# Vegetable preservation from your perspective



## WoodsDweller (Jun 15, 2016)

I am being overrun with crook neck squash, bell peppers, various hot peppers (which I will freeze and later dehydrate and grind), tomatoes and cherry tomatoes. Also I shucked and put up 160 ears of sweet corn in the freezers today. I grow for myself to be self sufficient and generally don't overproduce too much but my garden is really putting out this year so far. Wish all my high school girl friends woulda been that way. Lmao

What is you guys preferred methods for preserving squash, bell peppers tomatoes and cherry tomatoes? I usually freeze, dehydrate, whatever. I would like to get y'all's methods and possibly learn something and share something if possible. Tomorrow will be spent processing and preserving about 8 cubic feet of boxed garden veggies. Thank you all in advance.


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## Ellendra (Jul 31, 2013)

Summer squash and bell peppers get chopped up to make pickle relish. I also use pearl onions in the relish, but I buy those frozen as I haven't been able to grow them successfully yet. I can't eat the relish myself as I'm allergic to both peppers and onions, but my mom loves it so much that I make at least a dozen pints every year for her.

Tomatoes of any kind I run through the strainer and can, with just lemon juice and a pinch of salt. I've tried several times to make spaghetti sauce and can it up, but the seasonings I use seem to lose their flavor after a week or so in the jar, so I gave that up. Now I just make the sauce as I need it, as long as I have canned tomatoes to make it with.

I also use the canned tomatoes for soups and things. Having them just plain in the jar gives me flexibility. I know a lot of people like making "meals in a jar", and some of my soups turn out well that way. But my sauces never did. And, in the summer, there's usually enough that needs done that it's easier to just do the whole batch plain and worry about what to make with them later.


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## WoodsDweller (Jun 15, 2016)

What is your preferred method for freezing the items I listed?


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## 7thswan (Nov 18, 2008)

You could make a canned hot sauce with the peppers and onions.Then add vinagar.You can see I used the end of the season,picked it all and cooked it down.
I also freeze corn in the shuck,just remove the silk and cover back up with the husk and bag in freezer bags.


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## 7thswan (Nov 18, 2008)

I've also made a salsa out of squash. I don't always use a recipe out of books,so don't have them for you. But there are some good books, and I'll find a recipe and substitute ingredients to keep the salt and vinegar ratios proper.
Extra summer squash gets chunked and frozen for use in dog food I cook. It is very good for adding bulk without grain and it absorbes the flavor of the meat very well.


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## 7thswan (Nov 18, 2008)

Tomatoes of any kind are frozen in large zip locks. When I have more time I'll take the bags out,thaw and pour off some of the "water" . then I send them thru a prosesser and then cook down to thicken. Can. Some Tomatoes, I blanch the skins off and quater and seal in jars. I prefer canning most things simply because It's how I did it as a child with my mother. Some things can only be preserved frozen and some dehydrated.


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## Murby (May 24, 2016)

Ellendra said:


> Tomatoes of any kind I run through the strainer and can, with just lemon juice and a pinch of salt. I've tried several times to make spaghetti sauce and can it up, but the seasonings I use seem to lose their flavor after a week or so in the jar, so I gave that up. Now I just make the sauce as I need it, as long as I have canned tomatoes to make it with.
> 
> I also use the canned tomatoes for soups and things. Having them just plain in the jar gives me flexibility. I know a lot of people like making "meals in a jar", and some of my soups turn out well that way. But my sauces never did. And, in the summer, there's usually enough that needs done that it's easier to just do the whole batch plain and worry about what to make with them later.


The problem with canning tomato sauce is that the process normally involves a lengthy "cooking down" where the excess water is boiled off. This long heating period causes a chemical reaction within the sauce.. I forgot the specifics but it undergoes an oxidation process where the bright red juice turns dark.. (this is bad).
The oxidized sauce causes all kinds of problems.. Some of these problems are related to taste, color, storage time, and how it affects other ingredients. 

Commercial processing involves quickly heating the tomato juice with high temperature steam (through heat exchanger), while under vacuum.. the sauce is sprayed within the vacuum and the water boils off almost instantly.. 

