Even in small gardens, the summer harvest season can produce an abundance of tomatoes and corn and zucchini, but there are ways to make your surplus crops last beyond the summer.
Several upcoming classes can teach you how to preserve all those fresh foods you’re harvesting, along with the finer points of the prep work involved.
“I’ve shucked a lot of corn and broken a lot of beans,” says University of Tennessee Extension agent June Puett, who grew up helping her mother and grandmothers can their summer crops.
Having access to fresh food creates a greater appreciation for the quality of the food you’re eating, Puett says. Do-it-yourself food preservation is a logical next step for prolonging summer’s goodness.
“We know more people want to know what’s in their food,” she says. “When they can it themselves, or freeze it, they know exactly what’s in it.”