Congratulations! Your garden exploded with produce, and now you’re drowning in tomatoes, buried in zucchinis, and up to your ears in cucumbers. What’s a snarky gardener to do? Time to channel your inner pioneer and preserve that harvest like the overachiever you are—because tossing perfectly good veggies is a crime against humanity (and your hard work). 
 

1.  Canning: The "I'm totally a Homesteader" Move

Nothing says, “I’ve got my life together” like rows of home-canned goods. Sure, it takes some effort, and yes, you might have to learn what a water bath is (spoiler: it’s not a spa treatment). But when you’re cracking open a jar of your own tomato sauce in the dead of winter, you’ll feel like a DIY goddess.

Hot tip: Botulism is not a spice, so follow those canning rules like your life depends on it—because it does. Depending on what you're canning you may need to use a pressure canner instead of the water bath method - it all depends on the pH of the chosen food. Check out the University of Georgia's Center for Home Food Preservation for all of the safety guidelines you need to make sure you don't kill anymore at your next company potluck (assuming you don't want to). 

2. Freezing: For When You Can’t Even

Not up for a full-on canning session? No judgment here. Freezing is the lazy person’s (ahem, efficient person’s) answer to preserving. Blanch, bag, and freeze—boom, done. Just don’t forget to label things, unless you enjoy playing “What’s This Frosty Mystery?” six months from now. And remember, vegetables in the freezer last longer than that gym membership you forgot to cancel.

Hot tip:  If you've planted indeterminate tomatoes and don't have enough yet for Grandma's famous sauce recipe - you can freeze your tomatoes whole until you have amassed enough - the benefit to freezing them whole is that when thawed, the skins will slip right off with little effort. And if Grandma didn't give you her recipe, you can't go wrong with this Basil-Garlic Tomato Sauce from Ball - no need to add the lemon juice unless you are going to can it. 

3. Drying: Because You’ve Always Wanted to Be a Food Hoarder

If you’ve ever wanted to feel like a squirrel preparing for winter, drying is your jam. Turn your herbs into dust, your tomatoes into leather, and your apples into chips that are almost too healthy to be called a snack. It’s low-maintenance, space-saving, and let’s be real—dehydrated snacks make you look like you’ve got your life together, even if it’s just an illusion.

Hot tip:  While certainly you can invest in a dehydrator, you don't need fancy equipment to dehydrate your produce - a 170 degree oven will turn those 10,000 cayenne peppers you harvested into a crispy goodness in two hours and you can then food process into spicey dust to sneak into dishes for the year ahead. 

4. Fermenting: Get Funky with It

Fermenting is the cool kid of preservation methods. It’s edgy, it’s old-school, and it’s deliciously weird. Plus, when your friends come over and see your homemade kimchi bubbling away, you can drop the word “probiotics” and watch them nod in awe.

Hot tip:  Just make sure you actually like the taste of fermented foods before you turn your kitchen into a science experiment—there’s a fine line between funky and “what the heck is that smell?” One low-effort way to test this is to make something like sauerkraut, which only requires cabbage, water, and salt. We found this basic sauerkraut recipe at Kathleen Ashmore to get you started on your fermentation journey. 

5. Infusing: Channel Your Inner Hipster

If you’re looking to impress (or just need a break from the endless parade of zucchini), try infusing oils, vinegars, or even booze with your garden’s bounty. Basil-infused olive oil? Yes, please. Berry-infused vodka? Now we’re talking. These little bottles of flavor will have you feeling like a gourmet chef, even if your idea of cooking is ordering takeout.

Hot tip:  These make killer gifts, so you can pretend you planned ahead. While you certainly CAN infuse lots of other things besides alcohol, Crowded Kitchen has you covered with five ways to make infused liquor for all your booze loving buds. 

Final Snarky Tip

Don’t let your hard-earned veggies rot in the fridge. Preserve your harvest like the resourceful, snarky genius you are. When winter rolls around and everyone else is stuck with bland, store-bought produce, you’ll be smugly enjoying your garden’s bounty—because you’re just that awesome. And most importantly - check out our gardening tees; the perfect addition for your preservation wardrobe. 

Happy preserving,
Snarky Wonderful