our favorite recipes for preserving the garden bounty

i often find it's difficult to sit down for even just a bit during the summertime to share my thoughts with you in this space. with these august days oh so full in the garden & in the kitchen, i'm lucky if i can even fit in a shower! 

but with rain coming in & a decently checked off to-do list, i thought i would carve out a moment or two to sit with you & share a handful of my favorite recipes for putting up the garden bounty. it's what's on my mind right now as i am sure it's on yours, too. there's always a basket of produce waiting on me, which is indeed such a gift. 

i've blogged about most of these recipes, but it's always nice to have one place to go & find my most used recipes. happy canning & preserving! 

- my easiest, go-to tomato sauce: this sauce can be used with pasta or on pizza. it's very versatile. the recipe is a slow-cooker recipe, but i've also cooked it on low atop the stovetop. 

- heather's salsa: i've made lots of jars of this salsa this summer & we love it. i look forward to popping open a jar of this fresh tomato goodness with tortilla chips in the dead of winter. 

- the most delicious sweet pickles: i love this simple cucumber sweet pickle recipe from smitten kitchen. it's straight-forward & easy. simply pop them in the fridge when you're finished - they'll last for a couple of months. 

- pickle everything with this go-to recipe: okra, sugar snap peas & more... i use this recipe as my go-to for quick pickling almost everything from the garden.

- canned dilly beans: we love dilly beans! can them & enjoy them in the winter with a good meat & cheese plate. don't forget a good loaf of homemade bread, too.

- our family favorite cucumbers & onions: this is a summer potluck go-to & a favorite dish among my family. simply combine ingredients & let them mingle for just a bit before serving. it's a delicious, fresh addition to almost any meal from grilled burgers to salad. 

- chop & freeze almost everything from the garden: to freeze berries, peppers, fresh corn & more, simply wash & chop (if necessary) your produce. lay on a baking sheet & allow to freeze completely. once thoroughly frozen, place in a labeled plastic freezer bag & store in the deep freeze until ready to use. tip: i keep a deep freeze supply list on clipboard hanging from the wall next to our deep freeze so we don't lose track of what's inside.

- my favorite crustless zucchini pie: skinnytaste's zucchini pie is a favorite of ours. i made a few for freezing this summer with our extra zucchini & they will make the perfect quick & affordable dinner this winter. to process the zucchini, i pulled out our food processor, which makes the work much easier.

- my favorite basil pesto: i love this basil pesto recipe because it does not use nuts, which cost a small fortune when you're processing the quantity of pesto we do. once my pesto is made, i freeze it in small jars & ice cube trays. once the trays are frozen, i remove each cube & place them all in a labeled plastic freezer bag.

let me know if you use any of our go-to recipes for processing & preserving your garden bounty!

love,

natalie