Local Year-Round: Preserving Made Simple

By Cherilyn DeVries, Co-op Member

It’s the time of year when farmers’ markets in our area are starting to burst with a huge variety of fresh produce that was grown within 60 miles of where we live. Through September, it doesn’t get much better than this for local flavor.

Now is also the time to start preparing for eating locally in January, since the gorgeous, tasty stuff you see now will be a tantalizing memory when the snow is two-feet-deep.

Not to worry. If you’re new to local food, you don’t need to stop reading for fear that I’m going to say the only way to eat locally in the winter is to slave for hours in the heat of the summer as our grandmothers did.

I’m a busy hedonist who’s kind of lazy, truth be told. I’d prefer to play with my kids than can tomatoes for hours, but I love good food. Here are a few tips on simple ways to eat locally now and year-round.

Above all, keep things manageable. You’ll be surprised at how a little effort in September pays off in January!

Don’t be a perfectionist

All of the localvores I know, even the hard-core ones, make exceptions. When Washington or Oregon blueberries were flooding the stores, I bought a couple of cases, and packed them in quart-size freezer bags. They’re such a treat in smoothies during the winter, and I’m not tempted to buy blueberries from South America when they’re flooding the stores.

Get a freezer

As I mentioned before, I’m lazy and I don’t plan ahead very well. Having a small freezer in my garage has helped my eat locally year-round, and made life simpler for me. I’d much rather walk to the freezer than make another trip to the grocery store, and over several years, I’ve learned how to tuck more items in the freezer. Now, I have a good selection on hand when I’m in panicking about what’s for supper.

Simple standards for storage or the freezer

• Sauté’ onions and/or garlic with celery and freeze in small bags or ice cube trays. Perfect to use when browning meat or adding to winter soups.

• Buy or borrow a cherry pitter and pit 5 to 50 pounds of Flathead cherries. Seal in freezer bags and freeze. My boys eat these frozen gems all year.

• Sauté’ braising greens, spinach or kale with onions or garlic and freeze.They are also great to add to soups in the winter.

• Buy 5 to 50 pounds of carrots from a farmer. Wash, scrub and chop them into sizes your family likes. Steam for 2 to 4 minutes, then seal in freezer bags and freeze.

• Buy 20 to 50 pounds of potatoes and store in a cool, dark area in a closet, the basement or the garage. Just make sure they don’t freeze.

• Buy whole small tomatoes and freeze in bags. They are great to add to soups and stews.