Most vegetables can be frozen. Carrots, corn, bean, onions, and peas can all be frozen and used later. When you’re ready to use them, just take them out of the freezer to make some delicious foods such as soups, sauces, and casseroles. Spinach is also great to freeze and then use later in smoothies. In order to freeze vegetables, cut them into the desired size, briefly boil them, drain and put them in icy water, then finally dry them thoroughly. Lay your vegetables on a flat tray to freeze. Once they are frozen, put them into a container or freezer bag. Don’t forget to date the packages! Frozen vegetables should last about 18 months.
What tastes great on burgers, hotdogs, salads, and sandwiches? Pickled vegetable! Pickling is very easy, does not require a lot of work, and is a great way to use up extra vegetables. Cut up the vegetables to the desired size and put them in a mason jar or other glass container. Heat up vinegar and water, then dissolve sugar and salt. You can also add some herbs for taste such as dill for dilled pickles! Pour this mixture over your vegetables and let it soak for an hour. Store this in the fridge. They can keep for up to three weeks. Here is a list of veggies that taste great pickled; onions, cucumbers, beets, carrots, and cauliflower. See more tips on canning on our Canning & Preserving blog post.
Dehydrating is a great way to use up a lot of extra fruits and vegetables. This method removes most of the food’s water content so it will last longer. Dehydrated foods such as bananas, apples, carrots, tomatoes, and peas all make excellent camping and hiking snacks. Using an electric dehydrator works well, but you can also dry them in the oven. The oven takes a little longer, but the results are still great!
Making chilli and sala is super easy, tastes delicious, and can use up all of you’re extra garden harvest. Invite some friends and family over and make a large pot of chilli or some salsa for chips and dip. You can really throw anything in chilli from zucchini, tomatoes, and peppers to beans and most of the herbs that have grown in the garden. You can make strawberry salsa, apple salsa, as well as basic tomato salsa with onions and peppers!
Tip #5 – Give it away
If you have a lot of extra harvest from your garden, you can always give it away. Find some family members, friends, or neighbours that may want some extra garden fruits or vegetables. You can also cook a vegetable/fruit dish using some of your harvest for someone. You can also ask around your neighbourhood if anyone has an apple tree, tomato bush, or lettuce plant that they would be willing to share. Alternatively, you can look online for vegetable/fruit sharing websites and groups like Leftovers’ Home Harvest program.
Recent Comments