Produce doesn’t have to go bad

Yum, I just had a plate of sliced Thessalonikis, one of a pair of new heirloom tomatoes that I’m trying this year. It’s a keeper; a good producer of half-pound slicers with a nice balance of sweet and acid.

Speaking of keeping, one of my real pleasures is putting up some of my produce so that we’re able to enjoy it year-round. Canning, freezing, and drying provide a variety of ways to save those extra pickings.

Drying is really easy and reduces pounds to ounces (a super diet, of sorts), a real space-saver. We have a five-shelf Ronco dehydrator that’s given good service for a dozen years or so now. My main goal is to dry enough cherry tomatoes to last until fresh ones return. Our dehydrator holds about a pound and a half at a time. Just wash and cut in half. Start taking them out when leathery and not the least bit squishy. This amount dries to just a couple of ounces or so. Store in a dark place to keep their color.

Quarter-inch slices of Walla Walla onions dry beautifully and are good in soups and sauces. My favorite, though, are chilies. I grow paprika peppers (and others) specifically for drying and grinding my own powder. Give ripe peppers a few pokes with a sharp paring knife, put in the dehydrator and you’re set. I use an old coffee grinder for grinding them and the difference to commercial chili powders is not just night and day but solstice to equinox, especially if you’ve selected the right peppers. (I recommend “Boldog” and “Paprika Supreme” from Johnny’s Select Seeds in Maine.)

Freezing is the other low-effort approach. For the most part it simply involves blanching produce in boiling water for a few minutes and cooling it quickly in a sink of ice water before freezing. Frozen tomatoes are a breeze compared with canned and I think the product is superior. Just blanch, cool, place whole on cookie sheets and freeze. Put ‘em in bags when solid and you can grab what you need for near-fresh flavor in sauces and soups. There is no need to peel the tomatoes before freezing. After taking them out of the freezer, thaw them a bit and the skin slips right off.

Canning is the most labor-intensive approach to storing food but for me it’s the most satisfying. I think of each jar as a little container of time, holding the share of minutes and hours I spent growing the crop and preserving it for future use. Your home-canned produce will most likely be superior in flavor to store-bought, and you have the pleasure of sharing with friends and family, as well.

Keep in mind that this isn’t a frivolous activity — although simple enough, you do need to be meticulous not only about cleanliness but also following the recipe to the letter on the required amount of acid (usually vinegar) and salt called for. You can be as creative as you like with flavorings and spices. But the pop of sealing lids and the sight of those pretty jars all lined up makes it all worthwhile.

Here are a couple of my favorite recipes, one a traditional preparation, the other a time-saving microwave preparation. This is just a tiny sampling; a whole world of sauces, salsas, and pickles awaits you.

I saw this recipe in The Spokesman-Review some years ago. It’s from “The Well-Filled Microwave Cookbook” by Victoria Wise and Susanna Hoffman (Workman Publishing). You can prepare it as written or process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes for pint jars. I add a bouquet garni of pickling spices for extra flavor.

Bread and Butter Pickles

From “The Well-Filled Microwave Cookbook” by Victoria Wise and Susanna Hoffman (Workman Publishing)

2 pounds medium pickling cucumbers, ends trimmed, sliced into 1/8 -inch-thick rounds

1 medium onion, quartered, then cut into 1/8 -inch-thick slices

1/2 tablespoon salt

2 tablespoons mustard seed

2 teaspoons celery seed

2 teaspoons ground turmeric

1 teaspoon whole cloves

2 cups packed dark brown sugar

2 cups cider vinegar

Place cucumbers and onions in 3-quart dish. Add salt and toss to coat all pieces. Cover and microwave on high for 2 minutes, or until cucumbers start to sweat. Transfer to colander, rinse with cool water and set aside to drain 5 minutes or so.

Using same dish, mix mustard seed, celery seed, turmeric, cloves, brown sugar and vinegar and stir to dissolve sugar a bit. Add cucumbers and onion and toss to coat. Cover and microwave on high for 8 minutes, or until liquid is hot but not quite boiling. Remove and let stand until cool enough to handle.

Transfer pickles and liquid to storage container. Cover and refrigerate overnight before serving. Pickles will keep in refrigerator several months.

Yield: 6 cups

Nutrition per serving: Unable to calculate.

I adapted this recipe from “The Joy of Cooking” many years ago. Get an older edition that still contains the section on preserving your food and use it as your guide. It’s still the best succinct reference I know of.

Dilled Beans

2 pounds stemmed tender green beans

2 teaspoons cayenne pepper

2 teaspoons hot Spanish paprika

2 teaspoons cumin

4 cloves garlic

4 long strips ripe jalapeno chili

4 heads dill or 6 teaspoons dill seed

2 1/2 cups white vinegar

2 1/2 cups water

1/4 cup salt

Pack beans lengthwise into hot sterile pint jars, leaving 1/4 -inch headroom. To each jar add: 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1/2 teaspoon hot Spanish paprika, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1 clove garlic, 1 long strip hot ripe jalapeno chili and 1 head dill or 1 1/2 teaspoons dill seed. In a saucepan, combine vinegar, water, and salt and bring to a boil. Pour the mixture over the beans, leaving 1/4 -inch headroom. Seal jars and process in a boiling water bath 15 minutes for pints.

Yield: 4 pints

Nutrition per serving: Unable to calculate.