What Can you do with Excess Vegetables from your garden or CSA?

We have had some requests from our CSA members to post more information about what they can do with excess vegetables. In our opinion, it is wonderful to make our summer vegetables last well into winter by canning and freezing. Freezing is by far the easier option, but most of the time there is still a little preparation involved. You can choose to prepare meals with your veggies and freeze them for the winter months or store quantities of the same vegetable to be used at a later time. Canning is far more labor intensive and requires special equipment, but stored properly the canned vegetables can last for years. There are certain vegetables better for canning than others - tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, okra. Especially, if you are into the puckery pickle flavor, than canning might be for you. Below, we will go through some ideas for freezing and canning summer vegetables.


Freezing Leafy Greens (Spinach, Kale, Collards, Chard)
If you don't always have the time to make something with them before leafy greens start going bad, freeze them.  When you want to use it, just defrost and add it to whatever dish you're making!
 
The trick is to blanch them first.  What is blanch, you ask?  We'll get to that in a minute, but first you need to prepare your greens.  Wash them in cold water.  At this point, I usually chop my greens roughly since most of my recipes call for sliced or chopped greens.  You don't have to do this, but I find it makes it easier for me later on. 
 
Once you've prepared the greens, it's on to blanching.  Blanching means that you cook the greens in boiling water just for a couple of minutes to stop the bacteria and enzymes from breaking down your veggies in the freezer.  (You can find the specific blanching times below.)  Start the timer as soon as you place the greens in the water and cover the pot.  You can use the blanching water up to five times before having to replace it with clean water.
When the timer goes off, you will need to shock the greens in ice-cold water to stop the cooking.  I use my big pasta pot with the strainer.  Then all I have to do is pull the strainer out and move the greens to the ice bath in a large bowl.  You keep the greens in the ice bath for the same amount of time that you cooked them for.  

Once they've cooled, take them out, squeeze as much water out as you can and let it drain a little.  I like to make one-cup-sized balls (so I know how much each packet is in the freezer) and set them on a clean kitchen towel to drain a little more.  Once they're drained to your satisfaction, put them in freezer bags, remove all of the air (Ziploc Vacuum Bags work great here), and then layer them in the freezer.  Make sure you label them with what is inside and the date!  You can store them for about 9 months in a regular freezer or up to a year in a deep freeze.

Blanching Times: 

Beet Greens - 2 minutes

Chard -2 minutes

Collard Greens - 2 minutes

Kale - 3 minutes

Spinach - 2 minutes

 

Freezer Salsa 

10 -12 large very ripe tomatoes
2 large cooking onions or 2 medium Spanish onions
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
8 cloves garlic, minced
8 jalapeno peppers or 1 can diced green chilis
2 -3 sweet green peppers (or mix of green and red)
2 (5 1/2 ounce) cans tomato paste
1/4 cup white vinegar or 1/4 cup cider vinegar or 1/4 cup lime juice
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions:

1. Peel,core, seed and coarsely chop tomatoes.
2. You should have 10 cups.
3. Peel and finely chop onions.
4. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat.
5. When hot, add onions and garlic.
6. Cook, stirring often, until onions are soft.
7. Meanwhile, seed and finely chop jalapenos.
8. Seed and coarsely chop sweet peppers.
9. When onions are soft, stir in tomato paste.
10. Add tomatoes, peppers, vinegar, paprika, sugar and salt.
11. For extra heat stir in cayenne.
12. Bring to boil and lower heat until it gently boils.
13. Cook uncovered stirring occasionally until thickened, about 30 minutes.
14. Store covered in refrigerator for 1 week or freeze.
15. Flavor improves in the refrigerator or freezer.

 Freezer Spaghetti Sauce  

• 4 onions, chopped

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 green bell pepper, chopped

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil

• 16 cups chopped tomatoes

• 2 tablespoons dried oregano

• 2 tablespoons dried basil

• 1/4 cup chopped parsley

• 1/4 cup white sugar

• 2 tablespoons salt

• 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste

Directions

In a slow cooker saute together the onion, garlic, green pepper, and vegetable oil. Cook until onion is transparent. Add the chopped tomatoes, oregano, basil, parsley, sugar, salt, and ground black pepper. Cook for 2 to 3 hours on low heat. Stir frequently. Let sauce cool. Pour sauce into quart size freezer containers. Store in freezer. When ready to use sauce, stir in can of tomato paste.

Freezing Herbs

Chop herb and put into ice cube tray with olive oil. It is that simple! Pop your iced herbs into soups, pastas, or other recipes.

 Canning Salsa

For canning advice and directions, I want to direct you to one of the best websites I have found: www.pickyourown.org.  It may not have the best website design, but it is great. Check out their info about pickles and salsa.

Pickles: http://www.pickyourown.org/makingpickles.htm

Salsa: http://www.pickyourown.org/salsa.htm