preserving some fresh produce

[Marthe48]

Just a little of this, a little of that. I am roasting peppers today. And some tomatoes later. Peppers in the fridge and they won't last long (YUM!) tomatoes in the freezer for chili later this year

[matt819]

1. I'm dreading the tomato invasion

I managed to get a dozen quarts of dilly beans and about 18 quarts of pickles.

I didn't grow mushrooms, but I tried my hand at canning store bought and was happy with the results, though I would need tons more to really make it worth the trouble.

Now the tomatoes are ripening. My spouse is the gardener, and her philosophy is if one plant is good, 10 plants is better. Instead of just canning the tomatoes, I'm going to make spaghetti sauce and salsa. So if someone brings pasta and tortilla chips, we'll be ready for the zombie apocalypse.

[Marthe48]

3. I'll have a few more tomatoes

You sound adventurous and busy!
I planted 3 plants, near the house in an old flower bed. Not the best spot, but I only want a few. I roast the tomatoes and freeze them. I can add them to whatever I'm making.
My husband and I made ketchup once, used Mrs. Wages spices, I think. It took a lot of tomatoes and was pretty easy. And he made homemade salsa, which turned out really good.

[mopinko]

2. i love my dehydrator. every gardener should have one.

dried tomatoes are so good. so strong in flavor, and ready to make nice thick sauces.
dried cherry tomatoes, and sweet peppers, are down right sweet.

doesnt heat up the place, and even tho i toss them in the freezer to prevent any mold if things arent bone dry, they dont take up much space.

you can make some nice crunchy snacks, too. cukes or beans w a little olive oil and seasonings. yumm.

[Marthe48]

4. I do like sun-dried tomatoes

I found some at Dollar Tree, which don't have a lot of additives. I was thinking about getting a dehydrator because at Christmas, I make tofu jerky and I think a dehydrator would really speed up the process. I started out making one batch for one daughter, then 2 batches because she liked it so much. Then my other daughter liked it, so I am up to 4 batches. Oven drying takes a long time. But there are some other things I could try too. Tomatoes, berries, bananas

[mopinko]

5. even if it doesnt speed it up,

it will make it easier, as you can set it and forget it.

i bought a couple at the thrift store, but broke down and bought a good one after i killed 2.

[Marthe48]

6. I meant free up

Each batch takes at least 4 hrs. to dry. Lots of time minding it if I use the oven.

[mitch96]

7. Love canned veg in the winter

My parents would go to these "you pick'ems" or road side produce stands and buy by the bushel. Mom would set to canning all weekend. In the winter me and Pop's would set to eating!!!
m

[Marthe48]

8. No one canned when I was a kid but

my Gram would make strawberry and other preserves. We ate a lot of fresh food all year. My dad owned a grocery store.
I freeze things, because I never learned to can, and don't trust slef-teaching. LOL But I used to make jams, jellies and fresh juices

[mitch96]

9. " don't trust slef-teaching"

Youtube has a wealth of info on the proper and age old way of canning veg..
This is a goodie..

&feature=youtu.be
m

[Marthe48]

10. Thanks!

I probably won't try, at this time in my life

It was very thoughtful of you to send the link.

[Callalily]

11. I used to do a lot of canning and freezing

when I had my organic garden. So nice to use exceedingly tasteful home grown food.

A very lot of work involved, but truly worth it.

I started tapering off my canning/freezing when I discovered that I couldn't eat/use it all and was giving most of it away. The recipients were grateful, but truth be told, there is an expense involved.

No garden here at my condo, but the farmer's market is only a few blocks away!

[mitch96]

12. "A very lot of work involved, but truly worth it. "

When I was a kid it was a necessity. Some months we did not have two nickels to rub together but we had lots of canned veggies to eat.
What I want to know why do we still call it "canning" when it's all done in glass jars? weird
Then again calling it "jarring" just does not sound right and calling it
"Home produced food preservation technique" is a bit unwieldy!!
m

[Marthe48]

14. Knew a lot of people

who canned, but they are all passed on. If I got to help in their kitchens, I learned as much as I could on other kinds of cooking, all those methods that made food taste so good My best friend's Mom canned, and had a store room in the basement. She kept canning even after the kids were grown up, and left a huge store of preserved food unused.

Here is a link about why it is called canning: http://kokomoperspective.com/lifestyles/ok-so-why-do-they-call-it-canning-when-you/article_2fc19e78-3335-5d25-b714-feb7871c72a6.html

I read a long time ago that a Frenchman developed the method and it was popular. Napoleon used canned goods for his troops, but the can opener hadn't been invented, so the soldiers had to smash the cans to get to the food.

[Marthe48]

13. Hats off to yr green thumb :)

I'm near Marietta, Oh. and they price the fresh produce like gold. I would pay top price, but the veggies better be top quality. I did find a place with reasonable prices, so I've made a couple trips. I planted 3 tomato plants and got about 5 lbs of tomatoes so far, not bad for where I planted them, and then let them fend for themselves. lol

I'll end up eating most of the things fresh, but nice to know I have some treasures in the freezer!