 If you've ever gardened, you probably have memories of squash and tomatoes piling up on your countertops. Your family may have even complained about the frequent occurrence of the same ingredients, meal after meal. Then winter hits, and you probably find yourself going back to the grocery reminiscing of the warm summer days when you just went out to your garden to get your ingredients for dinner. EnviroCitizen.org wants you to know that it doesn't have to be this way! With a little planning and a little time, you can make your garden work for you all year round, no matter where you live.
There are many ways to extend the life of your garden. The first thing you should consider is what to plant. Some vegetables, like potatoes and squash, hold up well for months in cool, dark places like your basement. Other plants, like tomatoes, can be steamed, canned or turned into pasta sauce and then stored. Once canned, they will last until you have new tomatoes growing in the next growing season. Many fruits, such as raspberries, can be turned into jams or jellies for storage as well.
If you're not sure what to do with all of your fruits or vegetables, or if you don't want to go to the trouble of making jams and pasta sauce, there is another option—freeze them! Invest in high-quality bags or storage containers that are airtight. Prepare your vegetables as if you were going to cook them tonight. Cut up squash into slices and lay them out on a wax paper-covered cookie sheet. Stick them in the freezer until they're completely frozen solid, then throw the slices into an airtight bag or container. Label them and stick it back in your freezer. When you're in the mood for dinner with squash in the mix, simply take out however many slices of squash you need, reseal the bag/container and put it back in the freezer. This method works for practically everything. Any fruit or vegetable that has a high water content (squash, berries, melons, etc.) can be stored this way. Prepared and stored in this manner, fruits and vegetables will last throughout the winter in the freezer.
For other vegetables, like certain squash ( acorn squash in particular ), onions and garlic, the preparation is much more simple. All you have to do is stick them in a cool, dark place. An unfinished basement ( as long as no critters are down there ) or wine cellars are good places to store these vegetables. You could also braid the garlic and hang it in your kitchen so that whenever you need a clove or two, you can just pluck it off.
EnviroCitizen.org wants you to know that you can have local, organic produce any time of the year no matter where you live! Even if you don't have your own garden, you can stock up at your local farmer's market in the summer and fall and enjoy the same benefits. You'll save money and reduce your carbon footprint, too!
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