Freezing Summer Treasures

Well today is the last day of Summer. So did you all get the delights of summer put up so you can enjoy their fabulous flavors in the dead of Winter? I DID.

There’s nothing better than to have snow on the ground and the smell of a fresh summer peach pie in the oven. Or how about the surprised faces of your Thanksgiving guests when the corn you serve them is Fresh Summer Sweet Corn? Would a hot bowl of  homemade tomato-basil soup, made with summer vine ripened tomatoes and garden fresh basil hit the spot after shoveling the walks clear of snow?

Our freezer is full to the brim with Indiana Sweet Corn, Vine Ripened Tomatoes from our garden, diced Yellow and Purple Onions from our Amish friend’s garden. Fresh Summer Peaches, Summer Yellow Squash, Zucchini and Peppers from a local farmer. I don’t want to forget all the fresh basil given to me from a generous neighbor.

So all I can say is, Hello to the Fall Season and bring it on Winter my taste buds are covered.

Freezing Suggestions: Indiana Sweet Corn: Mark removed the husk from the ears of corn, blanched the corn cobs for 3 minutes, then into an ice bath they go until they are cool to the touch. Then he shucked all the corn from the cob, placed in quart size freezer zip lock baggies, squeezed out as much air as possible, sealed and into the freezer. Vine Ripened Tomatoes: I washed the tomatoes well, quartered them, into gallon size freezer bags and into the freezer.(As they defrosted the skin will peel right off) Diced Onions: Mark trimmed and diced, into quart size freezer bags and into the freezer. Fresh Peaches: I peeled them using a vegetable peeler, removed the seed, sliced, into gallon size freezer bags and into the freezer. Summer Squash & Zucchini: I peeled, cubed them and stored in quart size freezer bags. Peppers: I washed them thoroughly, removed the stem and inside membrane, chopped, froze in quart size freezer bags. Fresh Basil: I removed each leaf from the stem, gave them a good washing by floating them in a sink full of cold water. Placed on paper towels to dry, placed in snack sized zip lock baggies then those baggies were put in a gallon size freezer bag and into the freezer they go.