Farmer’s markets are overflowing with autumn harvest such as corn, tomatoes, herbs and zucchini. Why not stock up on these delicious seasonal products – and preserve or freeze them so you can enjoy them later too. Freezing fruits and vegetables when they’re at their best actually preserves a lot of their good, nutritious ingredients. Here are some ideas:
Tomatoes: Make a homemade tomato sauce and either store it in sealed jars or freeze it in freezer bags.
Corn: Dig up a corn relish recipe and jar a batch that you can use as gifts – and for yourself.
Peaches: Freeze peaches by blanching and then jarring or packing in freezer bags. (They’re going to make great smoothies in a few months).
Zucchini: Bake some delicious zucchini bread – it freezes well and serves as an alternate to the usual Christmas cake around the holidays.
Herbs: Basil, parsley, oregano and cilantro are savory herbs in fall and winter meals. To freeze, rinse the herbs quickly in cold water, shake off the excess, then chop coarsely. Put about a teaspoon of herbs in water-filled ice cube trays and freeze. Transfer the herb-cubes to plastic bags or air tight plastic containers and place in your freezer until needed.
