Top tips for capturing the freshest flavours!

Just because the days are getting shorter and the nights are getting cooler, it doesn’t mean that the bright, fresh flavours of summer are gone for good. There are still many weeks of delicious shopping ahead at local farmers’ markets. In addition, there are a few easy ways you can capture farm-fresh flavours to enjoy them in the months ahead. I was delighted when asked to provide a few of my top tips (see below) for a new episode of Shepherd’s Fashions Coffee Talk. Watch it here on YouTube! You can search for more recipes on this website under the category ‘preserves’ if you’d like some more ideas, including inventive ways to pickle fruit such as blueberries and pears. Click on the underlined titles to zip straight to the articles.

Several ways to save tomatoes

Whether you freeze them whole, juice them or roast them, there are numerous ways to take advantage of those gleaming bushels of tomatoes readily available right now.

Get fresh with homemade basil oil

This recipe, published in the Fall 2018 issue of Ottawa At Home magazine, where I serve as food editor, is one that herb lovers swooned over.

Get saucy!

Chutneys, relishes and other condiments are a great way to take advantage of the abundant produce available now. Smoky, spicy homemade ketchup is one of my favourites!

Harvest herbs for winter meals

Air drying, oven drying or chopping and freezing in a bit of oil – these are just a few of the ways to preserve herbs’ flavour, allowing you to spice things up for months to come!