I know it’s strange to be talking about winter in the heat of summer, but now is the time to start thinking about what will be harvested from gardens soon and what produce is available in stores now that is sparse in the winter. When produce goes on a good sale in the summer, I will easily buy a dozen containers of blueberries or strawberries to wash, cut and put in the freezer for future smoothies or baking. My sour cherry trees are so heavy now that one of the main branches broke off one of them, so I’m forced to either pick all the fruit off that tree or let it rot on the ground.
So I’ve now baked five cherry pies (putting two in the freezer, giving one away and eating two fresh) and put a pint of pie filling in the freezer, and there’s still at least one more good harvest left on the trees. Another food I’m starting to keep an eye out for is local meat. In the past, we’ve bought half a beef for the freezer and loved having a huge supply of roasts, steaks and hamburger all winter long, so we are hoping to do that again, as well as find some whole chickens to put in the freezer.
Meat is the main entrée at almost every meal at our house, so I’m sure to never run out or there may be a mutiny. After doing some foraging around the yard, I’m starting to dry some herbs and plants (some might call weeds) for medicinal or culinary use throughout the winter. Even the cat will be thrilled to know that I found some wild catnip to dry for him as well.
My mint in the b.