If you can’t stand the thought of parting with your summer peaches and tomatoes, don’t worry. Preserve them. Preserving your favorite in-season produce may seem like a tall task, but it can actually be quite simple. From freezing to fermenting, here are four simple preservation techniques worth trying so you can savor your favorite seasonal flavors year-round:
Freeze it. Freezing fruit is quite easy: Simply wash the fruit, then lay it out on a small sheet pan (it has to fit in your freezer) in a single layer. Pop the sheet pan into your freezer for at least two hours. Remove the sheet pan, transfer the fruit into a freezer safe bag — and freeze for up to three months. This technique works great for berries, sliced stone fruit like peaches and even tomatoes. Fruit and vegetable purees such as applesauce, mashed bananas and even avocado can also be stored in the freezer for use in smoothies, baked goods, soups and sauces. Is your herb garden out of control? Puree fresh herbs with olive oil, and freeze the mixture into ice-cube trays for a simple grab-and-use flavoring tool.
Dry it out. While a dehydrator can come in handy for this endeavor, your oven works well too. Dehydrated fruits and vegetables such as tomatoes, mango, pineapple and apple taste great as a healthy snack and can also be used as an ingredient in many year-round recipes, like this wild rice trail mix salad. To begin, wash the produce and remove any unwanted seeds or pits. It’s up to you if you keep the skin on or remove it; consider keeping it intact, as there are bounties of nutrients that live there. Cut your produce into bite-size pieces, taking into consideration that the smaller and thinner the piece, the faster it will dry out. Low and slow is the trick. Set your oven to the lowest temperature (usually 150 to 250 degrees Fahrenheit). Arrange the pieces on a lined sheet pan in a single layer and bake for six to seven hours, depending on the thickness of the fruit or vegetable. For a fun, kid-friendly trick, puree blends of fruits and vegetables, then spread it on a sheet pan. Bake six to seven hours to create healthy fruit leather the whole family will enjoy.
Get pickling. This super simple preservation technique works well for a variety of fruits and vegetables, such as peppers, beets, peaches, tomatoes and, of course, cucumbers. Pickling is the process of soaking a food in a salt and acid mixture. Pickled products should be refrigerated or jarred to prolong shelf life, as they aren’t safe at room temperature as is. Want to give pickling a go? Pack a 1-quart mason jar with a seasonal vegetable such as beets, peppers or cucumbers. Once the jar is packed with produce, fill it with 3 to 4 tablespoons of distilled white vinegar and 3/4 tablespoon sea salt, and then top it off with water. Add a variety of seasonings, from herbs like dill to garlic, peppercorns, garlic, caraway seeds and more. You can refrigerate your pickles for up to one month or preserve them further by canning or jarring.
Jar it. Canning or jarring may seem complicated, but it’s actually quite easy and fun. Gather some mason jars with lids. Remove the lids, fill your jars with water and place them and the lids into a large pot. Fill the pot with water, covering the jars, and bring the water to a boil. After the water boils, remove the jars, fill them with whatever you’re preserving — be it jam, a sauce or pickles — and then wipe down the sides and rim of the jar before replacing the lid. Once the lids are on the jars, submerge them in the pot of boiling water (the time will vary depending on the recipe). Remove the jars and allow them to cool, which will create a seal. For a great beginning jam recipe, try this Strawberry Chia Jam and feel free to substitute any in-season fruit.
Ferment. Fermentation is a preservation technique gaining popularity due to the healthy, gut-friendly bacteria that are formed in the process. What is it? During the fermentation process, microorganisms such as bacteria, yeasts and molds break down the sugars in a food, leaving you with a preserved product that is rich in probiotics. You can ferment a variety of products from vegetables such as cabbage (kimchi, which is a spicy Kprean condiment, or saurkruat), tea (kombucha), dairy (yogurt and kefir), cucumbers and more. Some types of fermentation require a starter culture, like kefir grains, or a SCOBY, which is used for kombucha. You can also ferment vegetables using salt, which is the case with kimchi, sauerkraut and fermeted cucumbers — which differ from pickles, since there’s no vinegar used. Try this DIY coconut milk yogurt recipe using probiotic capsules as the started culture, or consider this kimchi recipe.
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5 Ways to Preserve Your Summer Food Now originally appeared on usnews.com