Putting By in Fits and Starts

I just got the Summer 2008 Edition of the Edible Nutmeg (at New Morning Natural Foods). It’s probably been out awhile…I need to subscribe already.

Anyway, what caught my eye in this issue was an article called Putting By. I have to admit, I’m slowly warming up to the idea of food preservation, and not only because I get to buy new kitchen gadgets. (I am gadget girl to some.) What with making my own yogurt, butter, pasta, and a living, who has time for this too? However, I missed having local vegetables over the winter and felt lucky to find hydroponic lettuce (thank you Perry Hack), but sometimes I wanted something besides salad. Especially in the winter. I had a few items in the freezer, but certainly not enough for a winter. It’s time to bite the bullet and move beyond the freezer.

In this article, Sherri Brooks Vinton touches on each of the various methods for storing foods, pickling, freezing, drying, root cellaring, and canning. She offers some suggestions for further reading. The article is good and it’s worth going out and finding the magazine. By the way, Sherri Brooks Vinton is also the co-author of The Real Food Revival.

For my putting-by education, I purchased The Busy Person’s Guide to Preserving Food, by Janet Chadwick. It’s easy to follow and has good practical suggestions. So far, I have tried drying blueberries, basil, and zucchini. The basil worked out. I won’t go into the sordid details of the other two failures learning experiences, but I do have a new plan for the next attempts.

This issue of Edible Nutmeg also features a directory of all the Connecticut Farmers’ Markets. If you haven’t been to one yet this year, it’s not too late. In fact, we are in prime time. And then you’re going to want to preserve all this bounty for the upcoming cold, dark days.

2 thoughts on “Putting By in Fits and Starts”

  1. I like the new digs, Sophie! Good luck getting things preserved! You’ll LOVE it in February when you can pull a bag of sweet corn or peas or beans out of the freezer!

    I have a whole cooler full of peaches waiting for me to put them in the freezer. Alas, though, the sun and the lake are calling, and I fear they will need to wait until this afternoon. I think they’ll be okay!

  2. Thanks Kim.

    Truth be known, I’d freeze everything if I could (and yes, I did freeze my peppers!), but the freezer’s just not large enough to keep me in meals for the duration.

    As I type, I have a variety of tomatoes going in the dehydrator. I’m keeping my fingers crossed!

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