If you have a vegetable garden or grow your own fruit, you are surely used to spending your days canning or freezing your crop. Here are some ideas that are a little more unusual than everyday canned pears and frozen peas and corn.
Pick Raspberry leaves when they are fresh and green and freeze them on baking sheets. When they are frozen, store them in plastic bags. Brew them as you would a tea. They make a light raspberry tea that has no caffeine.
Freeze grapes on a baking sheet. when grapes are frozen store them in plastic bags. Use them the next time you serve punch or homemade iced tea. They make a nice garnish and keep the drinks cold.
Instead of drying herbs, which can be messy and time consuming: freeze them. Strip the herbs from their stems , chop and freeze in zip-lock bags. When you need them just grab a pinch and zip the bag closed.
Make herb infused oils from fresh garden herbs. Mix the herbs and a light oil in food processor and blend. When blended, let the oil mixture strain through a coffee filter for several hours. Store oils in small bottles in a cool dark place. ( Olive Oil is not recommended because it`s strong flavor will overpower the herbs)
Make herb vinegars. Place herbs of your choice into a jar with a tight fitting lid. Bring a mild vinegar (I use white wine vinegar) almost to a boil. Pour vinegar over the herbs. Cool, tighten the lid and store someplace cool and dark.
Make your own fruit roll-ups with apples, pears, plums and berries. Wash, peel, core fruit and mix in a food processor until it is a fine pulp. Spread a thin layer of the pulp onto a baking sheet that has been lined with waxed paper. Place sheet in oven on the lowest setting until pulp mixture feels leathery to the touch. (keeping the oven door open a crack will speed drying time by letting moisture escape)
Turn the last of your peppers into a delicious spread. If you grow peppers then you know that at harvest time you are always left with a bunch that didn`t grow as big as you had hoped. Place peppers over an open flame until the skin is blistered and turning black. Remove from heat and put in a large covered bowl to cool (this also makes the peppers sweat so that removing the skin is easier) Remove skin, seeds and membrane from peppers. Blend with a little olive oil, salt and pepper. Place in a mason jar and refrigerate. This is delicious on sandwiches or burgers.
Have just a handful of cherry tomatoes ripening at the end of the season? Wash and cut them in half. Place tomatoes cut side up on a non stick baking sheet and sprinkle with a little salt, pepper and garlic or onion powder. Bake in oven on lowest temperature until completely dried. Place in a mason jar and cover with olive oil. The tomatoes are perfect cut into salads and the oil adds flavor to cooking. (add a dried chili for some extra zing)
Don`t toss out overgrown beans. If beans become overgrown, they get woody and stringy, but the kidney beans growing within the pods are perfectly edible when removed and dried out.
Make your own salt free seasoning. Every year at the end of my harvesting, I make my own version of Mrs. Dash seasoning. Finely chop things like garlic, misc. peppers, carrot, onion, leeks, celery, herbs etc... and place on a baking sheet lined with waxed pepper. Place in oven on lowest setting until everything is completely dried. Store in an airtight jar. Use for soups, salads etc...
Shred and freeze the last bits of Swiss chard, kale or any other greens that may still be growing at harvest time. You might not have enough for full meals, but they are a nice addition to soups and stews.
Liquefy the inner flesh of zucchini and store in portion size amounts. The liquid can be thawed and used in recipes instead of milk. Use in bread, cream soups, biscuits etc...
This is so informitive. I never would have thought about all this, but I don't even have a garden, but now I feel like starting one for sure. Terrific read! Michael
#2 by BC Doan, Oct 3, 2008
Great tips, and so many wonderful ideas..Thanks Lanne!
#3 by C. Jordan, Oct 3, 2008
Good, interesting article
#4 by Josey, Oct 3, 2008
Wow, these are great ideas. I would have never thought of them. Nice job!
#5 by Moses Ingram, Oct 3, 2008
Thank you for those great ideas.
#6 by Darlene McFarlane, Oct 3, 2008
Holy! There are a lot of helpful and practical ideas here. Makes me wish I had a veggie garden. I would like to dry my own vegetables for soups and strew.
Great list.
#7 by lanne, Oct 3, 2008
Thank you all for your comments. I am still harvesting, so I may have more ideas to come. Depends how inventive I can get. I have never dried veggies for soups. I have 3 dehydrators sitting doing nothing, so I may give it a try though.
#8 by valli, Oct 3, 2008
Great ideas.
#9 by Judy Sheldon, Oct 3, 2008
Excellent tips. I would have never thought of some of these. I am glad you did and shared them with us. I can't wait to pass this on.
Thanks!!
#10 by pattimari Sheets-Diamond, Oct 3, 2008
Nicely written.
pattimari
#11 by Kareen, Oct 4, 2008
Very good tips in fact I am book marking this page and will be passing it along to others who are crafty like myself...
Thanks so much
~Kareen~
#12 by Lindalulu, Oct 4, 2008
Great ideas for all your hard work through the summer. No waste.
#13 by Kelly, Oct 4, 2008
Being an herb gardener and herbalist I found your article unique and inspiring!
#14 by thestickman, Oct 4, 2008
I saw a few tips that my mother used to do and it brought back happy memories of her kitchen, the way it smelled when she was cooking, canning and brewing wonderful things. ;-)
Thanks for sharing this!
-thestickman
#15 by Ruby Hawk, Oct 4, 2008
Excellent advise for everyone who has a garden or a surplus of food.
