The mornings are already chilly, and a soft scarf is needed for evening walks, but the garden is still yielding its last produce. The pumpkin and sweet potato season is starting, plump plums and grapes are rolling in, the last tomatoes are ripening, and the late-blooming eggplants are smiling in purple. So many delicious bites that we would love to take with us into the cold winter. 

 

Myths about preservation

The biggest myth surrounding preservation and canning is that it can only be done with a lot of salt and/or sugar, or preservatives, and is a cumbersome task. However, this is not true, as there are many modern, preservative-free solutions to take the gifts of our garden and the treasures of summer with us into the cold winter. Let's not forget that in addition to canning, drying, fermenting, and freezing are also available to us!

 

 

Freezing

The greatest advantage of freezing is that it requires no special skills, practical experience, or particular preparation. After purchasing the vegetables or fruits, there is not much to do, as you only need to wash and clean the ingredients thoroughly, then pack them in any desired portion sizes and place the ready treats in the freezer. 

In certain cases, blanching may be necessary, but halved fruits, peas, green beans, pumpkin slices, or pepper slices do not require special procedures.

 

Important considerations for freezing:

- Whenever possible, freeze individual foods in portions that the baby can consume in one meal

- Always label each package to know exactly when you put them in the freezer and how long the portions can be safely used

- Choose freshly picked vegetables and fruits, and use a quick-freezing program

- Freeze foods that withstand time in the freezer well, such as cherries, sour cherries, pears, plums, eggplants, sorrel, spinach, butter, cheese, cottage cheese, bread, rolls, yeast doughs, etc.

- Whenever possible, thaw frozen foods in the normal refrigerator at +5-7 degrees Celsius or - in not too warm weather - on the kitchen counter. Use microwaving only as a last resort, and avoid thawing in water whenever possible!

 

Drying

Drying is a special process that is not the same as dehydrating. The process can be carried out naturally with the help of sunlight, in the oven, or with an electric appliance. The essence of the procedure is to dry halved or whole fruits at moderately high temperatures until their water content evaporates by about 92-97%. 

The resulting dried vegetables and fruits have a taste and texture different from the fresh version, but they become well-preserved for a long time, do not mold, and are safe to consume.

 

 

Drying

Drying is similar to dehydration, but only 79-87% of moisture is removed from the plants, resulting in a tastier, more flavorful product that is closer in taste to the original vegetable or fruit. However, the downside of this process is that the finished product can easily mold, so its shelf life is significantly shorter than that of the dried version.

 

Fermentation

Today's trendiest preservation method does not result in as long a shelf life as, for example, canning, but it allows us to make truly unique, delicious, and healthy fermented vegetables and fruits.

The process starts with a solution made from clean, chlorine-free water and salt, known as brine, to initiate fermentation. Then, depending on the type and amount of ingredients used, we let the mixture ferment undisturbed for a specified period. During this time, all we need to do is occasionally move the jars. The shelf life of the finished product can range from one month to a year, depending on the vegetable or fruit. (It is important to know, however, that even when stored under proper conditions, the mixture continues to ferment, so its texture and taste are constantly changing.)

 

Babies and Fermentation

Although fermented foods are extremely healthy, they should only be given to babies under one year of age in tasting amounts. After the first year, this amount can be gradually increased if the child does not experience any discomfort from consuming fermented foods.

 

Canning

It is a common misconception that preservatives or large amounts of sugar preserve foods during canning. In reality, the work is done by high temperatures, so if we subject cleaned fruits and vegetables to heat treatment for a sufficient time and then fill them into sterilized jars, we can obtain additive-free delicacies. Whether it's vegetable creams, chutneys, ratatouille, or jams, there's no need to even pasteurize! It's enough to turn the carefully sealed jar upside down on the counter for twenty minutes. The vacuum thus created solves everything for us.

The biggest advantage of this process is that the prepared spreads and jams can be safely given to babies, but the downside is that since no preservatives are added to the jars, we can expect a short shelf life after opening.

Pro tip: If you don't want to stand by the stove, you can work in the oven according to a traditional recipe or in a modern way with the help of a canning machine.

 

Believe me, preservation is only seemingly a boring meticulous task; in reality, it is an exciting adventure and entertaining challenge. Moreover, there is no greater pride than pampering your baby and family with delicious treats you have preserved yourself. Get started and preserve a few jars of autumn for the winter!