[Riemontana]

I am trying to save money and return to some of the habits that were taught to me by my mom, grandmother, and aunts. I thought we could share how we are preserving summer produce.

Next weekend my mom and I are going to can chicken. We buy the birds from a local huterite farm. they will come to us just like plucked roasting hens and we will cut them up, season and can. It makes a wonderful and very healthy start to stews and soups.

this weekend I am going to freeze some strawberries and local rasberries. I think they will make wonderful additions to smoothies.

I planted tomatoes, cucumbers, stevia, and mint. I will start with sliced and fried green tomatoes and keep eating fresh until they are gone! mmmmm

The farmers market starts next week. I am planning to come home with a fresh veggie each week that I will preserve.

What is everyone else to to put up your own produce?

[maryea]

Rie - guess people don't preserve foods like they used to as you are not getting replies! I used to can and do some freezing but I don't do anything like that anymore. Just got tired of it I guess. It's a good thing to do though. We have a couple blueberry trees but so far not a lot of berries so we tend to just eat them up fast, so I buy frozen blueberries and eat them like candy out of the freezer as I love them. I also use them in smoothies. Also make smoothies with peaches and of course strawberries...both fresh and frozen.

[josey]

I love doing pickles and jam!

Jams I usually do: gooseberry/apricot, rhubarb /strawberry, red current, saskatoon berry, orange, kiwi and blood orange.

The gooseberries, rhubarb, red current and sask berries we have in the backyard. All other I have to buy unfortunately. They don't grow in Canada.

I have made pickles but this year I am going to try a new receipe if I find one with less salt. I also want to pickle carrots!

How do you preserve stevia? I should get one of those plants next year!
Never heard of canning chicken either. How do you do that?

I also freeze a ton of fruit usually. Mostly berries though.

[Riemontana]

Hi Josey,

I usually just dry stevia by hanging it like herbs. I steep it in water and store in the fridge.

We cut chicken into fryer type parts and pack in jars. Salt, pepper, water, and seal. The time to process in a canner depends on your canner and the type of jars. It is really good.

Good luck with your pickles. I also plan to try sugarfree freezer jam this year.

[JOLINA]

I am going out to pick my Allstar strawberries now. I have a couple of quarts ripening.
I have picked about 35 pounds this spring. I gave one third away, but froze most of them.
I slice the strawberries with my egg slicer, then add sugar. Then freeze them in small containers.
When I thaw them out I add a sliced banana and fruit cocktail to make a fruit salad.


I'll have a lot of Arapaho blackberries ripening soon. Those I will make juice out of and freeze in small plastic bottles.


I also grow blueberries, elderberries, mulberries, currants, cranberries, gooseberries, grapes, wild peaches, pears and apples. It keeps me busy.

[raebeaR]

I missed your post yesterday!

I do a lot of canning and preserving. Yesterday I put up 7 quarts of homemade low-fat layered chili, starting with beef I raise myself. I also canned a few pints of rhubarb/clementine jam to give away as gifts in the holiday season.

I envy you your Huterite accessibility! I used to live in Montana, and I loved to buy their geese for holiday dinners. I raise my own chickens, but not for meat at this point... only eggs.

Soon it will be time to put up tomatoes, green beans, peppers and dehydrate or can apples, plums and pears. I also pick tons of berries -- strawberries, raspberries, boysenberries, blackberries, and either make jams or freeze whole for use in smoothies or baking. I love to make jam and use a couple of teaspoons as a topping for a low-fat cheesecake that I make.

I will lift onions and garlic soon to harden off, then braid for long-term storage.

We're having a slow summer, so I only planted corn a few weeks ago. I prefer it frozen to canned, although canned corn salsa is lovely. Won't have to worry about that until October.

Brassicas here tend to grow well into the winter, so soon it will be time to plant fall crops of broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and cabbage. Lettuce, spinach, beets and carrots do well in fall here as well. I prefer those fresh and won't do much to process or preserve them.

I freeze pumpkin after I have steamed and pureed it.

Happy canning and preserving to everyone!