How To Preserve Fruits and Vegetebles

Drying

Drying fruits, vegetables and herbs is also a very easy process and can be done without any special equipment or speeded up by using the oven or a dehydrator. Dried fruits, seeds, jerky, leather and even popcorn can be done by these methods.

Some basic tips for drying fruits, vegetables & herbs:

• Be sure the fruits and vegetables are fully mature and disease free.

• Provide good air circulation while drying, to prevent spoilage.

• Don’t rush the process. Partially dried fruits, vegetables and herbs won’t last long.

Recipes for drying fruits, vegetables & herbs:

• Oven-Dried Tomatoes

• How To Dry and Preserve Your Garden Fresh Herbs

Pickling

Cucumbers come to mind when we think of pickling, but many vegetables and fruits can be preserved in this manner, including peppers, cauliflower, apples and pears. Relishes are also prepared by pickling

Some basic tips for pickling fruits & vegetables:

• Always follow a tested recipe. Even in vinegar, spoilage can happen. Canning pickled products by the boiling water methods further stops spoilage.

Recipes for pickling fruits & vegetables:

• Squash Pickles

• Spiced Pickled Crab Apples

Jams & Jellies

No method of preserving food smells as wonderful as making jams and jellies.

Some basic tips for making jams and jellies:

• The freshest, sweetest fruit makes the best jelly

• The acidity level has to be right for the fruits to gel. Lemon juice is added to low acid fruits.

• Don’t alter sugar amounts in recipes. Sugar helps preserve and gel the fruits.