Preservation revival: Farmers markets make fresh produce plentiful

My earliest summer memories are of the large garden my family had on the dairy farm where I grew up. The garden moved locations around the farm several times, but it was always essential for feeding the seven of us through the winter.

The garden had peas, green and yellow beans, leaf lettuce, a cabbage or two, tomatoes, sweet corn, and a couple of hills each of cucumbers and pumpkins.

The vines went everywhere.

In my preschool years, I wanted to “help” Mom with the weeding. I followed her down the row, asking a million times, “Is this a weed?” before pulling the plant out.

We siblings spent the summers of our growing-up years preserving the harvest for the coming winter, mostly by canning or freezing. My sisters and I shelled peas with Grandma, snapped beans, peeled peaches and pears, husked the sweet corn and picked off the silks to help Mom get it all done.

Mom was the supply sergeant, too. She took trips to orchards to buy fruit not available on the farm, bringing bushels home to can in glass Ball and Mason jars.

Our parents have passed on now. We knew that food preservation had been a big part of Mom’s life, and our lives, but the task of cleaning their farmhouse led us to a unique discovery.

Mom had more than 600 quart-size canning jars, along with some two-quart jars that resembled silos, and several boxes of pint jars in blue, green and clear glass.The collection covered the floor of a flatbed trailer when we put them out for the estate sale.

I thought no one would want them, but I was wrong.

My niece, Amy Crow Lehrman, snapped a few pictures and put them up on Facebook. The jars were all gone within a few hours on the first day of the sale, as young people showed up to buy “vintage” canning jars for their farmers market purchases.

I learned then that the growing interest in eating locally grown food was contributing to the rise of farmers markets and by extension, the revival of home food preservation.

The garden harvest is hitting its prime now, with all kinds of fruits and vegetables available at area farmers markets. It’s the perfect time to get fresh produce and try your hand at food preservation

It’s good to know what to look for in fresh produce when you go to the farmers market, and how to store it at home until you use it.

Martha Stewart, founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia for home and hospitality, is also the queen of all things farmers market. Here are her tips for choosing and storing produce from the summer’s farmers market. You can find her tips for year-round farmers marketing here: https://www.marthastewart.com/1148024/storage-tips-making-most-your-farmers-market-produce

Tip 1: Bring your own totes or bags to the farmers market or grocery store.

Tip 2: To pick the best, get up close and personal. Use your senses —including spotting, sniffing, and squeezing — to find the best fruits and vegetables.

Berries and Cherries: Choose berries or cherries that are plump, with no blemishes, dark spots of fuzzy white mold on them. Cherries and blueberries are not fragrant but raspberries, blackberries and strawberries are. Take berries out of the container and pick out anything that is mushy. Line the containers with paper towels, put the riot back in and refrigerate up to a week. Raspberries are the most perishable; use them in 2-3 days.

Tomatoes: The best ones, whether red, yellow or green, are the most vivid in their color. Choose those that have smooth, shiny skin and bright green tops. Pick heavy, medium-firm tomatoes that smell earthy and herbal, just like the vine. Do not refrigerate tomatoes; the chilling makes them mealy. Keep on the counter in a single layer, out of direct sunlight, for up to five days.

Corn: Look for bright green husks with fresh, uncut silks. Cut silks mean that slimy rot was trimmed off. The husks should smell subtly sweet and cling tightly. Peel the husk back a tiny bit to look for plump bright kernels. Store ears in the refrigerator with the husks on, and they’ll keep for a week or longer.

Melons: Watermelons, whether round or oval, should be symmetrical, with no flat sides or dents, and a dull finish. A shiny rind may mean the melon is overgrown, which waters down the flavor. Watermelons should feel heavy for their size — the weightier, the juicer. Opt for a rind with a pale-yellow tint with no green areas, evenness and heft for cantaloupe or honeydew melons. Sniff the stems for a hint of flowers. Whole, uncut melons can sit at room temperature for a week. Cover the exposed flesh of a leftover portion with a silicone bowl cover, or put slices in an airtight container. Cut cantaloupe or honeydew will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to three days; watermelon will last up to five days.

Stone Fruits: Vibrant colors are key to selecting plums, nectarines, or peaches. They should feel firm with a gentle press, but yield slightly. Plums give off a mild scent but nectarines and peaches have a strong aroma. Store them at room temperature or, in the refrigerator for up to five days if they won’t be eaten right away.

Zucchini and Summer Squashes: Select zucchini and yellow summer squashes with smooth, flawless skin. Size also matters — choose small-to-medium specimens over state fair champs. Summer squashes lose flavor if they are overgrown. Grab an armful at the market because whole squashes will keep for up to two weeks in the crisper drawer. Pop them in a resealable plastic bag, and they’ll last even longer.

Lettuces and Salad Leaves: Pick lettuces without wilted or broken leaves. They will last up to four days, depending on their freshness. In general, heartier, darker lettuces last longer than paler, tenderer ones. For all greens and lettuces, do not wash them until they will be used. Wrap arugula tightly in a plastic bag and refrigerate for no more than two days.

