Canning to Save Produce

The growing season is coming to a close and you may be wondering what to do with all those leftover veggies.

Ashley Hittle of Hittle Farms in Dresden said that canning is the solution to losing produce you worked all season to grow.

“We can tomatoes a lot, for juice for your soups and stews throughout the winter,” said Hittle. “Pickles are a huge hit. We sell out every single saturday for our pickles. We can green beans, corn but it’s really a simple process. It doesn’t take that much time at all and it’s a great way to get rid of anything that you have laying around that you’re not sure how to use it or what to do with it and you don’t want it to go to waste.”

Canning is a simple process and Hittle said there is no perfect time to do it. You can begin the preservation of produce any time you want and the best part is you know your food’s prepper.

“You know exactly when it was done,” said Hittle. “You know how long it sat on either your canning shelves in the basement or your freezer. But to me, that’s what’s most important, is just knowing where my food came from, that we processed it, and exactly how long it’s been sitting there.”

If you don’t want to can, Hittle said you can also freeze those garden treasures for the winter. Freezing and canning can keep them fresh for a year or more saving you money at the grocery store.