Due to the quick heating and the vacuum spraying, the oxidation process never happens because there is no oxygen within a vacuum.

One of my favorite winter soups is a tomato sauce and rice combo.. Been eating it since I was a young child. 

I've considered converting a stainless steel beer keg into a vacuum chamber.. load it up with our strained tomato sauce, and pull a heavy vacuum to yank the water out.. Its on my "to do" list..


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## po boy (Jul 12, 2010)

We blanch corn, remove it from the co and then freeze in quart bags.
Also, we blanch the squash and freeze...


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## Murby (May 24, 2016)

po boy said:


> We blanch corn, remove it from the co and then freeze in quart bags.
> Also, we blanch the squash and freeze...


I tried that.. the corn was fine for soups but not good straight... it loses its crispy texture.

Pressure canning worked out great! The corn comes out of the jar almost like it was just put in.


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## Vickie44 (Jul 27, 2010)

I can corn , string beans, lima beans, fruit, peas, carrotts , tomatoes. Make and can salsa to use tomatoes and peppers. I freeze peas, cut up peppers, broccoli, collards, beet greens etc. Freeze some carrots but they come out rubbery . I pickle and self ferment cucs and cabbage, potatos and winter squash store in the cellar. I dry limas and black eyed peas and herbs.

Never had any luck storing summer squashes except making a soup base then canning. Thank heavens for Zuchini fritters!


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## 7thswan (Nov 18, 2008)

Murby said:


> I tried that.. the corn was fine for soups but not good straight... it loses its crispy texture.
> 
> Pressure canning worked out great! The corn comes out of the jar almost like it was just put in.


I like it canned best also.


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## BarbadosSheep (Jun 27, 2011)

My preferred method of preservation is freeze drying. Color and nutrients are not lost at all and the shelf life is around 20 to 25 years. But of course you need a freeze dryer and they are not cheap.


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## Bellyman (Jul 6, 2013)

Murby said:


> The problem with canning tomato sauce is that the process normally involves a lengthy "cooking down" where the excess water is boiled off. This long heating period causes a chemical reaction within the sauce.. I forgot the specifics but it undergoes an oxidation process where the bright red juice turns dark.. (this is bad).
> The oxidized sauce causes all kinds of problems.. Some of these problems are related to taste, color, storage time, and how it affects other ingredients.
> 
> Commercial processing involves quickly heating the tomato juice with high temperature steam (through heat exchanger), while under vacuum.. the sauce is sprayed within the vacuum and the water boils off almost instantly..
> ...


We did ours a little differently last time. We started out by roasting the cut (usually halved or quartered) tomatoes, onions, peppers and garlic on the grill (something like 35 to 40 minutes or so at 400 deg). We liked doing it on the grill better than in the oven because the grill was much more open to the air and moisture escaped much more easily than if we'd roasted in the oven. The roasted tomatoes and other veggies were then put through a food mill that put out a very nice sauce that didn't have to be cooked on the stove for hours and hours. It went from the food mill into a big pot on the stove where a few seasonings were added, a little salt, a little sugar (and I do mean little), a little basil, a little oregano, whatever we decided needed to be in there. It spent maybe 15 minutes on the stove to make sure we had the flavor we wanted. Then it was into the canning jars and into the pressure canner. 

It was some of the best sauce we ever had and it really wasn't a bad job making it. 

The sauce could have just as easily been put into the freezer if we'd wanted to do that but freezer space was at a premium at the time. 

There are lots of was to get 'er done. Just gotta find one that works well for you.


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## Moboiku (Mar 7, 2014)

WoodsDweller said:


> What is your preferred method for freezing the items I listed?


I puree squash in the food processor then put the puree in ziploc bags in the freezer. They can then be used in a variety of meals. We love to use the puree to make pancakes but I also throw it into a batch of chili, spaghetti sauce and various casserole type meals over the winter.


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## Echoesechos (Jan 22, 2010)

I don't like a lot of frozen veggies except corn. Green beans get squeaky and I don't like that. So I can.


