How To Can, Freeze Produce From Your Alameda Garden

ALAMEDA, CA — For centuries, gardening has been a tried-and-true way to put fresh, homegrown fruits and vegetables on your kitchen table. And for those who suffer from food insecurity in Alameda, gardening can be a low-cost alternative to buying expensive organic produce sold in many local grocery stores.

The coronavirus pandemic has profoundly affected hunger in Alameda County and many other communities throughout the nation.

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Before the pandemic, 8.4 percent of people in Alameda County were considered food insecure, according to Feeding America, the nation’s largest network of food banks and food pantries. The continuing economic fallout from the coronavirus has swollen that number to 10.9 percent who are on the brink of hunger.

Unfortunately, while many may turn to gardening to reduce their grocery bills, fresh fruits and vegetables grown in your back yard tend to have a short shelf life.

As a result, nearly 11.5 billion pounds of garden produce become food waste every year, according to a two-year study conducted by Ample Harvest, a nationwide nonprofit that works to connect gardeners with local food pantries.

However, garden produce doesn’t have to go to waste. With a little time, effort and education, a vast majority can be preserved for your family to enjoy well into the coming year.

Here’s a breakdown on two of the most common methods of preserving garden produce: canning and freezing.

Why Canning Works

The high percentage of water in most fresh foods makes them very perishable, according to the National Center for Home Food Preservation. Fresh produce will spoil or lose quality for several reasons, including:

• Growth of bacteria, mold and yeast
• Food enzymes
• Reactions with oxygen
• Moisture loss

Canning essentially eliminates these risks by removing oxygen, destroying enzymes and preventing the growth of bacteria. Canning does this by creating a high vacuum in jars, facilitated by tight seals that keep liquid in and air and microorganisms out.

Canning Best Practices

There are two primary methods of canning — pressure canning and water bath canning.

Pressure canning is specifically used for low-acid foods such as vegetables and meats. Pressure canning is almost identical to water bath canning, but the appliance differs. Meanwhile, water bath canning should only be used for foods with high acidity, such as fruits and tomatoes.

Pressure canning is the only safe method for canning vegetables. If low-acid vegetables are not properly preserved or canned in a boiling water bath, botulinum spores can survive and cause food-borne illness should you consume them.

Here are some tips if you’re considering canning your garden produce, according to Better Homes & Gardens:

• Know which canner to use. Recipes will usually specify which kind of canner you need.
• Use the right jars. Buy jars specifically designed for canning, such as these Ball Mason jars. Avoid jars with chipped edges, and use the ones specified in the recipe.
• Use lids properly. There are two parts to canning lids — the ring and the lid. While rings can be reused, the lids cannot.
• Choose the right recipe. Always use tested recipes from reliable, current sources. Follow the recipe exactly and don’t alter ingredients.
• Keep everything clean. Wash and sterilize jars, and pack hot food into hot jars one at a time.

Want to know how to can specific types of fruits and vegetables? The National Center for Home Food Preservation has step-by-step instructions on canning everything from apples to salsa to fresh lima beans. The resource courtesy of Ohio State University Extension also walks you through the basics of canning certain fruits and veggies.

Why Freezing Works

Freezing is an excellent way to preserve fresh vegetables and herbs. While freezing doesn’t sterilize the food, the extreme cold will slow the growth of microorganisms and changes that
affect quality or cause spoilage in food, according to the National Center for Home Food Preservation.

The quality of frozen vegetables also depends on how fresh they are and how the veggies are handled from the time they are picked until they’re ready to eat. Freezing will not improve the quality of the produce.

Freezing Best Practices

There are two primary ways to freeze vegetables — dry pack and tray pack. Dry packing vegetables consists of packing blanched and drained vegetables into meal-size freezer bags or containers, leaving as little room for air as possible. Tray packing is when you freeze well-drained vegetables in a single layer on shallow trays or pans before packing into bags or containers.

Before you get to this part, there are a few other best practices things to keep in mind, according to the National Center for Home Food Preservation:

• Choose the right containers. They should be moisture- and vapor-resistant, durable and easy to seal, and should not become brittle in low temperatures.
• Use vegetables at peak flavor and texture for freezing. Whenever possible, harvest in the cool part of the morning and freeze within a few hours. Wash vegetables thoroughly in cold water before freezing.
• Blanching (scalding vegetables in boiling water or steam for a short period) is an absolute must in order to freeze veggies. Blanching slows or stops the action of enzymes that can cause loss of flavor, color and texture. This can be done through water, microwave or steam blanching. Here’s more about blanching.
• After blanching, cool vegetables immediately by submerging them into a large quantity of cold water.
• Label all containers with the freezing date. Usually, vegetables can remain frozen for eight to 12 months.

The National Center for Home Food Preservation has a complete list of how to properly freeze different types of vegetables.

Have an abundance of fresh herbs to preserve? Luckily, freezing fresh herbs is fast and easy, and retains much of the taste, smell and nutrients.

Here are a few ways to preserve fresh herbs, according to HGTV.com:

• Freezing bare herbs: Hardier herbs such as rosemary, dill, thyme, bay or sage can be frozen right on the stem and stored in an airtight container.
• Freezing herbs in water: Tender herbs such as mint, parsley and cilantro can be removed from their stems and frozen into ice cubes.
• Freezing in oil: While basil freezes best when first processed into pesto, this practice works well with other herbs such as oregano or thyme.
• Rolled herbs: Flat-leaf herbs such as Italian parsley or sage can be compressed and rolled for space-efficient storage.

Donate Your Garden Produce

If you find yourself overwhelmed with a massive amount of leftover garden produce, consider donating it to a local food pantry or charity.

Ample Harvest works to connect growers with food pantries in their communities. The organization also has a searchable database to locate food pantries that accept fresh produce.

You can also check with other local food pantries to see what policies they have in place regarding fresh produce donations.

Feeding America serves 200 member food banks that serve and supply 60,000 food pantries, kitchens and meal programs around the country.

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Patch has partnered with Feeding America to help raise awareness on behalf of the millions of Americans facing hunger. Feeding America, which supports 200 food banks across the country, estimates that in 2021, more than 42 million Americans won’t have enough nutritious food to eat due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. This is a Patch social good project; Feeding America receives 100 percent of donations.* Find out how you can donate in your community or find a food pantry near you.

— Written by Megan VerHelst with additional reporting by Bea Karnes