Four Ways to Preserve Spring Produce

Written by
Kerri Stenson
Published on
May 27, 2020 at 4:42:00 PM PDT May 27, 2020 at 4:42:00 PM PDTth, May 27, 2020 at 4:42:00 PM PDT

Whether you have excess produce, extra time or you are just interested in preserving spring fruits and vegetables at their finest, here are four preserving techniques that will keep your shelves stocked with goodness!


Canning


The concept of canning was developed in the early 1800s in response to Napoleon Bonaparte’s search for ways to preserve food for his traveling army. After many years of research and new developments, canning has become one of the safest and most popular ways to preserve foods today. Here are a few resources from Real Simple and Master Class to get you started!


Fermenting


Even older than canning, fermenting food is another way to preserve and offers additional health benefits with higher nutrition and digestibility. Almost any type of non-processed food can be fermented and depending on the type of food and process used, certain fermented foods can last for years. Check out this Clean Eating guide to fermenting at home and pick your fermenting pleasure!


Freezing


One of the quickest, easiest and most convenient ways to preserve food is to freeze it! Not only is freezing a great way to preserve, but it also offers the opportunity to preserve produce at its freshest, thereby locking in the maximum nutrients. Take a look at this great article about freezing foods from Soul Food Salon and we promise you will find new ideas you haven’t thought of before.


Dehydrating


Another way to preserve food at its most nutritious is to dehydrate it. Dehydrating food removes its moisture, which aids in preservation but also intensifies the flavor. The most common way to dehydrate foods is with a dehydrator. There are lots of options but here are the top nine dehydrators of 2020 according to Good Housekeeping. For a deeper dive into best practices when it comes to dehydrating, check out the Backpackers Guide to Dehydrating Food (and Rehydrating).You can also dehydrate foods without a dehydrator by using a low setting in the oven or even just outside in the sun.


Happy preserving!