The tasteless style of a grocery store tomato is one which Kevin Espiritu manages to keep away from year-round. The skilled gardener grows all of his personal tomatoes—plus 5 dozen forms of different fruit and veggies—from a 7,000-square-foot plot in San Diego, then shares his hard-won rising information with the two.6 million subscribers of his YouTube video sequence, Epic Gardening.
This September he branched out with a food-focused sequence for Food52 (the subsequent episode drops September 29), and we caught up with him as was knee-deep in preserving mode, canning his personal salsa. If that feels too superior in your skillset, there are simpler methods to save lots of your homegrown tomatoes, greens, and herbs for winter. Beneath, Kevin shares his ideas for profiting from canning and preserving season with the instruments you’ve gotten.
Freezing
Freezing might be the simplest strategy to protect your fruit and veggies, says Kevin. Earlier than heading on trip, he chopped his watermelon and positioned it in freezer luggage to tug out for future smoothies. “Watermelons are the right freezing plant…You possibly can’t actually dehydrate watermelon.”
You can even freeze tomatoes, say the specialists on our Hotline, although they’ll solely be good for sauce at that time. Some take away the skins earlier than freezing, others pores and skin them afterward. One group member likes to slow-roast tomatoes and then freeze them.
Drying
Freeze drying, says Kevin, “requires an enormous piece of kit” that you just don’t want in all circumstances. “Herbs are literally actually nice to simply hold dry. You possibly can simply tie little bundles, hold them in a cool, dry place, after which you may grind your individual spices.”
You can additionally continue to grow herbs and leafy greens like little gem lettuce indoors this winter. “I’d go together with any traditional herbs you want—these will final by means of the winter for certain.”
Fast Pickling
Slowly inching upward on the complexity scale, Kevin additionally recommends a fast pickle to protect your greens. “You are able to do a fast pickle, put it within the fridge, and it will final a pair weeks. For one thing like pickled pink onion, that is actually all you want it for.”
We’ve how-tos on fast pickling right here, which may be utilized to peppers, cucumbers, asparagus, okra—even shiso.
Canning
Although he’s graduated from water canning to a stress canner, Kevin considers himself at first of his canning journey. And for anybody beginning out, it’s greatest to return to the bible for newbie canners, the so-called Ball Blue E-book, “which has all of the tried-and-tested recipes, which on this case is essential to make use of particularly if you begin out, as a result of these ones are USDA-approved protected.”
Our Hotline additionally recommends Placing Meals By for newbie canners.
Canning your tomatoes, in fact, is the final word strategy to protect your homegrown or domestically grown tomatoes. Begin with this recipe that’s been a group favourite for years. (Simply be aware that present canning tips now advocate two tablespoons of bottled lemon juice per quart, versus contemporary lemon juice.)
Extra from Food52
Do you do any preserving at residence? What’s your favourite technique? Tell us within the feedback beneath!
