How to Preserve Your Garden’s Harvest

Whether every seed you planted yielded pounds upon pounds of veggies or whether your garden’s success was a mixed bag this year, you’re bound to end the season with a surplus of a few crops. Maybe your garden produced more zucchini than you could possibly consume, or maybe you’re swimming in cucumbers or tomatoes.

 

Regardless of which types of vegetables you’d like to preserve, it’s time to learn how to can vegetables, how to pickle vegetables, when to can vegetables vs. freeze them, and what materials you’ll need for a successful food storage strategy. Dive into this beginner’s guide to enjoy your garden’s harvest for many months to come!

 

Why Can and Pickle?

 

You’ve probably noticed that vegetables from your garden last longer than grocery store produce as long as you store them in a cool, dry place. One of the perks of growing vegetables at home is that you cut out all the travel time between the field and the store shelves! However, even with this longer window for use, most crops still start to lose their quality within a few weeks of harvesting.
 
The main benefit of canning, pickling, and freezing your crops is that this process allows you to keep these vegetables safe for consumption for months or even years. By learning how to can vegetables, you can reduce food waste in your home and keep a supply of garden-fresh produce on hand for your family.
 
As an added bonus, when you learn how to pickle vegetables, you also reap the health benefits of eating pickled foods. Consuming pickled and fermented foods can improve gut health and digestion because they contain probiotics, plus pickle juice provides electrolytes! This strategy for preserving your harvest is truly delicious and nutritious.

 

When to Can vs. Pickle vs. Freeze

 
Before you begin gathering materials and preparing your vegetables, determine whether you’ve got ideal canning vegetables vs. frozen, or whether you’ve grown the best vegetables for pickling.

Some of the best vegetables for pickling include:

  • • Beets

  • • Cucumbers

  • • Asparagus

  • • Green beans

  • • Peppers

  • • Carrots

  • • Onions

  • • Radishes

 

 

These crunchy and flavorful vegetables blend perfectly with tangy pickling mixtures and they’ll elevate any salad or side dish you add them to!
 
In general, deciding between can vegetables vs. frozen also comes down to personal preference and your intended use for your harvest. Consider these pros and cons as you decide how to preserve your veggies:

 

Pros of Freezing:

  • • Retains nutrients

  • • Simple and beginner-friendly

  • • Safe

  • • Easy

  • • Minimal equipment required

 

Cons of Freezing:

  • • Can change the texture of food, especially foods with high water content

  • • Does not last as long as canning

  • • Uses limited freezer space

  • • Electricity dependent

  • • Risk of freezer burn

 

Pros of Canning & Pickling:

  • • Saves energy

  • • Easy to store

  • • Keeps for years

  • • Protects texture and moisture

  • • Not energy dependent

 

Cons of Canning & Pickling:

  • • Requires special materials

  • • Time-consuming

  • • Outcome depends on precise and correct process

  • • In pressure canning, some nutrient loss

 

 With these pros and cons in mind, take time to consider your plans and goals for the food you’ve grown. Do you just need to extend shelf life by a few months? Do you have enough green beans to last a few years? Are you willing and able to purchase the gear necessary for canning? There’s no right or wrong approach, only the best plan of action for you and your family! Process in whichever way makes the most sense for you.

 

Materials

Once you’ve decided how to preserve each of your items, it’s time to gather your materials!
 
If you’re freezing, make sure you’ve got a few large baking sheets, freezer-safe airtight containers or bags, and plenty of room in your freezer! You might also consider investing in a vacuum sealer if you’re working with lots of food and minimal space.
 

If you go the canning route, you’ll need:

  • • Canning jars and lids, sized appropriately for the food you’re storing

  • • Canning utensils including a stainless steel ladle, a funnel, a jar lifter, kitchen tongs, and a magnetic lid lifter

  • • Either a canner or a large pot with a canning rack

There are many canning kits available that come with everything you need to start canning.

 

If you’ll be pickling, you’ll also need the ingredients for your brine. Usually, a brine consists of sugar, vinegar, and pickling salt, but you can experiment with added herbs and spices like clove, dill, pepper and more depending on what you’re pickling.

 

How to Can Vegetables

 
Many canning kits include a guidebook to help you nail each specific step in this complex process! It can be tricky and time consuming, but it’s worth it to keep enjoying your garden’s bounty year-round. Follow these main steps to canning vegetables:
1. Prepare your vegetables by washing, peeling, and cutting away any bruising. Then, cut them into equally sized pieces.
2. Wash your jars in hot, soapy water, rinse them, then sterilize them in boiling water for 10 minutes.
3. Reference a recipe specific to the food you are canning. Prepare a brine, sauce, or water according to the recipe.
4. Fill the jars with your canning vegetables and brine, leaving about ½ inch of headspace depending on the recipe.
5. Use a rubber spatula to remove air bubbles from the inside edge of the jar.
6. Close the jar and wipe the rim, then seal with the sterilized lid.
7. To pressure can, place the full jar in your canner and follow the instructions for your specific canner. Use this method when preserving vegetables that are not acidic.
8. Let the jar cool completely for at least 12 hours on a safe, towel-lined surface. Press down on the center of the lid to make sure it doesn’t pop. If it doesn’t pop, it’s correctly sealed!
9. Store in a cool, dark place.
     

    How to Pickle Vegetables

     
    Great news: if you know how to can vegetables, you also know how to pickle vegetables! Follow the same steps as above, but in step 7, you can use the boiling water bath method instead of pressure canning. The acidity of the brine will help kill any unwanted microorganisms and preserve your vegetables.
     
    To use the boiling water bath method, place the full jar in a boiling water bath, completely submerged. Refer to your recipe for how long to leave the jar submerged. Then, follow the instructions above to completely cool and store the pickles. Enjoy the tangy goodness!
     

    How to Freeze Your Harvest

     
    Frozen veggies can get a bad rap, with funky texture and freezer burn leading to questions like, can I roast frozen vegetables? With the right approach, you can freeze your harvest without sacrificing flavor, nutrition, or texture, and freezing is easier than canning vegetables.
     

    1. Blanch your veggies by adding them to a boiling pot of water for 2-5 minutes, depending on the vegetable.

    2. Cut your vegetables into the desired size based on the recipes you plan to use them in. For example, dice your squash if you plan to use it in a soup, or shred it if you think you’ll use it in a bread.
    3. Package your vegetables in a freezer-safe, airtight container. If you’re worried about them sticking together, you can lay them in a single layer on a baking tray to pre-freeze, then package once they’re individually frozen.
    4. Store in the freezer for up to a year.
     
    These methods will help you make the most of your beautiful harvest without letting your food go to waste!
    For the best-producing plants around, use BugHut to support your garden! Non-toxic garden additives boost growth, strengthen root systems, and allow your plants to survive temperature swings.

    Shop now!

    Back to blog

    Leave a comment

    Please note, comments need to be approved before they are published.