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Whether we are talking about the cold season, when unfortunately we do not have the opportunity to enjoy the freshness of fruits or vegetables, or at least not those grown organically, in small farms, or whether we are talking about trying to manage the time as best as possible so that we manage to serve a hot lunch or dinner.
Even on the days when we arrive home late and the kids go to bed early, in order to rest enough for the next day of kindergarten or school, it is important to discover the best way to store fruits and vegetables for long-term, so that we can enjoy them whenever we need or crave certain flavors.
What is food preservation?
In this article I tried to summarize the main methods for storing fruits and vegetables, and other types of dishes that involve food processing and preservation, in the pantry or freezer, for the cold season or to use certain products when needed, when time is limited, without having to spend a lot of time cooking them.
Thus, in the lines below you will find a series of methods to obtain dishes based on fruits or vegetables, mostly, but not only, so that we can enjoy fresh and delicious meals, using organically grown ingredients, from the gardens of small local producers, even in the cold season or on warmer days, when time does not allow us to prepare a meal from scratch.
1. Sterilizing glass containers and the Bain Marie method
First of all, let me tell you what dishes I prepare for the cold season. As you already know, although you can always find fresh fruits and vegetables on store shelves, due to the cold, in winter we are limited to choose to buy products from exotic countries, where it is warm all year round.
I am not saying that those products are not good or that they affect our health in any way, but I simply prefer to consume fruits and vegetables, as much as possible, from small, local farms. For this reason, ever since my daughter Sofia was born, I started using different food preservation methods for the winter season or long-term.
If we opt for canning food preservation for a longer period of time using bottles or glass jars with lids, it is extremely important to follow some simple rules for preparing the glass containers. Thus, following the steps that I will present below, we ensure that the food processing and preservation process will be a success and the canned products will not spoil over time, thus having the opportunity to enjoy their taste and aroma for an entire year.
The first step in this regard is represented by the sterilization of bottles/ jars and lids.
It may sound complex, but the process itself is very simple. All we have to do is wash the glass containers and their lids well with hot water and dish washing solution, rinse them well and dry them.
After that, heat the oven to 180o Celsius (356o Fahrenheit). We place the glass containers and lids positioned with their mouths up on a metal tray, which we then insert into the preheated oven. We lower the oven temperature to 130o C – 140o C (266o F – 284o F) and leave them in the oven for about 30 minutes.
Then, leave the tray in the oven until the oven cools down completely. Of necessary, we can remove both the containers and the lids, and we can fill them with the products we want, even if they are still warm.
That’s all regarding the preparation of jars and lids, or what we call the sterilization of glass containers and lids.
The Bain Marie method
The second important step, which will be carried out at the end of the food preservation process in glass containers, is canning bath using the Bain Marie method. This way, we sterilize the composition inside the glass container, as well, making sure it will not spoil over time.
Practically, this involves canning bath for glass jars/ bottles, filled with the desired composition, to ensure that the contents of the containers will not change over time.
Thus, whether we are talking about glass jars or bottles, it is important that at the end, after filling the containers with the desired content, we close the lids well and place the containers in a pot or tray on the bottom of which we place a textile kitchen towel, to prevent the glass container from breaking on contact with hot metal.
Depending on our availability or the number of containers we want to preserve, we have two Bain Marie canning bath methods: on the stove or in the oven.
In the case of the first option, using the Bain Marie method on the stove, we need a large, capacious saucepan or pot, on the bottom of which we will place a textile kitchen towel. Ideally, that textile material should also cover the side walls of the pot. Use the towel to avoid the cracking of the jars from heat. Then, we place the jars with the desired composition inside the pot, making sure that there are a few millimeters of empty space between the containers. Then, add water to the pot until it occupies approximately 3 cm of the height of the pot. Start canning bath for the containers in the pot by boiling them at a low temperature for about 10-15 minutes.
If you have numerous containers, and your pot is not large enough to do the Bain Marie canning bath on the stove, I strongly recommend you to do this using the oven preheated at 120o C (248o F). Thus, using a metal tray for the oven, place a textile kitchen towel on its bottom and then place the containers in the tray.
