I am in the throws of gleaning my garden right now. I have to admit I am a food preserving junkie! During this time of year my eyes glaze over, and if I don't watch myself, I will freeze or bottle anything that holds still for 5 seconds. I'm pretty sure it is an addiction problem. Two years ago I ended bottling 450 plus jars of jam, jelly, peaches, green beans, beets, pickled beets, carrots, apple pie filling, apple sauce, blue berries, cranberries, salsa, jalapeno peppers, and spaghetti sauce. Don't even get me started on the freezer full of shredded zucchini, pumpkins, corn, chopped green peppers, chopped onions, and freezer jam! We are still finishing off my treasure trove. Anyway, I have been trying to take a more conservative approach this year. So far, I have only bottled 1 box (13 quarts) of pears (that I split with my dear friend, because she did half the work!), 15(half pint) bottles of chopped jalapeno peppers, 14 (pints) and 14(half pints) of currant jelly for Christmas gifts.
Freezing produce is the next best thing to bottling it. Dear Hubby and I have procured two freezers over the years. One was a hand me down from his Grandma, and the other we bought from a silent auction for $50.00. Both reside in our garage, and they allow us to stock up meat and other food when it is a great deal (plus Dear Hubby is a hunter); as well, as preserve our garden bounty.
Green peppers and onions are two things I prefer to freeze over canning. It is fast, easier, and the end result is much better. This time of year green peppers are fairly inexpensive, so I buy some at the store to supplement the ones out of the garden. They will keep frozen in the freezer for 6 to 9 months if stored in thick freezer bags.
- Wash, seed, and add peppers (or onions into a food processor):
- Chop to the desired size (it has to be fairly small at our house. If certain people see "big chunks" of pepper in the entree....the party is over!):
- Line a cookie sheet with plastic wrap ( I use Press n Seal wrap because I am plastic wrap challenged), leaving a couple inches hanging over the side of the tray. Pour the green peppers (or onions) onto the plastic wrap lined tray, and spread out into an even layer:
- Place the tray of peppers (or onions) on a flat surface in the freezer. Leave them in the freezer for 6 to 12 hours until they are frozen.
- Remove tray from freezer, and let it rest on the counter for 5 - 10 minutes. Gently pull up the corners of the plastic wrap to loosen the peppers (onions) from the tray. I got the genius idea to use the plastic cover to my 15x10 jelly roll pan. It has a little flex to it, and it helps lift the peppers off the tray. Break the frozen peppers into chunks if necessary.
- Place frozen pepper (onion) chunks into a heavy duty freezer bag. Push out as much air as possible and seal the bag. Write the date on the bag, and place bag back into the freezer.
- To use the peppers (or onions). Get out the amount needed out of the freezer bag. Place in a colander and run hot water over them to thaw. Allow to drain for a minute or two before using.
I learned every thing I needed to know about canning (water bath and pressure), freezing, and dehydrating from my faithful sidekick,
The Ball Blue Book Of Canning And Preserving. It has illustrated step by step instructions on the basic steps of home preserving. It also has charts for blanching, freezing, and dehydrating most fruits and vegetables. I refer back to it year after year. Most local libraries carry a copy, or you can buy them at most stores that carry canning supplies. You can also check your local Extension Office. They sometimes carry them.
