One of my very first articles was on the 100 mile diet and how the “locovore” movement (eating only locally produced food) can help you live a healthier lifestyle as well as support local growers. The 100-Mile Diet: A Year of Local Eating explores Vancouverites J.B. MacKinnon and Alisa Smith’s attempt to restrict their diet to foods grown within 100 miles of their residence.  This concept seems to be gaining wide enthusiasm, however as the this growing season comes to and end, its time to preserve fresh local produce.

    Preserving food isn’t as intimidating as it sounds or looks. I’ll admit, it does take some time, but the results of eating garden fresh pasta primavera sauce in the middle of February is so worth it! Two of the most popular preservation methods are freezing and canning. New to the “locovore” concept? With some advanced planning and a few tools (jars, storage bags etc.), you will be eating nutritious, local food all year round.

    Probably the easiest method is cold storage. If you have your own garden, try leaving root vegetables in the ground as long as possible. Beets, carrots, parsnips, potatoes, artichokes and turnips can be left in the garden until mid-November in most climates, or until there is danger of freezing. And if you pile straw or a heavy mulch over root vegetables, you can extend this effective storage method even longer. You can also preserve food in a freezer or cellar. If you will be using a cellar, the ideal storage room* must be dry, dark and cool (7–10o C).

Freezing
    Frozen fruits and vegetables are just as nutritious as their fresh counterparts when properly prepared. Select fresh produce from your garden or local market and freeze it at the peak of maturity.

Fruits
    Berries, sour cherries and rhubarb are particularly good frozen, but many fruits can be preserved this way (pears and sweet cherries do not freeze well). Wash all fruits in cold water, and be sure to soft scrub those with skins. Drain well, blot dry, and then place cleaned fruit (whole or cut) into freezer bags, seal, label and into the freezer they go! If you want the individual pieces to maintain their shape when thawed, freeze the fruit on trays before sealing into bags.

    Juicy fruits, like berries, benefit from a sugar coating to preserve flavour before dry packing. Fruits that darken easily when cut, such as peaches, apples and apricots, can be mixed with ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) to prevent discolouration. Ascorbic acid is available at most pharmacies. Follow manufacturer’s instructions for use. Dry-packed fruits soften when thawed, so they are best used for dessert and yogurt toppings, as smoothie ingredients or to make fruit pies.

Vegetables
    Blanching vegetables (to scald in hot water or steam) stops enzyme action and helps to maintain flavour and colour during preserving. Blanch fresh , ripe vegetables in boiling water, drain thoroughly and tightly pack in quality airtight freezer containers. Most vegetables will maintain high quality for 12 to 18 months at 18°C or lower. Green onions, cucumbers, tomatoes (except for use in cooking) and lettuce and other salad greens do not freeze well.

Herbs
    Herbs with a high water content, such as basil, tarragon, mint, chives and lemon balm, are best preserved by fresh freezing, as opposed to drying. Although the herbs will become limp in the process, their flavour will hold for several months. Unlike dried herbs whose flavour becomes more concentrated, frozen herbs are used in the same proportion as fresh ones.

Canning
    Another great way to eat local is to preserve in season crops by home canning. The process of home canning simply means to pack food into glass jars, cover with liquid and then heat. While there are cheap alternatives in the supermarket, you can guarantee that your home preserves are locally grown, organic (if you so desire) and preservative-free. You control the amount of salt and sugar that goes into your jars. Plus you get the added satisfaction of having done so yourself!

    So basically what happens when you can, is that you get your jars or cans hot enough to kill all the micro-organisms that could spoil food or food borne illness. The heating process will also remove air and create a vacuum that prevents recontamination. While fruits and pickled vegetables can be safely canned using ordinary boiling water, most vegetables require the use of a pressure canner, which can achieve temperatures above the boiling point. A great, simple guideline for canning all foods can be found here.

    So that’s all there is to it, sound like something you can do? I’m pretty new at this, so if you have any tips or suggestions feel free to leave a comment for me or another reader below. Happy preserving!

*the Canadian Produce Marketing Association Web site cautions that basements, garages and cupboards in many of today’s homes are often not equipped for cold storage, so be sure you can achieve the necessary conditions before laying in bushels of apples or potatoes.

References:

Arnold, Angie (2009). Preserving the Harvest. WeightWatchers.ca. Retrieved from http://www.weightwatchers.ca/util/art/index_art.aspx?tabnum=1&art_id=37331&sc=3017

Bernardin Ltd (2009). Home Canning Basics. HomeCanning.ca. Retrieved from http://www.homecanning.com/can/ALBasics.asp

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