As in the case of the first method, add water into the tray so that it occupies 1-2 cm of the height of the tray. It may be easier to pour water into the tray already placed into the oven, so you don’t risk dropping the tray due to the weight. Leave the tray in the preheated oven at 120o C (248o F) for 15-20 minutes. You can leave the tray in the oven until it cools completely and remove the containers filled with the composition at the end, if you think it’s easier.
Thus, by following these simple steps both at the beginning of preparing the jars/bottles and at the end, when the containers are already filled and closed with lids, I guarantee that your dishes will last for a year, without spoiling or modifying properties such as taste or texture.
2. How do we preserve different fruits and vegetables for the cold season?
The easiest way for storing fruits and vegetables for long terms is by freezing them. However, this method is not suitable for all fruits or vegetables. For example, I don’t think it’s possible to freeze tomatoes, no matter how much I crave for this possibility.
Among the vegetables that are so easy to preserve for long term, in the freezer, I would mention cauliflower, green beans, peas or eggplants.
I chose these vegetables because we eat them regularly. Unfortunately, not all vegetables can be preserved over the winter, frozen, in their natural form. The most relevant example in this sense is represented by eggplants. These will be preserved for long term only after they have been cooked, chopped and drained of excess liquid. So, if you want to enjoy the incredible aroma of eggplants for long term, you need to follow a food processing and preservation protocol.
Thus, for the cold season you will be able to preserve bags of approximately 400-500 gr of roasted/ grilled and chopped eggplants, preferably using sealing bags, which you just defrost when needed and you can quickly and simply enjoy them in eggplant with mayonnaise salad, for example, or in Baba Ganoush.
Another aperitif salad, but this time the cauliflower salad with mayonnaise, can be enjoyed in winter by preserving the cauliflower for the cold season. In this case, the cauliflower is so easy to preserve.
Basically, all you have to do is cut the head of cauliflower into smaller florets, wash them well with cold water, then put them in a large bowl, covering them with cold water with a little salt. The salt added to the cold water has the purpose of removing any small creatures that could hide among the cauliflower florets. After leaving the cauliflower florets in salted water for about 15 minutes, drain the excess water using a sieve and then put the cauliflower florets in bags that you close well, preferably sealed bags.
Thus, if you ever want to prepare a delicious cauliflower soup or a cauliflower salad with mayonnaise, defrost the cauliflower preserved this way, and you will be able to prepare these wonderful recipes in the cold season, just as you would have done it in summer or autumn, when the cauliflower is present in all the gardens of local producers.
Green beans, like cauliflower, is also so easy to preserve. Depending on your preferences, or the space you have in the freezer, you can ensure your green beans for long term in two different ways: frozen or in glass jars.
In the case of frozen green beans, the safest way to preserve them effectively includes the following steps:
- Using your hands, or a knife, remove the tip of the stem end (a.k.a topping the bean);
- Cut the bean pods into relatively equal pieces;
- Wash the pieces of green beans pods well with cold water;
- Drain the pieces of green beans pods well and cook them in a pot filled with boiled water for approx. 10 minutes;
- Drain well the pieces of boiled beans pods using a sieve and let them cool down completely;
- Once completely cooled, put the pieces of green beans in bags that you can close well, preferably bags that you can vacuum;
- Store the bags of beans in the freezer and enjoy them for a year after freezing, without problems.
Frozen beans can be left to defrost at any time to be used in green bean soup, green bean-based side dishes, or as an aperitif green bean salad with mayonnaise.
However, if the space in the freezer does not allow you to preserve green beans frozen, you can achieve the same result by canning it in jars placed into the pantry for a year. Basically, it is necessary to prepare the beans in the same way as in the case of the frozen ones: clean them, wash them well, boil them for 10 minutes and then drain it well. This time there is no need to let the beans cool completely. After the water has drained well, you can start the canning food preservation by placing the green beans pods in the jars that have been sterilized before, until the beans occupy approximately 2/3 of the volume of the jar.
