Module 11: The Fall Garden & Preserving the Harvest
A gorgeous display of nutrient rich greens and roots from Luke Andahazy
As the dog days of summer set in and everything in the garden wilts from heat exhaustion, you might think, well, that's it for this year!
Nothing could be further than the truth. Right now is the perfect time to get seeds in the ground for a hearty late fall harvest. Don't worry if the squash vines are taking up space or the tomatoes haven't petered out just yet. Those plants will be soil microbe-food soon enough. Just tuck in the seeds for these hardy cool-weather crops wherever you can.
The rustic and distinctive flavors of the fall garden's abundance are perfect to wake up a palette jaded by summer's sweetness. All of my top picks here can withstand a light frost and the roots are actually improved by cold weather and even a dusting of snow.
So without further ado, meet the Big Greens, the Bitter Italians, and the Earthy Roots!
The Big Greens
Kale, especially curly or Russian kale
Chicory
Collards
The Bitter Italians
Endive
Escarole
Radicchio
The Earthy Roots
Rutabagas
Turnips
Parsnips
Golden Beets
Doesn’t that look amazing? Here's a satisfying dish incorporating all of fall's abundance to inspire you to get back in the garden for one more round of planting!
Roasted Root Vegetables with Sauteed Fall Greens
Then there’s another fall favorite, sweet squash. While the cool weather crops are sprouting, the squash will be coming in as summer wanes. If you have butternut, pumpkin, acorn or similar variety growing, here's a delicious and satisfying way to eat it.
Stuffed Squash with Quinoa & Lentils
A Note on Curing Winter Squash:
Hard-skinned winter squash stays good for months after harvesting it and the flavor actually improves with age--it becomes sweeter and more complex as the sugars develop. Right after harvesting your squash, place the fruit gently in a warm and sunny place. The heat and light will help the skin to harden, but the flesh inside will remain soft and fresh. Turn each squash every two days so all sides are exposed to air and light. This process is called curing. After the squash have cured in a warm sunny place for ten days or so, move them to a cooler place to store. 55-60 degrees F is perfect for storing cured squash, But they will still keep well at slightly higher temperatures. Properly cured squash will stay good for several months--right through to the spring!
Preserving the Harvest
Think about some of the places in the world with very long cold winters. Think about what their cuisines are famous for--pickled vegetables from Russia, sauerkraut from Poland and Germany, smoked fish from Iceland, and incredible berry preserves from Scandinavia. What do all of these delicious things have in common? They are wonderfully tasty displays of people adapting to rather hostile conditions for growing food.
Adaptation, along with diversity, is another crucial key to resilience.
My primary goal with this course is to teach people how to grow food that’s fit to eat in a home-scale food forest. This section is not intended as a comprehensive guide to preservation techniques. I want to introduce you to a new world of possibilities and show you how simple it is to make your garden harvests last from one growing season to the next.
If I had a nickel for everyone who ever ate one of my pickles or marmalades and remarked, My grandmother made stuff like this or I had an aunt with a whole pantry of preserves she made, well, I would have a big pile of nickels. I’m no one’s grandmother. I didn’t grow up on a farm, and aside from making strawberry jam, my family didn’t preserve food. But now that I see what a practical and fun way it is to extend the delight of a good harvest, I’m hoping to inspire you to learn this skill yourself.
Homemade pickles, chutneys, cultured veggies, and marmalades also make really wonderful homemade gifts and are great conversation pieces at any gathering. Get ready to answer the question… Wow, you made this? How?
Preserving food is much easier than you may think. All of the methods I’ve explained below are accessible to novices and none require expensive or specialized equipment. Let’s start with a technique you probably use every day already.
Method #1: FREEZE IT
You can preserve many garden vegetables and fruits by freezing. The only exceptions are foods you are really best eaten crisp, like lettuce or cucumbers. Anything you would enjoy steamed, sauteed, or used in a sauce, soup, or stew can be frozen.
Fresh freeze
Small fruits like blackberries and blueberries can be frozen just as they are. Put them in an airtight container or zip-loc bag, pop them in the freezer and call it a day.
Bake and Freeze
Winter squash and hardy roots like turnips can cooperate with freezing, but the key is to bake them first, then mash until soft, and freeze the puree in airtight containers or zip-loc bags.