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## lolart (Sep 1, 2010)

Thinking about all the squash cut it in chuncks,I cook and freeze it in 2 cup containers.
One of our favorite way to use it is make pies following the recipe for pumpking or sweet potato pie.
My sons wouldn't eat reg. squash till I started making the pies.


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## Echoesechos (Jan 22, 2010)

I want to try to make imposter pineapple using yellow squash. You can it in pineapple juice. I guess you then use as if pineapple. I've read up on it online.


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## 7thswan (Nov 18, 2008)

Echoesechos said:


> I want to try to make imposter pineapple using yellow squash. You can it in pineapple juice. I guess you then use as if pineapple. I've read up on it online.


Yup. There is also a jam one can make out of grated zuchinni squash(i'd use any type summer squash tho) Using Jello. ANY flavor, Pineapple was the first IIRC. YUM. I imagine syrup would be good too, for those without acess to much fresh fruit.


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## Vickie44 (Jul 27, 2010)

7thswan said:


> Yup. There is also a jam one can make out of grated zuchinni squash(i'd use any type summer squash tho) Using Jello. ANY flavor, Pineapple was the first IIRC. YUM. I imagine syrup would be good too, for those without acess to much fresh fruit.


I use your recipe to make this every year , my family loves it!:goodjob:


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## Echoesechos (Jan 22, 2010)

7thswan said:


> Yup. There is also a jam one can make out of grated zuchinni squash(i'd use any type summer squash tho) Using Jello. ANY flavor, Pineapple was the first IIRC. YUM. I imagine syrup would be good too, for those without acess to much fresh fruit.


Would you share the recipe please? I've been making jam a lot here recently and would love to try this.


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## 7thswan (Nov 18, 2008)

Echoesechos said:


> Would you share the recipe please? I've been making jam a lot here recently and would love to try this.


I'll find it.


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## Murby (May 24, 2016)

Bellyman said:


> We did ours a little differently last time. We started out by roasting the cut (usually halved or quartered) tomatoes, onions, peppers and garlic on the grill (something like 35 to 40 minutes or so at 400 deg). We liked doing it on the grill better than in the oven because the grill was much more open to the air and moisture escaped much more easily than if we'd roasted in the oven. The roasted tomatoes and other veggies were then put through a food mill that put out a very nice sauce that didn't have to be cooked on the stove for hours and hours. It went from the food mill into a big pot on the stove where a few seasonings were added, a little salt, a little sugar (and I do mean little), a little basil, a little oregano, whatever we decided needed to be in there. It spent maybe 15 minutes on the stove to make sure we had the flavor we wanted. Then it was into the canning jars and into the pressure canner.
> 
> It was some of the best sauce we ever had and it really wasn't a bad job making it.
> 
> ...


Oh I gotta give that a try.. Never occurred to me to bake them dry like that... Thanks!


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## 7thswan (Nov 18, 2008)

Zuchinni jam
6 cups peeled and grated zuk.
1 cup bottled lemon juice
5 1/2 cups sugar.
Mix and simmer 30 min.
Remove from heat and add 1 6oz. (large) box of jello. 
Mix well put into hot jars and seal


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## Murby (May 24, 2016)

7thswan said:


> Zuchinni jam
> 6 cups peeled and grated zuk.
> 1 cup bottled lemon juice
> 5 1/2 cups sugar.
> ...


Maybe I'll try skipping the lemon juice and just pressure can.

That's a lot of sugar!! 

Tomato's have a good deal of sugar in them already.. Technically, a tomato is a fruit.. 
I have to wonder if you're adding that much sugar to make up for the oxidation that happens under extended heating.. I mean, you don't seem to be heating for too long, but the heat is really high when grilling. 

Time for some lab work!


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## 7thswan (Nov 18, 2008)

Murby said:


> Maybe I'll try skipping the lemon juice and just pressure can.
> 
> That's a lot of sugar!!
> 
> ...


Jam does have so much sugar. There is a low sugar pectin ava. One can add as much as they want or even use Honey instead of sugar.


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## Echoesechos (Jan 22, 2010)

7thswan said:


> Zuchinni jam
> 6 cups peeled and grated zuk.
> 1 cup bottled lemon juice
> 5 1/2 cups sugar.
> ...


Thank you...


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