Get ready - local gardens and farmers markets are about to be bursting at the seams with sun-ripened fruits and veggies. But now what? Buy (or harvest) as much as you can and we’ll take care of the rest. This issue of Preserving magazine takes the guesswork out of cooking with summer’s amazing bounty. Not only do we share our most-loved ways to bring favorites like zucchini, tomatoes, corn, and beans to the table TONIGHT, but we also feature the easiest and most effective ways to put up your produce for the fall and winter months. This includes simple, streamlined, small-batch recipes for canning (these are guaranteed to take only an hour or two), a full guide plus recipes on freezing and dehydrating, plus good-for-you probiotic-packed fermenting you can do at home. The only hard part is figuring out where to start.
Better Homes and Gardens - Special Issues
Freezing, Canning & Fermenting Basics
All the Tomatoes (and Tomatillos!) • Stretch your tomato season from fall through spring—until you're ready to plant again. You can bring fresh, sun-ripened flavor to recipes with basic or frozen tomatoes, as well as to creative sauces and salsas.
Use It Now Tomatoes • If you’re like us, summer has you eating tomatoes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Here are a few new ways to take a bite out of the season.
From Sweet to Spicy • Dry them, pickle them, turn them into hot sauce or even jelly: Peppers are one of the most versatile crops in the garden. Here’s how to preserve everything from the sweetest of the sweet to the hottest of the hot.
Use It Now Peppers • Get your peppers on the table tonight—pan-roasted or packed with cheesy fillings.
Zucchini Harvest • Zucchini plants have a way of being, well, a little too generous. When these prolific summer squash begin rolling in, get them onto the table in fresh new ways.
Use It Now Zucchini • Zucchini has a knack for taking on all forms and flavors. Here are three ways to spin it for dinner this summer.
Garden Roundup • After you’ve eaten all the fresh vegetables you can handle, it’s time to get creative. Turn those extra onions, corn, sweet potatoes, beets, and others into savory-sweet jam, tangy pickles, relish, and freezer veggie blends.
Use It Now Garden Roundup • Your produce drawer is overflowing with odds and ends—what’s a cook to do? These mix-and-match veggie recipes will make good use of anything you have on hand.
Apples & Pears • When bushels of these beauties come rolling in at farmers markets, capture their sweet, once-a-year goodness in jars. Go for a classic with our best-ever applesauce or stir up something unexpected like conserves, fruit butter, or even sauerkraut.
Use It Now Apples & Pears • Pick the best from your orchard haul to get dinner and dessert on the table quick. Here are fresh ways to enjoy these favorite fall fruits.
Stone Fruits • Peaches, plums, and nectarines offer a definitive summer flavor. Revisit that warm-weather goodness any time of year with conserves, jam, and more.
Use It Now Stone Fruits • Fresh, summery dinners and desserts are easy when you have a few extra peaches or nectarines to use. Start with a savory salad and finish with a sweet peach tart.
Berries & Cherries • Sun-ripened berries and cherries make the best jams, but that’s not all they do well. We mixed them into blender-ready smoothie cubes, dessert sauces, freezer-friendly pie filling, and bourbon cordial.
Use It Now Berries & Cherries • Fresh berries and cherries bring their juicy sweetness to sangria, sorbet, and an easy fruit crisp.
Herbs for Days • Boost the flavor of your savory recipes with handfuls of fresh herbs. Here are our top ways to use them up now or save them for later.
Quickle Pickles • Take a shortcut to...
