A few thoughts.
As the season progresses, I've been thinking of what we should be doing to put away the harvest.
Last year, we did most of our preservation by canning. It worked well, we had great success. It was an quick way to put up a lot of produce in a few days.
It was, however, really really warm. You're surrounded by boiling water, dealing with scalding hot jars, hot fruit and veg, and simmering metal lids. It is also more than likely above 90 degrees outside, too. It was humid and hot, and a few lost fingerprints were usually considered a necessary casualty until you got your bearings back after a year of not juggling jars.
Not to mention, that thirty quart jars take up a lot of space, and are heavy to move by those of us who have not settled down onto property of our own yet. The jars are also fragile, and prone to breaking, both in the boiling water bath, and during any sort of transport.
I'm not saying that it's a horrible way to go about things, just that due to the past many years of this procedure, I'm thinking that perhaps a look at a few new methods would be worthwhile.
Freezing seems to be the most popular thing to do-- Upside: with easy freezer bags and no chance of botulism....It's a fast way to get lots of produce put away with minimal effort up front. Downside: We don't own a giant chest freezer, nor are we planning to stay in this apartment long enough to consider renting a freezer locker. If the power goes out, we risk losing a whole seasons' worth of garden goodies.
No, we need something that requires less space, is less fragile, and is not dependent on an electrical outlet.
This year, I'm hoping to do a lot more drying for food.
It seems to be the least popular of the preservation methods nowadays, except for a few apple rings, a sheet of fruit leather and a bag of banana chips when we were kids. It seems that it isn't considered for things other than that...All the awesome that is dried fruits and veg! This year will be the year to take advantage of the aggressive summer heat to help preserve our hard work.
Tasty things to be dried this year::
Onions, carrots, celery, parsley, beans, cabbage, plums, apples, peaches, and the whole lot of it....Just about anything we can get our hands on.
Yes, this is all well in good, but it's pointless to expend the energy to make all of this if you don't have a plan with how to use it.
Onions, carrots, and celery can be combined and rehydrated in broth to make an instant mirepoix when these can't be found locally or in season. Cabbage can be thrown into Asian style soups. Plums can be used to make tasty chutneys for meats during the winter (try stewing them with white wine and cardamom!), apples rehydrated in water with some lemon juice to be made into pies, or any sort of fruit and veg can be simply eaten out of hand.
It's best for everybody to consider their own eating habits before deciding on what method will work best for them. If you and yours use the bags of frozen vegetables most often, then that is what you should look into. If you find yourself reaching for a can of green beans in the pantry, then canning is the most efficient thing for you. If you're in need of a quick, light, easy to store method, then perhaps drying is what you should consider.
Not sure if we're heading up to the garden this weekend, due to Independence Day. Traffic is insanity, and the garden will be watered in our stead. If we head up, I'll be sure to post progress.
All the best!