Blanch and Freeze
Another method is blanching, or immersing vegetables in boiling water before freezing them. Blanching works equally well for dozens of other vegetables: peas, sliced carrots, green beans, wax beans, snap peas, snow peas, sliced bell peppers, spinach, okra, corn, and more. A general rule of thumb is that small or thin vegetables like spinach snow peas need just 1-2 minutes of blanching, where sturdier vegetables like kale or green beans need 3-4 minutes. Likewise, very thinly sliced carrots take less time than thicker pieces.
Add some frozen spinach to your morning smoothie for more nutrition. Add frozen carrots, peas, beans, and cauliflower to any soup or stew. The options are many and the technique is easy.
Sauce and Freeze
You can also preserve food--and save time in preparing meals-- by making a sauce and freezing it. You can even freeze individual portions in an ice cube tray carefully wrapped to protect it from freezer burn.
Easy Blanch and Freeze Kale
Rinse the whole leaf kale if it has obvious dirt on it.
Boil (blanch) the leaves for 3 min.
Transfer them into an ice bath right away (I fill up the sink so it’s ready.)
Spread the leaves on a towel and pat dry.
Tear the leaves into big chunks.
Squeeze a handful of leaves to wring out more water and form them into a ball.
Arrange about 12 balls on a cookie sheet and freeze for about 20 min.
Put the frozen balls/nests into a freezer safe zip bag. I suck out the air as much as possible with a straw.
Method #2: DRY IT
The disadvantage to freezing as a preservation technique is that it relies on electricity (or very cold winters), which not everyone has. I live off-the-grid and on the equator, and I haven’t had access to frozen food at home for over five years. Thankfully, there are other ways. I’ve adapted!
The sun is the world’s oldest food preserver. Drying food in the sun is an ancient technique that endures today because it works. You can also dry food in the oven, but it can be tricky because most modern ovens don’t have temperature settings low enough for really good drying conditions (115-135 degrees F).
If you’re really into the idea of drying food, but your climate is damp or very humid, it would be worthwhile to invest in a dehydrator for foolproof drying. Nearly everything from the garden can be preserved by drying, including things that don’t freeze well like scallions, onions, and garlic. Also, if you go a little crazy at the pick-your-own fruit orchard and end up with a dozen baskets of peaches or five bushels of apples, dry them for a sweet treat.
As I’m sure you are aware, dried foods, from vegetable chips to organic dried fruit, are very expensive to buy. If you choose to purchase a dehydrator, put it to good use and your investment will pay for itself very quickly by what you save on commercially dried food.
To get you started, here’s an easy one. Hot pepper plants are highly productive and the small peppers dry equally well in the sun or in a low oven. Try this super simple way to preserve a big hot pepper harvest.
Making Spice Powder from Hot Peppers
Method #3: SALT & FERMENT
What do kimchi, sauerkraut and kombucha all have in common? They are examples of preservation by fermentation, and are all loaded with gut health promoting probiotics. Fermented foods usually have a very unique odor, but that doesn’t mean they are spoiled or bad for you. In fact, quite the opposite is true. From tempeh in Okinawa to yoghurt in Bulgaria to chicha in Vilcabamba, fermented foods are a key factor in the diets of people who enjoy long and vigorous lives.
Fermentation works because it converts natural sugar to alcohol, which inhibits the growth of mold and harmful bacteria. Combined with the natural preservative action of salt, fermenting in brine is a safe and very tasty way to keep garden veggies for at least three months, but you will probably eat them long before that.
This recipe link includes two ways to get you started on fermenting veggies at home. Your gut biome will thank you!
Method #4: VINEGAR PICKLE
Like salt and fermentation, Pickling preserves food because the highly acidic nature of vinegar destroys mold and other nasty beasties you don’t want in your food. Pickling vegetables in vinegar and spices is a safe and simple way to preserve and infuse them with a deliciously piquant flavor. My pickle blends are always a big hit with our visitors at Sueño de Vida. We eat them with almost everything.
Even without the water bath sealing method explained in my recipes, homemade pickles will last for weeks unrefrigerated or indefinitely in the refrigerator. Since I don’t have a fridge, I always give my pickles a hot water bath to seal the jars. It absolutely works and is a good skill to acquire even if you have a fridge.
Like the salt and ferment method, pickling works with almost almost any vegetable or combination save for lettuces. One extra nice thing about pickling beets (or red cabbage) is the beautiful purple-red color it imbues to the vinegar. Use it to make fabulous homemade deviled eggs!
Watch this video to see the easy hot water bath method for sealing jars: