Summer Bounty--What to Do With All That Produce!

If you have ever had a summer garden, you well knowthat sometimes you end up with a surplus of somekinds of vegetables. Or maybe you have been luckyenough to have been given produce by a generousfriend. Fresh fruit can be bought at farmer's marketsat very reasonable prices in season also. Fresh fruits and veggies have a very short life...it must be used or preserved immediately. Here are some ways touse and save that summer surplus!BLUEBERRIES: wash, drain and lay out on a cookie sheetto dry. Then pack into a zipper-top bag and freeze. Theseare handy to add to your muffin or pancake recipes.TOMATOES: can be frozen whole and unpeeled. They won'tbe suitable to use in salads, but they are fine for soups andstews.Or you can peel them by dipping into boiling water for 30 seconds and then into ice water for 5 minutes. The peelwill almost slip off. Spaghetti sauce mix is available in the grocery store canningsection. It only requires tomatoes, a small amount of sugarplus the mix. Once it's cooked, it can be frozen or "canned".STRAWBERRIES: Freezer jam is so easy...and you don't evenhave to cook it!1 quart strawberries4 cups sugar 1 pouch fruit pectin (like Certo or Sure-Jell)2 T. lemon juice Stem and crush strawberries thoroughly.Place 2 cups fruit in large bowl and stir in sugar. Let stand 10 min., stirring occasionally.Stir together pectin and lemon juice. Add to strawberry mixture; stir until sugar is dissolved. Place in containers leaving 1/2 inch headspace; cover.Let stand at room temp for 24 hours.Can be frozen for up to 1 year.Makes about 4 1-cup containersONIONS: Store onions whole in a cool, dry spot. Or,chop in your food processor and pack into those handyzipper top bags and keep in the freezer till you're readyto make a casserole, etc. BELL PEPPERS: I like to use these in sweet and sourpork all year round, so I just wash, core and cut intopieces. Then I put them in zipper-top bags in the freezer.I just get out what I need and add them to the sauce without even defrosting.SQUASH: Squash can be frozen. Slice it or cut into chunksand put in boiling water for a few seconds, then placein ice water till cool. Drain and place in zipper top bags orfreezer containers. It can be used in squash casserolesor just stewed.And, don't forget that if you have fruits or vegetables thatyou don't need, there are those out there who could use it.Check with local nursing homes, food banks, etc.

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