Tracey Bool Garden Writer
  • Home
  • Photo Gallery
  • In The Garden
    • Permaculture >
      • Borage
      • Bringing in the Good Bugs
      • Building Beneficial Insect and Solitary Bee Accommodation in Your Garden
      • Comfrey My Garden Back to Life - Symphytum officinale
      • Climate Change Gardens
      • Growing Lucerne as a Green Manure Crop
      • Grown & Gathered by Matt & Lentil
      • Handy Link: ACT for Bees
      • Jerusalem Artichoke
      • Make Friends Using Companion Plants in Your Garden
      • Marigold
      • Pip: Australian Permaculture Magazine
      • Queensland Arrowroot
      • RetroSuburbia
      • The One Straw Revolution
      • The Weird and Wonderful World of Compost Brewing
      • Urban Homesteading Goulburn Mulwaree Library reference list
      • Yacon
    • Australian Native plants >
      • Bush Foods and a World of Wonder
      • Brachychiton populneus
      • Correa alba x pulchella 'Pink Pixie'
      • Correa pulchella 'Little Cate'
      • Correa pulchella ‘Ring A Ding Ding’
      • Eremophila racemosa
      • Grevillea iaspicula
      • Handy Link: Birds in Backyards
      • Lomatia myricoides
      • Lovely Locals
      • Lovely Winter Natives
      • Olive Pink: A Life in Flowers
      • Photographic Guide to Native Plants of the Australian Capital Territory
      • Plants of Goulburn Wetlands
      • Kembla Cherry Orchard: Seasonal Winter Maintenance
      • Poa labillardieri
      • Wahlenberia stricta
    • Fruit, Veggies & Herbs >
      • Flavour and More with Spaghetti Squash
      • Green Zebra Tomatoes
      • Grow. Food. Anywhere
      • Growing Blueberries
      • Growing Chillies in Pots
      • Growing, Eating and Enjoying Radish
      • Growing Garlic
      • Growing Passionfruit in Canberra
      • Leaf Curl and Codling Moth on Fruit Trees
      • Maintaining Blueberries
      • Mild Mannered Turnips
      • Preparing veggie seedlings for planting
      • Reaping the Harvest: Broad Beans
      • Pumpkin True Green Hubbard
      • Scented Geranium
      • Snowpea 'Oregon Sugar'
      • Summer Hardy Perennial Herbs
      • Summer Savory
      • The Seed Savers' Handbook
      • The Vegie Box
      • Tomato 'Honey Drop'
    • Garden Creation & Maintenance >
      • Australian Dreamscapes: The art of planting in gardens inspired by nature
      • Autumn in The Garden
      • Adhoc Gardening Tool Box
      • Bokashi Composting
      • Biofumigant Seed Crops
      • Canberra Soils
      • Carbon Storage in Urban Environments
      • Clay Seed Balls
      • Comfrey Tea
      • Composting
      • Cool Season Garden Bed Maintenance
      • Enliven the Senses with a Sensory Garden
      • Creating a Wildlife Friendly Garden: Reference List
      • Gardening Down-Under
      • Green Manure Crops
      • Growing and Maintaining Windbreaks
      • Handy Organic Sprays
      • Handy Tip: Plant Gazebo
      • Hardwood Cuttings
      • In the Garden: Re-potting Your Plants
      • Let There Be Light
      • Local Invention: Downpipe Garden
      • Maintaining Citrus During Winter
      • One Plant or Many: Creating Harmony in the Garden
      • Photography in the Garden
      • Plant Selection and Design Considerations
      • Protect Your Garden from Jack Frost this Winter
      • Save Time, Water and Money with No-Dig Gardening
      • Summer Pruning Fruit Trees
      • The Art of Pruning
      • The Key to Successful Seed Germination
      • Tree Borers
      • Tree Selection with Christine Rampling
      • Winter Maintenance and Preparing for Spring
      • Yates Nature’s Way Citrus & Ornamental
    • On The Forage Trail >
      • Chickweed
      • Fat Hen
      • Foods of the Forest: Canada
      • Fruits of the Forest, On a Roadside Near You
      • Native Raspberry
      • On the Bush Food Trail: Annual Celery
      • On the Bush Food Trail: Warrigal Greens
      • Purple Salsify
      • Shepherd’s Purse
      • Sticky Weed
      • The Overlooked Bounty - Free Food
      • In Season Now: Purple Salsify
    • Ornamental Plants >
      • Arbutus unedo
      • Growing Ferns in Cool Climates
      • Growing Indoor Plants
      • Indispensable: Rosemary
      • Loropetalum chinense 'Burgundy'
      • Pineapple Sage
      • Plants of Nepal
      • Root Nurture Grow: The Essential Guide to Propagating and Sharing Houseplants
      • Taxodium distichum
    • People & Places >
      • A Garden for all Seasons with Deb & Adrian
      • Ainslie Urban Farm
      • An Interesting Mix at Majura Vineyard
      • Aquaponics and Natural Beekeeping in Suburbia with Karen Dahl
      • Be Enchanted at VizArchie
      • Botanical Artist Cheryl Hodges
      • Cacti and Succulent Extravaganza
      • Canberra City Farm
      • Canberra Environment Centre: A whole lot more
      • Community Gardens Abroad
      • Crookwell Seed Potatoes
      • Edna Walling
      • Good Life Permaculture
      • Gardens on the Move with Barbara
      • Gardens to Visit in Vancouver BC
      • Goulburn Community Garden
      • Goulburn Wetlands: A transformed space for the Community
      • Handy Resource for Eating Seasonally in Canberra
      • Historic Calthorpes' House
      • Historic Kentgrove Goulburn
      • Kembla Cherry Orchard Royalla NSW
      • Lanyon Homestead
      • Melliodora Permaculture Gardens
      • Parkesbourne Produce
      • National Bonsai and Penjing Collection NAC
      • Out and About in Namadgi
      • Permaculture Systems with Organic Gardener Christine
      • Plants, Bees, Veggies and a Preserving Wonderland
      • Revered Bonsai Artist Tony Tickle Visits Canberra National Arboretum
      • Richard and Pheap's Garden
      • Royal Sydney Botanic Gardens
      • Roogulli Garden
      • Shona's Garden
      • STEP into Canberra's Local Plant Space
      • Suburban Permaculture at its Best
      • The Crisp Galleries
      • The Honeysmith
      • Think Global Act Local with Global Worming
      • Veg Engenders Community on Roseglen Farm
      • Village Life in Nepal
      • Westbourne Woods Arboretum
      • World Class Homeleigh Grove Olives
      • Wynlen House Farm
    • Preserving the Harvest >
      • Preserving Rhubarb
      • Preserving the Harvest
      • Rosehip Tea and Cordial
  • Recipes
    • Baba Ganoush
    • Barbara's Passionfruit Muffins
    • Chocolate & Feijoa Muffins
    • Curly Fries Slinky Style
    • Double Choc & Raspberry Muffins
    • Growing and Eating Globe Artichokes
    • Luscious Berry Ice Cream
    • Mediterranean Roast Vegetables
    • Quince Jelly
    • Rhubarb Chutney
    • Seasonal Garden Salad with Bocconcini and Sourdough Bread
    • Spicy Apple Muffins
    • Tabouleh-inspired Barley Salad
    • Warm Tomato Salad
    • Spicy Pumpkin Soup
  • Fact Sheets
    • Building and Maintaining Insect Hotels in Your Garden
    • Gardening in Pots
    • Preserving the Harvest
    • Propagation: New Plants from Old
    • The Art of Pruning
    • The No-Dig Garden
    • The Wonderful World of Composting
    • Veggie Gardening Basics
  • Resources
  • About
  • Contact
                              Preserving the Harvest

