Preserving Herbs and Vegetables
Congrats to you on your bumper crop. Unfortunately, lettuce does not freeze or dry very well, so enjoy lots of salads, add it to sandwiches and share it with your friends. Here are ways to preserve the other foods.
Herbs
Place washed herbs in airtight freezer bags and freeze. Alternately, place chopped herbs in sections of an ice cube tray. Cover with water and freeze. Pop the ice cubes into plastic bags labeled with contents and date. Drop a whole cube into a pot of soup or stew to season. Find more information at www.ag.ndsu.edu/food by searching for “Harvesting Herbs for Healthy Eating."
Zucchini
Wash and grate or slice. Blanch (heat) slices in boiling water for three minutes. Grated zucchini should be steam-blanched in small amounts for about one minute. Cool the heated zucchini in ice water, drain and package in freezer containers. Leave about ½ inch of head space (the distance from the food to the lid) to allow for expansion. The frozen zucchini can be used in baking and cooking. Drain the juice before using.
Food Preservation Tip
Be cautious about your sources of food preservation information if you search the Internet. Much of the online information has not been tested for safety.
Get free, research-based information about freezing, drying and canning a variety of fruits and vegetables on the NDSU Extension Service website. Visit www.ag.ndsu.edu/food and click on “Food Preservation” for details.
Julie Garden-Robinson, Food and Nutrition Specialist, NDSU Extension Service
