Come September, Minnesotans don’t usually like to talk about freezing — unless we’re talking about thawing brats or making ice for another cool beverage in the back yard. But late summer and early fall is the season to gather and preserve fresh produce items for the upcoming wintry months. Below you’ll learn the best veggies and fruits to freeze so you can assemble a delicious stash for winter. For simplicity and speed, it’s tough to beat freezing for preserving the local harvest. Plus, you probably already have all the tools you need to get started — just stop by the co-op and pick up your produce.

Most vegetables will need to be blanched before freezing to cleanse the surface of dirt and organisms and stop the enzymes that reduce flavor. Follow the recommended blanching times from the National Center of Food Preservation on the right (image is below). Shave blanched sweet corn at its prime into freezer bags to use for the perfect side dish this Thanksgiving. Freeze tomatoes whole, separated from one another on a cookie sheet. Come New Year’s Eve or Super Bowl Sunday, when you’re ready to make a very special salsa or chili, thaw, slide the skins right off and prep, as needed.

It may be tempting to simply leave fruit as is and freeze, but the best practice is to prep the fruit for how you intend to use it. Otherwise you could end up with a solid undistinguishable fruit brick. Begin by washing and drying the fruit. Once apples and pears are peeled and cored, pits are removed from stone fruits, strawberries are hulled, and the rinds are removed from melons freeze in a single layer on a baking sheet. For later use in Thanksgiving pies, chunks or wedges work best. A rough chop for back-to-school smoothies is great. When the fresh fruit season seems too far away, you’ll be thankful for the frozen summer fruit morsels tucked away in the freezer.

How to $ave

Did you know we offer discounts on case quantities ordered in advance — 10 percent off for owners and 5 percent off for non-owners. Another tip for saving money on bulk purchases is to stock up on sale items. Some of the best deals are on Fridays during #FarmFreshFridays, when three to five produce items are on sale for 25 percent off. Follow us on social media for #FarmFreshFridays deals.

Tips:

• Start with the freshest produce possible.
• Portion vegetables into individual portions and store in a larger bag so you can just grab what you need when you need it.
• To freeze herbs, either blend in olive oil or place in water and freeze in ice cube trays.
• Build your own smoothie pack recipe for the perfect back-to-school breakfast: 2–3 cups fruit, 1 cup greens (optional). Add 1 cup of liquid (water, coconut water, juice, milk) then blend.
  • Work fast, as defrosted fruit will stick together once frozen resulting in a giant ice block.
  • Boost your smoothie’s nutrition by adding chia or flax seeds.
  • Freeze yogurt in ice cube trays to add to smoothie packs.

Getting dinner on the table and lunches packed can be stressful as the back-to-school tensions and schedules resume. Soon, you may find yourself longing for the easy, breezy days of summer where you could minimally prepare whatever produce looked and smelled the freshest and throw whatever the butcher recommended onto the grill. However, there is still time to capitalize on the harvest before fall marches into winter and while the days are still a little longer. So, we invite you to try your hand at these DIY snacks and make-ahead meals sure to make packing lunches and weeknight meals a cinch.

DIY Snacks

Veggie Chips — Dried vegetables are the perfect addition to any otherwise mundane winter casserole or soup, but have you ever eaten them as a snack or chip alternative? We encourage you to try out a variety of vegetable chips and decide which is your favorite — you may never buy potato chips again.

Fruit Snacks — Dried fruit is delicious on its own as a healthy after-school or post-workout snack, as well as a welcome addition to granola, cereal or yogurt.

Fruit Leathers — Kids and adults alike love fruit leathers, and there are many advantages to drying them yourself at home. Making your own allows you to control the sugar content, saves you money, and provides another healthy-choice snack option for busy families on the go.

Make-ahead Meals

Stretch the harvest with these make-ahead meal ideas — no recipe needed! We see some of the most flavorful fruits and vegetables pass through our Produce department. Our meats are sourced from sustainable farmers and producers — many of whom we know by name. Whenever you need an expert opinion, touch base with our eager-to-help cheese monger for advice or a recommendation!

Quiche

Egg dishes are no longer just for breakfast. All you need to do is pick up the essentials: pre-made frozen pie crust (prepare according to instructions), six eggs, and a ½-pint carton of heavy cream. Then, the rest is easy. Combine with your favorite filling, then bake at 375 F for 30–40 minutes. Allow to cool and then freeze for up to 2–3 months or enjoy immediately. If filling with meat, be sure to brown the meat before adding to quiche.

Pizza

Pizza can be an easy way to get servings of all the food groups. You’ll need a strong foundation on which to build your pizza, so swing by the Grocery aisles and pick up pizza crust, sauce (marinara, alfredo or pesto), and a Seward-made, fresh mozzarella ball. If topping with meat, be sure to use cured meats or brown the meat before freezing.

