This week for my Thrifty Thursday post, I'm talking about veggies!
Many people started their first garden this year due to the economy. Now as you start taking advantage of your harvest as your vegetables are riping, what do you do with all the extra?
One of the most popular ideas is to can your extras. You can water bath can some fruits and vegetables, but I'll be honest - you're better off pressure canning them. First, they will last longer - second, you don't have to worry about them being contaminated. There are lots of different price points for pressure canners. WalMart has the cheapest I have seen so far, a Presto for under $70.
Need glass jars? Tis the season for coming across them at garage and estate sales. Try your local thrift store as well. Our Goodwill sells them for 20 cents each. I still have to buy new rings and lids, but I can purchase those at WalMart and the hardware store (or try ebay!) for a good price. It still ends up cheaper than buying a case of new jars sometimes, and I'm helping the environment. Just be sure to inspect all jars for cracks and chips, and throw those out - do NOT try to reuse them! Also make sure to thoroughly disinfect jars whether they are new or used before canning them. I run all mine through the dishwasher on hot, usually twice, just to be safe.
Depending on your freezer space, you may want to prepare some of those veggies and freeze them! I like to chop my peppers so they are ready to add to our meals. I just freeze them in meal portions in a freezer ziploc baggie, then all I have to do is defrost one the day I want to use peppers in a meal. It saves me meal prep time.
Now if you have a huge amount, or if you are like me and your garden hasn't given you anything, hit up Craigslist and your local Freecycle. You can give them away, offer to trade (maybe you have a ton of zucchini, but no green beans), or even ask for extra veggies from people. Another great idea, if your neighborhood hosts a community garage sale, set up a produce stand! With the extra traffic coming through, you can often make back what you spent on seeds to begin with!
Find a lot of veggies marked down at your local grocery store? Well, items like salad obviously need to be eaten right away. Don't buy more than you can eat in a 24 hour period of any leafy greens, or you will end up throwing the extra away. However, peppers, etc, can be frozen after they have been prepared, just like you would if you pulled them out of your garden. The trick is to prepare them for freezing as soon as you come home. Don't wait, or you'll have to throw them out!
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