By Summer Stair

You've spent the summer weeding, watering and caring for your garden. Your dinner table has been filled with dishes that have incorporated the fresh vegetables. And suddenly, as the nights become cooler and the days shorter, you realize your own personal backyard buffet is soon to be over. But wait, there is a way you can keep enjoying it - food preservation.

Anne Zander, family and consumer sciences extension agent for the Colorado State University Extension of Boulder County, says how a person preserves their food is up to them and often depends on the type of lifestyle they lead, as well as the size of their garden. Preserving food can be done in any quantity and can be done by canning, freezing, drying or fermentation.

Here is a guide to help get you get started.

Canning

Canning can be done in small or large batches and can be done either in a boiling water bath or a pressure canner, depending on what you are canning. Boiling water baths are for high-acid foods, such as jellies, fruits, pickles and salsas, where pressure canning is for low-acid foods, such as vegetables and meats.

A boiling water bath requires a stock pot with a rack in the bottom and a lid, and the ability to have at least 1 inch of water above the tops of the jars, as well as water around the body of the jar including the bottom. Zander recommends for small batches of canning to use the Discovery Kit from Ball, which comes with a basket/rack that holds the jars within the pot. Once you have the supplies, all that is required is a tested canning recipe. A good rule of thumb for high altitude canning is for every 1,000 feet above sea level, add 1 minute to the recipe. Zander says it is safe to assume that all recipe times are not for high altitudes, unless it specifically says so.

While pressure canning has gained a bad reputation throughout the years, it is completely safe, Zander says. Today’s pressure canners, not pressure cookers, have safety latches and gauges that will tell you if the pressure has gotten too high. According to Zander, 99 percent of accidents with a pressure canner have happened when a person leaves the room and doesn't keep an eye on the gauge and latch. Low-acid foods that are canned in this way can also be frozen or dried.

Freezing

Freezing produce from the garden or fruit from the tree can be a great option, depending on the size of your freezer and how much you have grown. Items that are frozen are good for one year as long as it was done properly. After that, the produce will lose flavor and nutritive value. Follow these steps for a safe, quality product.

1. Blanch - This will heat the product and kill the growth enzyme. This is important so the food stops growing and doesn't turn color. All you have to do is boil the produce in water for a couple of minutes and it is blanched.

2. Cool it down - Immediately following blanching of the product, chill it in ice water.

3. Drain the produce from all excess water.

4. Package it and freeze - Make sure all produce is put into an air-tight container or bag and labeled. Maximize space in your freezer by storing horizontally. To make sure your bags are airtight, use a straw to suck access air out before closing the bag.

Drying

Drying is perfect for fruits, veggies and meats, and is known for intensifying flavor. All that is required is a dehydrator that has a temperature control and fan. To keep produce from discoloring, Zander says to dip produce in lemon juice, citric acid or Fruit Fresh. If your produce does discolor, that's OK; it will still taste good and be safe to eat. So go crazy with jerky, fruit and veggie leather, dried herbs and veggie and banana chips - the options are endless.

Fermentation

Fermentation is great for making your own yogurt, wines from the produce you have grown or even flavored vinegar. Find a tested recipe and go for it. However, Zander cautions that fermentation is made straight from the produce so make sure it is well cleaned to prevent e-coli and salmonella. To ensure it is clean, run the produce under water for 20 seconds. It is OK to swish it in water if you need to get dirt off, but then make sure to hold it under running water.

Now you should be ready to get started and have an idea of what type of preservation fits your life best. Make sure when you choose a recipe that is tested, especially when canning. "Just because it's on the Internet, in a fancy book or on a cooking show, doesn't mean the information is accurate," Zander says.

Check it Out

For more information or for tested recipes, try the Ball Blue Book or Easy to Preserve from the University of Georgia. The Easy to Preserve book can be purchased through the Colorado State University Extension office for $20 or you can rent the DVD series through the extension.