Cucumbers and Bell Peppers: Refrigerate unwashed and wrapped cucumbers in a plastic bag for up to one week. Store peppers in a paper bag in the coldest part of the refrigerator for up to five days.

Leafy Greens: Choose leafy greens that look fresh, with no yellowed leaves. Spinach can be kept in the refrigerator for two or three days. Keep kale in the coldest part of your refrigerator. Though it seems like a sturdy vegetable, kale will quickly wilt and turn sharply bitter. Store greens in a plastic bag and close it loosely to prevent wilting.

Grapes: Sort through grapes when you return home from the market and discard any damaged ones, then place the whole bunch in a plastic bag. Store them in the refrigerator for up to three days. To avoid destroying the bloom, rinse them just before using them

Apples: Choose apples that are heavy for their size and feel firm when pressed gently. Always try to avoid bruised fruit. At home, leave apples at room temperature if eating them within a few days; otherwise, store them in a perforated plastic bag in the coldest part of the refrigerator. Always wash apples just before using.

Artichokes and Asparagus: Fresh artichokes can be refrigerated in a plastic bag for up to five days; wash them just before cooking. Asparagus is best cooked the day it’s purchased, but it can be kept in the refrigerator for up to five days. Wrap the bottoms of the stalks in a damp paper towel and place the bunch in a paper bag, then store in the coldest part of the refrigerator.

Root Vegetables: Look for root vegetables with fresh-looking greens attached; the greens are also edible. Keep carrots in a sealed plastic bag, and store them in the vegetable bin. If they become limp, refresh them in a bowl of ice water. Keep parsnips loosely wrapped in the produce drawer of the refrigerator, and use them within two to three weeks. Turnips taste best when they’re very fresh, so choose small to medium ones with taut purple or white skin. Large mature turnips are more pungent. Refrigerate them in a plastic bag.

Onions and Garlic: Choose full, heavy onions with tight, flaky skins. Avoid onions with soft spots or spongy skins. Pick firm, plump garlic bulbs with dry white or purple papery skins. Avoid yellowing skin or bulbs that are shriveled, feel hollow, light, or have brown spots, or those with green sprouts. Stored in a cool, dry, and well-ventilated place, onions will keep for a month or so. Keep fresh garlic in an open container (away from other foods) in a cool, dark place. Unbroken bulbs can be kept up to eight weeks. Once broken from the bulb, individual cloves will last for three to 10 days.

Potatoes: Look for potatoes that are firm and free of cracks and bruises. Avoid potatoes that have sprouted “eyes” or have green-tinged skin — both are signs of improper storage. Store potatoes in a cool, dry, dark place, not in the refrigerator. Before using them, cut out any green spots and eyes. Waxy potatoes are best used within a week, while starchy varieties last longer.

Produce can be preserved in numerous ways: canning, freezing, drying, curing and smoking for meats, fermenting, pickling and making jams and jellies.

The first rule in all home food preservation is food safety, because improper processing won’t kill bacteria that causes illness. It’s important to get good information and processing guidelines beforehand on the methods, equipment, processing times, and the best containers to use for each kind of produce.

The local Purdue Extension office in each county has a wealth of information on food preservation. Purdue Extension has a free download for a basic home canning guide at: https://extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/HHS/HHS-799-W.pdf. There are also links to specific resources and information for specific produce and various methods of preservation.

The “Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving” is another resource for preservation information, tips and guidelines.

Many orchards, farms and shops have markets in their storefronts. Other markets, like the ones listed below, are an outlet for home-based growers, producers and artisans to sell their products in the four-county region.

Avilla Community Market — first and third Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Ely Memorial Park, 305 W. Albion St., Avilla; sponsored by ReStore Avilla.

Butler Farmers Market — every Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., 120 W. Main St., Butler, through October

Downtown Auburn Farmer’s Market: every Wednesday and Saturday through October. 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesday on East Ninth Street and Saturday at Seventh and Union streets in Auburn.

Howe Farmers Market — every Saturday, open 7 a.m. to noon, Howe Town Park. S.R. 120. Market offers locally grown fresh produce, Amish baked goods, crafts, coffee and snacks.

Kendallville Farmers Market — every Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., parking lot, Community Learning Center, 401 E. Diamond St., Kendallville. Public parking at St. John’s Lutheran School.

LaGrange Farmers Market — every Tuesday, 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., through October at Townline Road and Detroit Street, LaGrange. Call 260-499-0087

Ligonier Farmers Market — every Saturday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., through October at Pettit Park, 100 N. Cavin St., Ligonier.

Steuben County Farmers Market — every Saturday, 8 a .m. to noon, at 317 S. Wayne St., Angola. A second market is held Wednesdays, July to October, from 8 a.m. to noon at 206 N. Wayne St., Angola.

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