Then, boil water in a pot and add the right amount of salt. This means that for 1 liter of water, it is ideal to add a teaspoon of salt. Let the water with salt boil for about 10 minutes and then add the hot mixture over the bean pods placed in the jar, until the jar is completely filled. Seal the lid of the jar. To ensure that the beans will not spoil in the following months, I recommend using the Bain Marie canning bath method that I described in the first part of this article.
Green beans preserved for the winter in this way can be used successfully, just like frozen beans, in different recipes such as green beans soup, side dishes or beans salad with mayonnaise.
Green peas are other vegetables so easy to preserve. Practically, just like cauliflower, peas do not need to be cooked before preservation. This does not mean that it is forbidden to boil it before freezing it. If you want to boil the peas in advance, to shorten the cooking time when you defrost them, you can follow the same steps as in the case of frozen beans.
More specifically, wash the peas well, clean them of any impurities, then you can boil them for 10 minutes in water with a little salt. At the end, drain the peas well of the excess water and let them cool down completely, before putting them in bags that you close well, preferably by sealing them. This all you need to complete the food processing and preservation protocol for green peas.
I don’t boil the peas in advance, I just wash them well, then leave them for 10-15 minutes in cold water with a little salt, then at the end I drain them well and put them in bags that I seal. I find this method extremely simple and I think it is the best way to store vegetables in the freezer. I guarantee that the frozen peas will have the same wonderful aroma when you cook them as the ones freshly picked from the garden.
I use frozen peas in recipes such as chicken with green peas, I add them to mayonnaise chicken and vegetable salad, or in green peas soups.
I described here how I achieve the food processing and preservation for the main vegetables that our family eats during winter, but here we could also mention green salad, which can be preserved in the freezer using a method similar to the one for preserving green beans. Also, red bell peppers can be cleaned off by removing the seeds and tails and can be preserved extremely easy by freezing, so you can enjoy organically grown stuffed peppers in the cold season.
It is also extremely important how we can preserve chopped root vegetables in the freezer for various soups that, when needed, are simply defrosted and added to soups or stews, like the meatballs soup, for example. Carrots, parsley, celery and green parsley are so easy to preserve in this way.
Until now I have mostly told you about the best way to store vegetables for long term, but you should know that fruits are so easy to preserve, too.
In our family, we often eat fruit-based desserts, so I always try to preserve a few frozen fruit bags for the winter. Among these I would mention plums, apricots, blueberries or raspberries.
Blueberries or raspberries, or any other type of forest fruit, are so easy to preserve by placing them in the freezer in well-closed casseroles or bags, exactly as they are. There is no need to wash them, in fact I recommend you not to wash them, to avoid the risk of fermenting in the freezer or becoming very soft. You freeze them as they are, and when you defrost them, to use them in your favorite fruit cake recipes, ice cream or any other dishes that cross your mind, you will wash them well with cold water.
Regarding plums or apricots, they can be preserved according to the same method, namely:
- First, wash the whole plums/apricots well;
- Then put them to dry in a sieve or on a kitchen towel, to remove excess water from the surface of the fruits;
- After the fruits are completely dry, cut them in halves and remove the seeds from inside the plums/apricots;
- Arrange the obtained halves nicely in bags that you close well, or even seal them;
- Place the bags in the freezer and when you need plums / apricots, defrost them and use them without problems in your favorite recipes for a year after freezing.
It’s simple, right? Then stop thinking and start storing fruits and vegetables right now so that you can enjoy meals in the cold season as well.
The surprise that I have prepared for you in this article is that, in addition to the fruits or vegetables that I have already detailed how you can freeze safely, is that you can prepare cheese sticks in advance. What does this mean? Well, sometimes your child may ask you for mozzarella sticks or fried cheese for dinner … but time is short and you have to get ready for bed…. Well, the good news is that you can prepare this dish in advance and when you feel the urge or the need to cook fried cheese, all you have to do is heat the oil in a pan and fry the already frozen pieces of cheese.
