Preserve your harvest safely

A good harvest often comes all at once. Preserving the extra stretches the savings into winter, but safety matters, especially with canning.

Easiest methods

• Freezing: blanch most vegetables briefly first, then cool, dry and freeze flat in bags
• Herbs: freeze chopped in oil or water in ice cube trays, or dry them
• Tomatoes: freeze whole and slip the skins off when thawed

Canning

• Use only tested recipes from the USDA, the National Center for Home Food Preservation or your Cooperative Extension office
• Low-acid foods like beans and most vegetables must be pressure canned to be safe
• Don't improvise recipes or processing times

Food safety information is general. Follow tested, up-to-date recipes exactly. Nickel Harvest isn't paid by any seed company, garden brand or store.