Preserving the Harvest A-to-Z (WIP)

[BuffaloStache]

I know this thread hasn't been active in a while, but I did a lot of preserving this year so I figured I'd list it here.

Peaches- the Medium sized peach tree in our yard went absolutely bonkers this year. I've made 4 different types of cobblers/buckles/bars, pure'd for peach Bellini's, frozen lots, eaten many, and given lots away.

Tomatoes- I know this is basically a lazy man's canning, but I've found that taking ~one dozen tomatoes and blanching, peeling, then plopping them in a ziploc bag and freezing to be super useful. We merely take these out of the freezer and then use them the same way you would canned tomatoes for making pasta sauces, but the flavor is so much better.

[Frugal Lizard]

I am in the midst of putting away the bounty.

Last night:
dehydrated peaches overnight (cheaper electricity, dehydrator outside on the porch for peace and quiet).
stewed plums and peppers and onions into a plum sauce to freeze in half cup mason jars.

This morning I labeled and packed one cup blobs of frozen shredded zucchini into a freezer bag.
I have been dicing up peppers, leeks and onions and freezing for quick meal prep.

This weekend the goal is to caramelize and freeze all the tiny but sweet white onions that don't store well. They are a pain to peel and I know I won't use them this winter if they are just hanging about in their just pulled from the garden state.

[BuffaloStache]

...
dehydrated peaches overnight (cheaper electricity, dehydrator outside on the porch for peace and quiet).
...

I've never even thought about dehydrating peaches, but that sounds awesome! How do they taste after? Do you just snack on them dried, or eat them in a different way after?

[Moonwaves]

...
dehydrated peaches overnight (cheaper electricity, dehydrator outside on the porch for peace and quiet).
...

I've never even thought about dehydrating peaches, but that sounds awesome! How do they taste after? Do you just snack on them dried, or eat them in a different way after?

I've never done peaches either but I think my favourite dried mango dessert could probably be adjusted to use them. You just put the mango pieces in a bowl with enough orange juice to cover them and leave them to soak (for a few hours or overnight), then puree that with a stick blender, adding more juice if necessary but erring on the side of less than more. Put the puree into small dishes, espresso cups or something similar and chill in the fridge for a few hours. Top with a dollop of creme fraiche or similar to serve. Very simple and very delicious. And if you put a sprig of mint or a berry of some kind on top of the creme fraiche it looks very fancy and people tend to be impressed. :-)

[Frugal Lizard]

...
dehydrated peaches overnight (cheaper electricity, dehydrator outside on the porch for peace and quiet).
...

I've never even thought about dehydrating peaches, but that sounds awesome! How do they taste after? Do you just snack on them dried, or eat them in a different way after?

I've never done peaches either but I think my favourite dried mango dessert could probably be adjusted to use them. You just put the mango pieces in a bowl with enough orange juice to cover them and leave them to soak (for a few hours or overnight), then puree that with a stick blender, adding more juice if necessary but erring on the side of less than more. Put the puree into small dishes, espresso cups or something similar and chill in the fridge for a few hours. Top with a dollop of creme fraiche or similar to serve. Very simple and very delicious. And if you put a sprig of mint or a berry of some kind on top of the creme fraiche it looks very fancy and people tend to be impressed. :-)

Mostly I just eat them as snacks. With blueberries we put them in granola and salads the way we would use dried cranberries but without the added sugar.

I also dehydrate tomatoes,  apricots, plums, apples and my absolute delicacy watermelon.  It is low carbon footprint candy in our house.

I like the shelf stable without the hot kitchen canning part.

[Cranky]

So many tomatoes. I think I’ll do one more round with the canned and then I’ll freeze or dehydrate the rest.

We’ve been foraging raspberries for the freezer. I’ve already made raspberry, cherry, and strawberry jam, all with fruit either from our garden or foraged.

[Frugal Lizard]

I have started canning the "juice" from tomatoes separately from the pulp.

I grow my own tomatoes and they don't always come in a big bulk harvest, hence mostly doing small batches. I cook them and run them through the food mill one evening and refrigerate. The next evening I skim off the clear liquid on the top into another pot before I heat the sauce back up. I reduce the pulp portion for a bit while I can and process the liquid. It seems to work out well. The liquid is great for rice, stews and soups. The sauce is a lot thicker but still fresher than if I simmered it all the way down with just cooking. And I spend a lot less time in a hot kitchen.