Growing up, we had a large, funky, no-name apple tree that produced abundant apples, but oddly only every other summer; yes, summer, not fall. During the “apple summers” my mother was on her applesauce canning mission making us pick up the fallen apples followed by her canning quarts and quarts of applesauce. It was delicious sauce, uniquely pink, the flesh color of the no-name apples. I’ve been canning or freezing applesauce ever since.
As I write this healthy living note in early summer, I have visions of the August-September harvest. All summer we are blessed with abundant, fresh produce spilling out of our gardens, road side stands, farmers markets and even grocery stores and luckily it continues into fall even as the days shorten. If you ventured to grow three or four tomato plants, and now it’s August, you may be picking more tomatoes than you can eat. You can’t give them away fast enough to make room for the next picking. And although you may not have peach tree, peaches are everywhere in the markets and apples are coming.
Think of canning or freezing some of this healthy harvest so that in the depth of dreary winter, you can enjoy a jar of “summer” or share a jar as a gift to a friend. Home canning and freezing grabs and keeps fresh flavor and preserves valuable nutrition.
Canning 101
If you are a canning novice, start with canning high-acid foods like tomatoes, salsa, sauces, peaches, apple sauce, fruit preserves, jam, jellies and pickles. These foods can be processed safely with tested recipes.
- Equipment. Large deep stock pot with lid and rack, canning jars with new lids, rings, wooden spoons, ladle, funnel, jar lifter.
- Select produce that is not over ripe, bruised, frozen or of low quality.
- Surprisingly tomatoes need added acid such as lemon juice, vinegar or citric acid to increase acid level.
- Consider altitude as it affects processing time.
- Low-acid foods like meats, poultry and fresh vegetables require pressure canning equipment to ensure food is heated to temperatures sufficient to kill bacteria and especially Clostridium botulinum.
An excellent cookbook for recipes and canning techniques is The All New Ball Book of Canning and Preserving. The USDA National Center for Home Food Preservation publication, the USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning 2015 provides detailed information for the serious canner.
Freezing Fruits and Vegetables 101
- Containers. Use rigid plastic containers with tight lids or glass tempered jars such as canning jars.
- Cool foods before packing to retain color and flavor.
- Freeze foods when they are at their freshest to retain nutrition, color and flavor.
- Fruits and vegetables may be frozen eight to 12 months.
**For detailed information about freezing foods, go to the USDA National Center for Home Food Preservation How Do I Freeze….
**Fresh corn on the cob is abundant in July and August. Buy enough to freeze. Water blanch ears of corn four minutes. Cool quickly and drain. Cut off kernels, scrape cobs with the back of a knife to remove the juice and heart of the kernel.
Cooking Tip
Fresh Peaches with Raspberry Sauce (Peaches Cardinal). Blanche 4 large peaches, cool, peel. Cut peaches in half, remove seed. Thaw a 10-ounce package of frozen raspberries or use 2 cups fresh raspberries. Mash raspberries through a sieve to remove seeds. Stir in one tablespoon superfine sugar. Arrange peach halves in four dessert dishes next a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Spoon raspberry sauce over peaches and ice cream. Garnish with fresh raspberries. Servings: 4
Written by: Mimi Cunningham, Registered Dietitian-Nutritionist, Diabetes Educator
Mimi Cunningham is a dietitian-nutritionist living in Eagle, Idaho. Her nutrition specialty is diabetes education and management. She loves writing about embracing healthy eating as fun plus a route to good health. She serves as a member of the Idaho Foodbank board of directors addressing food insecurity as a challenge to good health for Idaho children and adults.
On behalf of Smart Strategies for Successful Living, our sincerest appreciation goes to Mimi Cunningham for her contribution to our community website and commitment to healthy living and aging.