Follow these 3 simple steps and I guarantee that you will get fried cheese or mozzarella sticks very quick:
- Cut the pieces of cheese in the shape you want (cubes, triangles, sticks);
- Dip each piece of cheese in flour, egg wash and breadcrumbs;
- Place the pieces of cheese with the crust thus obtained in bags that you close tightly. I do not recommend sealing them because you risk “ruining” the breadcrumbs crust;
- Put the bags in the freezer and use them whenever you need, provided you take them out of the freezer approx. 30 minutes before frying.
In this way, you get two important advantages. On the one hand, you no longer need to perform the necessary steps to obtain the crust when you want to cook fried cheese, so you save time when you can do something else. On the other hand, when you fry the pieces of cheese, it will not flow into the pan, because the cheese being frozen inside, it will not melt quick in the hot oil.
Keep in mind that you can also use the pieces of frozen cheese to prepare fried cheese in the air fryer. Thus, you can choose a healthier cooking method, with less oil, but just as simple and fast.
Interesting, right?
3. How do we prepare kidsfriendly 100% natural pickles?
Pickles can contain various vegetables, or even fruits, it all depends on the preferences and culinary habits of each family. In our family, the favorite pickles are based on the following vegetables:
- Red bell pepper;
- Beetroot;
- Cabbage.
Roasted red bell peppers and beetroot are Sofia’s favorites, because they are used as pickles, but they don’t have that sour taste that pickles generally have. These are slightly sweet pickles, which are preferred by children.
Us, the adults, we prefer pickled green cabbage and it is also very easy to prepare.
But, let’s take them one by one…
Roasted red or kapia peppers are so easy to preserve for the winter. They can be frozen, or canned in their own juice in glass containers.
What do you have to do to get these delicious and healthy treats in a jar? It’s simpleβ¦.
The most important thing is to make sure that you have a generous amount of red bell peppers because they soften after being roasted / grilled. For example, in a jar of approx. 400 ml you will be able to insert up to 10 red bell peppers, depending on how fleshy they are.
Once cooked, you must carefully peel them and remove the tail and seeds from inside the red bells. Then, carefully place them in the jars and add a little salt over each row of roasted bells. Simple, right?
Ideally, after filling the jars, sterilize them for 10-15 minutes using the Bain Marie canning bath method detailed at the beginning of the article. This way, you will ensure that the contents of the jars will not spoil for a year.
Beetroot is also very easy to preserve in glass jars to be eaten in any season as a delicious salad that accompanies a main course.
All you have to do is roast it in the oven, or boil it in water, but I recommend the first option because it preserves its strong color and intense aroma. Then peel it and cut it in the shape you prefer (cubes, slices or even grated), place it in jars and then cover it with a liquid mixture based on water, salt, vinegar, cumin seeds and a little sugar.
As in the case of other products preserved in a jar, I recommend that at the end you sterilize the jars using the Bain Marie canning bath method for 10-15 minutes and this way you will be sure that for a year your beetroot is just fine.
Regarding fermented whole green cabbage, I can tell you that this is our favorite. In addition, you have the possibility to prepare in a large container and ensure the right amount of cabbage for a year, which you can use both as a pickle and as an ingredient for several dishes. Basically, you need a large plastic container/barrel (our is 40 liters or 10 gallons) with a fairly wide opening (to allow you to insert and take out the whole cabbage). In our barrel we have space for 15-18 cabbages. Now the volume of the barrel depends on the quantity you need.
All you have to do is wash the whole heads of cabbage well, remove the core, and insert a spoonful of salt into the resulting hole (as much as it will fit). Then place the heads of cabbage nicely in the plastic container, with the hollow facing up. Add a handful of salt over each row of cabbage. In addition, add cleaned horseradish sticks into the plastic container.
Leave the container filled with the cabbage heads until the next day, then add water, until the cabbage heads are covered. At the end, on the top row of cabbage, you can add bunches of thyme, or other spices you like (quince, pieces of red cabbage – for color, apples, dill, etc.).
It is also important to dissolve 2 tablespoons of natural food preservative in a cup of water and add to the plastic container. This will help the cabbage stay crispy on the inside throughout the year. In the first 2-3 weeks, you will need to move the water from the container daily, using a long plastic tube that reaches the bottom of the container, through which you can blow for a few seconds. Thus, the water in the container will not spoil.