Smoothie Bags

A great way to get kids (and adults) to eat their fruits and vegetables is to blend the produce up in a smoothie! Build your own smoothie packs with this general formula: combine 2–3 cups of fruit (fresh or frozen), 1 cup of greens, 1 cup of liquid (water, coconut water, juice, milk or yogurt); then blend. Stop by our Bulk section for chia or flax seeds to add a boost of protein and fiber. Pro tip: freeze yogurt in ice cube trays to add to smoothie packs.

Blue Fruit Farm
This year we began working directly with Blue Fruit Farm (Winona, Minn.) to bring us a selection of berries and fruits unavailable elsewhere on the market. Earlier this season, they brought us black currants and, in the next few weeks, we will be receiving a few deliveries of aronia berries and elderberries.

Native to North America, the aronia berry (chokeberry) is the most recent antioxidant rich superberry to create a stir. Higher in polyphenolic compounds and anthocyanin than blueberries or cranberries, the aronia berry has become one of the highest ranked foods for its health benefits.

Aronia berries may be eaten raw, but cooking tempers the tartness of the berry and softens its often tough skin. Substitute aronia berries for any recipe that calls for blueberries or currants.

To make aronia berry jam, place a pound of aronia berries in a saucepan, cover with water and the juice of one lemon. Cook on medium to low heat for 20–30 minutes or until they soften. Chop up a large tart apple (try any of Hoch Orchards’ summer apples) with the skin on. Place in a separate saucepan with a little water until it cooks down. Strain out the solids through a sieve and set aside. A little at a time, add ¾ cup of sugar and stir until it is fully incorporated before adding the apple pulp (apple provides the pectin that aronia berries lack). Bring the mixture to a boil until thickened (about 15 minutes). Store in a jar and refrigerate.

Elderberries are another native North American berry. Raw elderberries are quite astringent and contain a small amount of a poisonous alkaloid. Cooking transforms the taste and destroys the harmful alkaloid. Elderberries are high in vitamins A, B, and C and are a powerful immune booster.

Blue Fruit elderberries will be sold on the stem. To remove the berries from the stem, freeze them and the berries will easily separate from the stem.

Elderberries make delicious jams and sauces. Boiled down with ginger, cloves, and cinnamon and fortified with honey, an elderberry syrup is a natural remedy for the cold and flu.

Summer Squash
About this time of year, summer squash is a production powerhouse. Each week we bring in hundreds of pounds of green zucchini, yellow squash, zephyr squash, and patty pan squash from Wisconsin Growers Cooperative (Mondovi, Wis.) and even more green zucchini from Featherstone Farm (Rushford, Minn.).

For tender, delicately flavored summer squash, select firm, unblemished, and smaller fruits (under 6 inches in length). Store unwashed in a plastic bag in the crisper for up to four days, and wash before use. Most of the nutritional value is in the skin, so avoid peeling.
Summer squash is commonly a supporting flavor and texture added to sauces (think ratatouille) or sweet quick breads or muffins. When prepared well, however, summer squash can shine as the main ingredient both cooked and raw.

For a quick poached summer squash, slice two small patty pan squash thinly and place in tin foil with a tablespoon of butter, a splash of dry white wine, a clove of crushed garlic, a few sprigs of thyme, and a generous sprinkle of salt and pepper. Close the foil and place on a grill or in the oven for 10–15 minutes or until the package is fragrant and the squash is tender but not soft.

On hot days when I am loath to either heat up the kitchen or eat warm food, I have also been enjoying a marinated zucchini salad using a mixture of small green zucchini and yellow (or zephyr) squash. Using a peeler, create thin slices of the squash, salt layer by layer, and set aside for 15–20 minutes. In the meantime, mix three tablespoons olive oil, three tablespoons lemon juice, and a clove or two of crushed garlic. Rinse the zucchini and drain excess moisture. Add the dressing and allow to marinate for a few hours. Just before serving, toss with a mixture of chopped chives, basil, mint, and parsley; add salt and crushed red pepper to taste.

Local Peaches
This year has been an outstanding year for stone fruit all around. We have now received a few deliveries of peaches grown by Jim and Crystal Barnard on orchards in Wisconsin and Michigan, and the quality and flavor are excellent. In addition to yellow peaches, Jim has brought small amounts of donut peaches. These smaller, flat peaches tend to have thinner, less fuzzy skin with a sweeter flesh, sometimes with almond notes.

For those looking for cases for preserving, these will be available for a limited time. We are offering a case deal, but unlike other years with abundant seconds (blemished fruit), these will mostly be first-quality peaches due to the health of this year’s crop.