Posted in Putting Food By
Freezing foods or canning?
There are times, especially in the summer, when your kitchen will be full of garden bounty and you will be deciding whether to can or to freeze. Which is easier? How much room do you have in your freezer? How much pantry shelf space do you have to put all those jars?
Decisions, decisions, decisions. As a dear friend, Daniel, used to say, “choices!” He would never give me an answer as to what I should do … just say “choices!” and lead me to what the right decision would be for me, but not give me the answer himself!
These are decisions that only you can make. Freeze or can? Can or freeze?
Part of the decision will be for the type of food you have. And your taste buds. Do you like frozen beans and peas or canned? Do you want to can meat or freeze it?
Another part is the tools you have. Do you have a good canner or pressure canner? If you can’t afford it, it might be cheaper, in the long run, to get another freezer. Sometimes you can find them at second hand stores, garage sales, or even appliance stores – who will get trade-ins.
Personally, freezing is easier to me. Prep work for blanching (if needed) is easier than getting jars out, washing jars, filling jars, putting them in the canner and cooking them. Cooler on a hot day, too!
But, I do not want to freeze tomatoes. I am drooling, already, over tomato sauce, tomato juice, chunk tomatoes. And you can’t freeze pickles! 
Now, prep work can begin now, for whatever choice you make --- or perhaps you will do both. If you have less freezer room, you might want to freeze your meat and can your fruits and veggies. If you have a lot of freezer space, you can freeze fruits and can veggies.
Again, choices.
Don’t forget …. Dehydration is in there for a choice, too. Don’t think you will be let off easy! And there is the root cellar for some veggies.
If you haven’t made your choices for your garden and your meat supplies, today is the day! If you haven’t made your choices for preservation, today is the day! Remember, you can do any or all of them, you just have to make the choice!! Daniel would be proud!!