4. How can we preserve tomato-based dishes for the cold season?
We all like ripe, juicy tomatoes when they are fresh, don’t we? Well, fortunately, although we cannot preserve them in their natural form for long time, we have the opportunity to prepare various products based on tomatoes, which we can then later use as we please.
One such product is tomato juice. I use a lot of tomato juice in my dishes. Practically, tomato juice is almost indispensable in any soup, stew or red pasta sauce recipe that I prepare for my family. Every year I have a cellar full of bottles of tomato juice that I use all year long to prepare delicious and healthy recipes. Tomato juice can be obtained very simply by grinding tomatoes, using a meat grinder, for example, and boiling the juice thus obtained until it curdles a little. There is no need to add any spices in the tomato juice.
The homemade pasta sauce, based on tomatoes, red bell peppers and other vegetables that you can find in the pantry, is a dish that can be used successfully whenever you want to prepare pasta and time does not allow you to make a sauce from scratch. Thus, using this sauce based on vegetables, red bell peppers, onions, garlic and other vegetables that you have on hand, boiled and blended, simply boil the pasta, add this sauce and sprinkle some parmesan cheese and you will have in a few minutes a portion of delicious pasta that is children’s favorite.
Another simple homemade treat based on tomatoes is ketchup. Many children love ketchup, which is why I prepare homemade ketchup every autumn, without additives, based on natural ingredients. It is extremely similar in taste and texture to the one in stores, but it is 100% natural and you can prepare it sweet, adding a little honey, or spicy, adding a little hot pepper.
Homemade ketchup is prepared by boiling vegetables such as tomatoes, red peppers, onions, garlic, adding a little vinegar and honey / hot peppers, which will eventually turn into a sauce by blending these ingredients.
I recommend you to sterilize the ketchup bottles/ jars at the end for 10-15 minutes using the Bain Marie canning bath method to ensure that the sauce obtained this way can be consumed safely for a year, without the risk of spoiling the delicious tomato-based sauce.
5. Preparation of sweet dishes β fruit jam and fruit syrup
Regarding the sweet dishes that can be preserved for long term, it is important to talk a little about fruit jam and fruit syrup.
If you choose to use extremely juicy fruits, which during the cooking process remove a lot of juice, such as strawberries, then you have the possibility of obtaining both jam and syrup at the same time.
Practically, any fruit jam recipe is based on 3 simple steps:
- Clean the fruits from tails, pits and wash well;
- Then, place them in a large bowl and add sugar over them. Leave them like this for a few hours or overnight, to allow the fruits to incorporate the sugar and thus form a syrup;
- Once this syrup is obtained, boil the fruits together with the syrup for 1-2 hours, until you get the desired consistency for the jam.
If you want to make fruit syrup, then before cooking, separate the fruits from the syrup and boil them in two different pots. This way, you will get a denser fruit jam and a delicious fruit syrup, in the same day, without having to boil syrup or jam on another occasion.
Both in the case of jam jars and fruit syrup bottles, I recommend you that in the end of the cooking process, to sterilize properly filled glass containers for 10-15 minutes, using the Bain Marie canning bath method, in order to avoid spoilage of the preparations for at least a year.
Thus, regardless of whether you choose to preserve for the cold season, or for a later use of various fruits, vegetables or other preparations that allow long-term preservation, I recommend that you read the information presented in this article, because it is extremely useful and I guarantee that this way you will be able to enjoy wonderful aromas and tastes throughout the year, without the risk of spoilage.
Some of the recipes mentioned in this article are already available on the blog, and I am doing my best to write down and post all of them, in order to help you realize how easy it can be to achieve long term food processing and preservation by following very few simple steps.
If you have some other ideas or inspiration related to food preservation, donβt hesitate to share your thoughts. Also, you know you can always write down your comments and reviews about the information I share on this blog. So, please feel free to express yourselfβ¦ Until the next article, I wish you all a great time spent with your loved ones. Bye π
