Farmers’ markets are my happy place and right now, at the end of August, we’re at peak harvest. Those tables are filled with the most beautiful fruits and vegetables, picked when they’re ripe, and thus packed full of flavour and nutrition. I’ve found it especially comforting to know that even though so much about this pandemic year is wild and unknown, the earth’s cycles persist, and food continues to grow.
I have felt the urge to preserve as much as I can of this year’s harvest, more than in previous years. We have no control over what the future holds for us, but we can make sure that there will be some good food!
I like to freeze berries and thaw them out in the deep of winter for a fresh and reassuring taste of the summer. You can put frozen berries in smoothies, make a simple sauce, or fold thawed berries into a cake batter.
One important tip is to freeze fruit and vegetables in an even layer on a wax paper-lined baking sheet, then pack them up into a ziplock container.
Putting the raw produce in a bag will just result in one frozen lump. But if you freeze them individually on a sheet pan, they pack up beautifully and let you grab just what you need.
