep stock or pasta pot with a round metal cooling rack on the bottom will work well so long as it allows 1 to 2 inches of boiling water above the jars. A steam-pressure canner is preferable for most vegetables, as well as meats and poultry. After processing, remove the screw bands that secure the lids to check for a proper seal and store the canned goods in a cool (50 to 70 degrees), dry location for up to a year.

Drying
Removing moisture from food is another way to preserve it. While it may seem counterintuitive, the fridge is my favorite spot to dry fresh herbs; their colors remain bright and flavors bold. Just loosely pack a layer of clean herbs into a paper bag and put it into the fridge for a week or two, until desiccated. Continue to store them there or strip the leaves and pack into tightly capped jars placed in a cupboard away from light, heat, and moisture.

The sun is an obvious drying agent: My dad grew up on a Western fruit farm where cherries and apricots were dried on screens set on the roof. But any non-humid environment works. Small pungent chiles dry well hanging in my unheated pantry, strung together with a needle and thread run through their stem ends.

A low oven or, better yet, an actual food dehydrator opens the door to a broad range of food-drying possibilities. I use my dehydrator to dry fruits, vegetables, sauces and even one-dish meals for canoe-camping trips, wherein weight is a critical issue. Dehydrators come with different features and specific directions, but the major principle is to weigh a food before drying and then afterward to determine how much water to add to reconstitute it.

As with freezing, high-acid fruits and tomatoes do not require pretreatment with heat, but blanching or steaming vegetables before drying arrests the action of their natural enzymes, improving flavor and texture. Dry these to a brittle consistency. Like herbs, store thoroughly cooled dried fruits and vegetables in tightly sealed containers in a cool, dry, dark location. Fruits keep for about a year and vegetables for about six months; freeze both for longer keeping.

As you revel in this season’s vibrant flavors, develop your own saving-a-bit-of-summer strategy. You don’t have to go all out; just focus on preserving a couple of favorites. Those savory local “eats” may just make your meal—or day—when the view out the window is white and most of our food comes from far away.

A former member of the Moosewood Restaurant Collective in Ithaca, New York, St. Paul resident Susan Jane Cheney writes and teaches about natural foods. A long-time contributor to “Vegetarian Times” magazine and other periodicals, she has authored two cookbooks —“Breadtime: A Down-to-Earth Cookbook for Bakers and Bread Lovers” (Ten Speed Press, Berkeley, CA; 1990, 1998) and “Stir Crazy!: More than 100 Quick, Low-Fat Recipes for Your Wok or Stir-fry Pan” (Contemporary Books, Chicago, IL; 1998).