Preserving Food At Home

As the colder months are approaching it is the perfect time to try out different ways to preserve fresh fruit and vegetables for the winter.

There are numerous possibilities for preserving food. One of the oldest methods is drying. In the dehydrator, in the oven or in the open air, fruits lose their moisture and become more intense in flavor. A fun fall activity is to go apple picking, cut the tasty apples into slices, sprinkle with cinnamon or a pumpkin spice mixture, and then dehydrate in the oven at 225℉ for 2 hours. This make for delicious and healthy apple chips!

Another option which works especially well for vegetables is pickling or freezing. Both freezing and pickling in vinegar results in significantly lower nutrient losses than drying. Vegetables such as carrots, radishes, and beets are wonderful pickled. Fruits such as berries and peaches particular are ideal for freezing. Whatever method you choose, you can’t go wrong!