​The Taste of Local Preserving

Summer vacations are done for a lot of people. Children and teachers are back in school, and the routine starts again. For a lot of farmers that have their kids or students helping them through the summer this time of year can be a bit of a shock.(Yikes that extra help in the field and at market is gone!)

This is also the time for the field crops to be at their peak, like tomatoes, sweet corn, peppers, zucchini, and beets. Fall is also the time to start planning ahead for the taste of summer in the winter by freezing, preserving or drying excess summer vegetables.

Tomatoes are a very versatile crop to put away for the winter time. If you do not have a lot of time to can tomato sauce for the winter, then we have you covered. We have a variety of sauces at the market to provide a quick and tasty meal. 

For those of you who have a desire to learn about canning, preserving, and savouring the tastes of the summer we will be starting classes soon over at Furnace Falls Farm. We will keep you updated on our Facebook pages: Wendy's Country Market, and Furnace Falls Farm. Make sure to follow us there!

Simple Preserving Recipes

Tomato Marinara Base

1. Chop tomatoes in the food processor.
2. Then add basil, onion, a little sugar to taste and add garlic.
3. Stew down till some of the water has evaporated and desired consistency is achieved.
4. Put into containers then put into freezer.

Bring out when the snow flies and you need a taste of summer!!

Sweet Corn – Frozen for the Winter
This is how we do it. The best corn for freezing we find is Super Sweet (high sugar content that will not be starchy). 

1. Boil a pot of water.
2. Put corn on the cob in pot and bring back to boil.
3. Take corn out of the water and put in ice water to stop it from cooking .
4. Drain and cut off the cob and lay flat on a cookie sheet. 
5. Freeze. 
6. Put frozen kernels in ziplock bags and enjoy in the winter.

Drying Herbs 
Drying herbs is an easy way to ensure great tasting herbs in those winter stews, soups and also your christmas turkey. We hang herb bundles from the rafters in our shed. (You need a dry and dark spot to eliminate bleaching the colour from the sun). If you do not have a nice breeze, turn a fan on low to help dry the herbs. 

The best herbs for drying this way are sage, basil, savory, thyme, rosemary and dill. 

After the herbs are dried we spread them on a newspaper, strip the leaves from the stalk, and put into glass jars.

Enjoy!

Have a Great Week.

Rick & Wendy & Leigha 
Thanks for supporting Local Producers.

Visit us at the market.
We're still open 7 days a week. Monday - Saturday 11 am – 6 pm, Sunday 'til 5 pm

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