This is it—what my grandma used to call “the best time of year to eat.” We’re in it now, relishing in mountains of fresh heirloom tomatoes, piles of squash, and more peaches than we know what to do with. During these months while you’re at the market, winter can feel a million miles away. Snow? Never heard of her.
But signs are already starting to show. The sun dips earlier now than it did during berry season. The back to school rush is starting. Winter will be back before we know it, bringing that dull, dreadful stretch without fresh produce with it.
The question for me when I start to see these signs is always inspired by the panic I feel: how can I find ways to preserve this produce all winter? I’ve been on a deep-dive journey (some may call it obsessive!), but I’ve done my research and I have a plan. Here’s what I’m doing to make sure I have the joys of fresh vegetables all winter long.
1. Blanch, freeze, and repeat
Most fresh vegetables are easy to freeze after a quick blanch. In the past, I’ve hesitated with things like tomatoes and zucchini, sure that the amount of moisture would mess with the texture when I pulled my haul out from its frozen hiding place. Imagine my surprise when one of my clients let me in on a secret: tomatoes and zucchini freeze just fine. Slice and quickly blanch zucchini (or other summer squash), then freeze them. As for those cherry and grape tomatoes… just toss them in a freezer baggie and seal it tightly. From there, you can add them into sauces, pastas, and stir fry.
2. Cook ahead of time
Save some space next to those frozen veggies. The other way I’ve been giving my winter self something to look forward to is by cooking the actual dishes that I crave and freezing those. A vegetarian lasagna, stuffed full of delicious summer vegetables is already tucked away for a snowy winter’s night when I don’t feel like cooking. Right next to that is a bag of blueberry muffins made with fresh blueberries—a rare treat for my winter mornings. Batch cooking with summer produce and setting some aside to save is a great way to extend this bounty through winter.
3. Jar it up
If you ever see a bunch of old canning jars at a thrift store with their lids, buy them and use them to preserve summer flavors: for example, my mom makes the world’s best zucchini pickles that add a summer zing to bean tacos in the winter. I make a huge batch of strawberry rhubarb jam every summer so I can have a little taste of summer on my toast on those sub-zero mornings. Preserving eggplant and tomatoes in a caponata-inspired situation is another gift from my past self in the dark winter months. You’d be surprised at what you can preserve and how in a jar (like mushrooms!), so take The Chopping Block's Summer Canning and Pickling class on Saturday, August 31 at 10am and find some experts to ask. As with any canning adventure, though, make sure to thoroughly sanitize and seal your jars to ensure that you’ll be able to enjoy these summer treats safely.
Next time you’re at the market, ask your farmer what they have that might be good to freeze or can for winter. Be sure to catch our free chef demo at the Lincoln Square Farmers Market every other Thursday this season. The next one is coming up on Thursday, August 8 at 5pm.
Give your future self the gift of summer all winter long!
