preserving

Canning or Freezing-Preserving the Harvest

Dan Field Crops, This Land of Ours, Vegetables

preservingYour harvest is in. Time to think about preserving. Cathy Isom tells you how to save your summer harvest so you can enjoy it this winter. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours.

Canning or Freezing-Preserving the Harvest

In the later months of summer sometimes the harvests are just too bountiful to eat. So instead of wasting, save your homegrown food well into the winter months by either canning or freezing. MrsWages explained the difference between canning and freezing on their website.

The first thing to know about preserving is which foods you can  freeze and which foods you should can. Highly acidic foods (with pH balances between 1.0 and 4.5) can be canned because the acid keeps bacteria at bay, so they won’t require valuable freezer space. If you want to start a business that produces canned goods, you may need to invest in a can seamer and other various equipment.

Low-acid foods are more susceptible to bacterial issues when canned, so they require a pressure cooker and some extra steps in the process. It’s much better to freeze them for later.

Common garden vegetables with less acidity include green beans, peas, peppers, onions, corn, greens, carrots, asparagus, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts. If freezing any of these, make sure none have any type of bruising or trouble. Blanching your vegetables before freezing is also recommended.

I’m Cathy Isom…