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This month of canning was quite educational for me. I have always been intrigued by canning and felt like since I am a “Whole Foodie” I should venture further into it. I love the tradition and the rich history of canning: our foremothers passed down the tips and tricks of preservation and sustainable living. I was so sad when my last zucchini pickle was gone that I almost stood at the kitchen sink and drank all the pickle juice. Almost.
I do love canning, and I will do it more now that I have some basic knowledge. I picture beautiful little jars of raspberry lemon balm jam with red satin bows at Christmas time. But for now, I am an always-on-the-run mother of two little boys, and freezing is my game.
Yes, freezing requires that I have room in my freezer and that I pay for electricity. But in return, I get raspberries in the dead of winter that look and taste like they are freshly picked from the field. And I get veggies that are just as crunchy and delicious as they were when I placed them in that container and into the freezer six months ago. For now, I like the time I save when I simply pop a zip-top bag full of a prepared meal into my freezer, knowing that meal will be ready for me to pull out and cook whenever I come back for it. Freezing gives me whole foods with very little change to freshness, nutritional value, color, texture, and taste. I love that, too.
Do you have any particular foods you prefer frozen over canned? How about canned over frozen? Let us know in the comments.
Check out our recipe for 5 Minute Homemade Salsa for the challenge this week. You can easily replace the canned ingredients with fresh, local vegetables when they are in season and freeze this recipe instead of canning!
Freezing Fruits/Vegetables Resources:
- National Center for Home Food Preservation
- Food in Jars Website & Cookbook
- Once A Month Mom Sliced & Diced
August Week Four Action Item:
- Give this very simple recipe for freezer salsa a try and see what you think. Eat it now or save it for wintertime, when you are longing for the freshness of a perfect summer tomato.
August Get Real:
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