It's a jungle in there!

If I really want to live beyond the grocery store, we have to really love and trust our freezer – and we do. Though I do intend to invest in a chest freezer in the next month. The possibilities of frozen foods seem utterly infinite with a massive box, one completely devoted to containing meat, stock and blanched produce. After tonight I think this step better happen soon. As of this evening we now have 4.5 quart bags of frozen peaches and 4 quart bags of frozen corn, combined with other items our freezer is practically stuffed. Between peach cobbler in January and corn pudding in December (or whenever we want) I am excited for the winter.

Yesterday, at one of the many farmers markets here in Portland, we purchased 10 pounds of peaches and 3 dozen ears of corn. The summer before last we froze corn and it was an awesome decision. I am happy we did it again as I know we will enjoy it this winter. The peaches are a new venture. We already have 3 or 4 gallons of black berries (a bit much if I say so myself.) I am curious to see how the peaches turn out. I have seen canned peaches and frankly that looks more appealing to me, but the ease of freezing transcends any pretty picture. As we peeled the cooled peaches, sliced em up and put them in their baggies, we reminded ourselves that most of this fruit will “take shape” in a cobbler or pie. In this case, I don’t know how much it matters how we preserve them.

Resting before the plunge.

For those of you that are interested in canning or freezing, there is one site in particular I highly recommend: Pick Your Own. As far as my preserving adventures go this is the site for taking the simple steps toward canning, freezing or drying. Not only does she include clear directions with great step-by-step photos for the various processes, but she also provides numerous resources for the beginner or hobby preserver.

As summer winds down and fall slowly enters our lives, there are only a few projects left on my list:

1. Roasting several pounds of red bell peppers and canning them with some olive oil and garlic. I have never done this but I intend to next week. I love the possibility of having roasted red peppers in the winter. They are so excellent as an antipasta for a coursed Italian feast, or throwing in a stew or pasta dish – yummy in my tummy.
2. Canning whole tomatoes. As far as I can tell it seems like canning tomatoes is ‘classic.’ And this year I would really love a piece of the action. Ideally I would can one quart for each week of the winter. Realistically, I will can any tomatoes I can get my hands on and be happy with that. I am on the lookout for 50 pounds, but again, I’ll take what I can get.
3. Chanterelle mushrooms. This weekend we are going foraging for my favorite wild mushroom – the chanterelle. Each Spring we hunt morels and we have been lucky for the last 3 years. Now that we are back in the NW there are so many varieties of edible wild mushrooms. When we find morels we tend to dry most of them out. I am curious to know if we can dry out this variety too.

This about sums up my canning/freezing/drying desires. Each year I try new things and rack up a longer list for the following year. I would love to hear other people’s successful preserving experiences. If anyone would like to share a recipe or a picture or a story of their own that would be wonderful.

Related posts:

1. Freezer Madness and the Long Winter Ahead
2. Grocery-free Living
3. Sorry for the Delay (weekly menu 17)
4. A Day in the Kitchen
5. The Last Dance with Kale (weekly menu 27)

Tags: Bulk purchase, corn, peaches, seasonal eating, wild mushrooms