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We got back from our vacation at the lake (the menu worked great, btw!) to find the garden BURSTING with ripe tomatoes and a TON of green beans. There is a good harvest of both onions (it's been a really good year for them - some are SO huge!) and peppers, so I'll be making the first batches of salsa this weekend for sure. 😀 I'll be freezing beans and making pesto to freeze as well. And I'm in the mood for zucchini bread - should it be the classic version or the honey sweetened chocolate loaf? 🧐 When the garden is really producing like this and I need to take care of things fast, I use simple freezing methods for preserving. I'll even freeze tomatoes whole to process later into sauce if I can't deal with them, which actually cuts the cooking down time in half when I pour off the liquid after defrosting! So I thought I'd share a few of my go-tos if you are dealing with harvests from your garden, friends, or farmers markets, too: Easy Freezer Preservation My Freezing BookIn case you missed it a few weeks ago, you can get even more recipes, tips, and how-tos for my favorite preserving method: freezing! I've put all my easy tips (no, you don't have to blanch everything) into this cookbook about Freezing Produce The Easy Way! There are two choices:
From The BlogA Few More ThingsWith preserving on the mind: while I shared my favorite freezer methods, I do like to water bath can, especially salsas and chutneys. So I thought I'd mention again that when I finally realized they make flat-bottom stainless steel canners with GLASS lids (game changer!), my canning life got a lot better! Gone was the rocking, rusting old enamel pot that couldn't be used on glass top. Now I can safely use it on any top AND easily monitor the boil without lifting the lid! It's the little things. 😊 I've been loving this tinted SPF moisturizer that I use all summer! It's lightweight, adds just enough coverage without being heavy or cakey, and helps ensure that I don't burn on my nose and cheeks like I used to before I started using SPF moisturizer. It's one generic tint, which seems like it wouldn't work, but my fair skinned daughter tried in and it gave her good coverage too, just like my medium skin color (might not work for dark skin, though). Enjoy the week! *You can read An Oregon Cottage's full disclosure policy here. Do you love these emails? To get an email whenever I post a new recipe or article, click here. |
Hi, I'm Jami and I love to share simple real food recipes, easy gardening tips, and the best, quickest ways to preserve seasonal food. In my emails you'll find behind the scenes news from the farmhouse and doable, delicious recipes for every stage of life straight to your inbox!
Some links in this email are affiliate links- if you click through and purchase, I may receive a commission at no additional cost to you.* Hi Reader, I think this month may be my favorite month for cooking. So.many.things. are coming in from the garden or can be had at farm stands the cheapest you'll see them. Tomatoes, corn, green beans, zucchini, basil, peppers - lots of my favorite recipes taste best with these fresh right now (details in this month's menu!). I've even been grabbing a...
Some links in this email are affiliate links- if you click through and purchase, I may receive a commission at no additional cost to you.* Hi Reader, It's unofficially the end of summer here in the PNW with the kids and teachers heading back to school after Labor Day - but gardens in our climate always grow really well all through September, so the summer harvests keep to the official calendar end of summer around the 20th. 😀 Since you've been hearing a lot about this year's "season of the...
Some links in this email are affiliate links- if you click through and purchase, I may receive a commission at no additional cost to you.* Hi Reader, Well, well, well. As if the deer, gophers, moles, and ground squirrels weren't enough animals to eat/damage our produce the birds decided to join in! We've had pecks and holes on things in the past, but there was always enough left for us that it hasn't been an issue. Until now... Do you remember the photo of our grapevine loaded with large...