See that lettuce in the picture? I grew that! (Not the I am excited or anything.) When we plant a garden, we do so full of hopes and dreams of tiny green sprouting plants turning into a feast for our table. Well, at least, I do! I’m always so excited to see which seeds take and which didn’t; What I’ve gotten just right this season, and which crops still need me to make adjustments. Then, there are the old faithful ones that pop up every time without fail…those reliable herbs and onions! We love to use them fresh right out of the garden as we are cooking, but sometimes we get a bumper crop!
What do you when you get bumper crop?? I love to preserve them!! I have to tell you all a big secret though…one that may surprise you a lot, because most people probably assume it’s something I do all the time. Here it comes…I don’t know how to pressure can anything. There. I said it. The cat is out of the bag. Haha. Now you know that I will not be sharing about canning! In fact, I don’t even own a pressure canner…yet. This art is something I am really interested in learning, but as of this moment, I have zero skills in that area.
So, what do I do? I usually FREEZE my garden veggies to preserve them! I find it quick, easy, and very convenient to freeze them in either zippered bags or vacuum sealed bags. I choose which method to use based on how long I am wanting to preserve each item. Vacuum sealed frozen veggies last longer than the zippered bag method, BUT, I prefer the zippered bags if I am freezing things I need to use just some of each time…like onions. Speaking of those, I am a huge fan of freezing onions! It’s so easy that once you try it, you may never go back to your old methods, either! Plus, each time you need diced onion, you can simply unzip the bag, pour out what you need, zip it back up, and return it to the freezer for next time!
For whole white, yellow, sweet, or red onions, here’s what I do:
- cut the onion into small bits…small enough to sauté and add to soups, frittatas, etc
- label a sandwich-sized zippered baggie
- place cut up onions inside the zippered bag (fill until there’s only enough space left to zip the bag)
- squeeze out any air you can
- zip and place into the freezer
For green onions, the only thing I do differently is that I like to freeze the diced “bulb” part that’s more white by itself, and the diced green part separately. I use them slightly differently when cooking, so this method makes it easy for me.
I use this zippered bag freezing method for celery stalks and carrots that are slightly past their prime, but still good for use in stocks. I rough-chop them and add them to a gallon-sized zippered bag. Then the I am making any kind of stick or broth, I just pour the mix into a pot of water, add some onion, some seasonings, and let it all simmer away!
There are other things in my garden I prefer to preserve using vacuum bags. I got a vacuum sealer, and the whole box of bags to go with it. It’s amazing! How did I go so long without one?? The garden goodies I use it for include swiss chard and kale, (chopped and blanched first), and zucchini and yellow squashes (chopped into bite-sized pieces). By the way, I also use my vacuum sealer for meats, and sometimes even perfectly portioned dinner leftovers that will become my lunch!
As for preserving my bounty of garden-grown herbs, I have discovered that drying my basil in bunches tied with baker’s twine and hung upside down to dry works nicely. Then, I just crush it and place it into my spice jar labelled “basil.” I do the same with my rosemary parsley, dill, mint, and thyme. I can’t believe it’ really this simple and I’ve only recently started doing it! Plus, it makes my kitchen smell good while it’s drying! Perfect!
So what does your garden grow? And how will you preserve it? Whatever you do, seek out the joy in the process. Blessings to you today and always.