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Man, this time of year always gets me. The spring crops are out, the tomatoes and peppers (and lots of other stuff) are already planted, but it’s not quite time to talk about the fall garden yet. There’s little stuff to do, like digging out your spring potatoes, but maybe the most indelible trait of these first dog days is the heat which has completely stifled the emotion I once defined as springtime ambition. It seems like a distant memory now, but it was only a few months ago that I was cursing late frosts and longing for the omnipresent heat which is synonymous with summertime in Kansas. We’re at the time of year which is comparably less busy than others, so it’s a good time to start planning for the future.

As many of our well-known verbal anecdotes have agrarian roots, I’d hate to miss an opportunity to share one of my favorites: Make hay while the sun shines.

The sun is definitely shining, but as it’s only been a few months since our overnight frosts, (the ones I was cursing earlier) just as surely, a few months from now we will have them again, and our growing season for 2009 will all but come to a close.

Now is the time to think about preserving produce for the winter months.

Often times I find myself saying “Well, I don’t have enough of this or that to worry about canning or freezing.” But don’t forget the farmers’ market. There’s nothing wrong with buying in bulk while food is in season with the intention of putting most of it away for the fall and winter months. It’s fresh, local, and if you time it right, you may be able to strike a bulk deal with the grower. They’ll probably be happy to move a bunch of produce all at once. Maybe you combine what you’ve grown with a supplement you buy at the market, or if you cant make it to the market, maybe you can trade what you’ve grown with a friend to end up with more of what you want.

The subject of preserving food is very broad, but as usual, we’ll hit some main points which can act as a springboard for your self-education.

Canning

I’ve been looking for some time of compiled list of usually-canned veggies, and I haven’t come up with much, which leads me to believe that with a little work, almost anything you grow in your garden can be canned, whether it’s on it’s own, or in a recipe like a sauce or jam.

Some basic canning can be done with tomatoes requiring as little as some canning jars, and a pot big enough to put several of them in. Most canning jars tend to come in boxes of a dozen or so and tend to run about a dollar per jar, and they’re reusable. Steer clear of the temptation to reuse jars you bought at the store with other products in them. Apparently they don’t hold up as well to the canning process and you could end up with exploding glass, which is awesome, but only when you’re anticipating it.

I’ve included a link to a recipe for canning tomatoes from the most official source I could find; the National Center for Home Food Preservation. Admittedly, I didn’t know there was such a center prior to writing this.

If you’re feeling ambitious, many kinds of fruits and meats can be canned as well, however, often times these will require a pressure canner.

One of our favorite things to trade for in our neck of the woods is a jar of highly-coveted spicy tomato juice that a friend of ours makes. It makes the best red beers.

In all seriousness though, while canning is fun, empowering and a little quaint, it does involve some science, and it can definitely be done improperly. I encourage you to pay another visit to our friends at the National Center for Home Food Preservation and check out what they’ve compiled from the USDA as a complete guide to canning.

Another subject that should be broached on the topic of food preservation is the use of a freezer in place of canning.

Pretty much everyone knows how to put something in the freezer, but something that’s worth thinking about is the fact that a dedicated freezer (like a chest-style freezer) can be a great investment as they tend not to be very expensive, (like 100 bucks, or maybe less if it’s used.) and can be self-fulfilling prophecies as once you have it, you may as well use it. Often times these can be kept in semi-outdoor settings (think under the carport, or in the garage or whatever) if spatial considerations are necessary.

Although I’m not ready to side one way or another, I’ve heard the case made for freezing instead of canning surrounding better nutritional content with frozen food as opposed to canned food. The other side of the argument is that maintaining a stockpile of frozen food almost definitely requires more energy consumption than shelves full of Ball jars. Just something to consider.

Whichever persuasion you find yourself aligning with, keep in mind that if you’d like to have local food year round, you should make hay while the sun shines. The time is now. You can thank me when you crack open your second to last jar of tomatoes or whatever on a dreary February day next year and taste the sun and warmth of some balmy day in the summer of 2009.