What is preserving?
Preserving is about processing plants, fruits and other produce to extend their shelf life for later use.
There are preserves for eating, preserves for healing and preserves for household applications.
Bottling, drying and freezing are popular methods of preserving.
 
Why preserve?
Many crops are seasonal; preserving surplus for quieter times ensures ongoing supply.
Preserving at home saves you time and money!
Preserving is better for the environment – less, if any, transport miles and resource are used.
Unlike store-bought alternatives, preserved foods are usually higher in nutrition and free from pesticides and artificial preservatives. Not to mention they also taste better.
 
Common preserving methods:
Bottling
Many foods, especially fruit, can be bottled in water, juice or a little sweetener. They can also be prepared and jarred as jams, chutneys, and sauces.
Bottling food produces a vacuum seal, which keeps the goodness in and bacteria out. Bottled food can be stored for up to 12 months in ideal conditions.
Some foods should not be bottled unless a preserving agent such as salt, vinegar or sugar is used.
 
Drying
You can also preserve foods by drying them in the oven, air drying them indoors or outdoors, or with a purpose-made electric dehydrator.
Dried foods are longer-lasting and take up less space than when stored in their natural state. They also retain maximum nutrition and flavour.
Ensure foods are completely cured and free of moisture before storing. Food for dehydrating needs to be free of blemishes.
Store dried foods in airtight containers, preferably glass, and in a cool, dark area.
 
 
Freezing
A range of foods, herbs and liquids can be preserved in your freezer for up to 12 months, depending on what it is.
Zip lock bags and ice cube trays are handy for freezing foods, including liquids.
 
Preserving tips, tricks & resources
  • Do your homework as there are lots of handy tips and cautionary tales to be mindful of when preserving.
  • Learn from preserving experts, attend workshops.  
  • Involve friends, family and like-minded people; preserving food is a fun and rewarding way to spend time with others.
  • Flat out? Many foods can be frozen and processed at a later date.
  • Select vibrant, quality preserving ingredients for optimum taste and to avoid spoiling.
  • Document plant/produce types, harvest dates and preserving methods for future reference.
  • Label and date everything!
  • A cliché perhaps but starting small and learning from mishaps is sound advice.
  • Preserve only what you think you can use with a little extra to barter with or give to friends and family. Overdoing it is wasteful and time consuming.
Resources
The Big Book of Preserving the Harvest.  Carol W. Costenbader (2002). ISBN: 13:978-1-58017-458-9.
Herbs: How to grow or gather herbal plants and use them for cookery, health and beauty. Roger Phillips and Nicky Foy (1992 Ed.). ISBN: 0-330-32600-7.
The Secrets of Preserving. Fowlers Vacola. www.fowlersvacola.com.au.
Complete preserves: easy and delicious recipes for making and using your own preserves. Sally Wise (2015). ISBN: 9780733334061.
Grown & Gathered. Matt & Lentil (2016). ISBN: 978-1-74354-741-0.
Practical Self Sufficiency: An Australian guide to sustainable living. Dick and James Strawbridge (2011 Ed.). ISBN: 978-1-74033-770-0.
Picture
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.