Hello, friends!
Last spring, doing without toilet paper was such a concern that I (only half-) jokingly wrote about leaves that would be suitable replacements (lamb’s ear, velvet leaf and mullein, in case you missed it.) Fortunately, the need didn’t arise, as far as I know, and we busied ourselves by planting gardens, many of us for the first time.
Naturally, supply and demand being what it is, toilet paper shortages soon became seed and mulch shortages, but somehow we prevailed, and our gardens thrived. Parsley and zucchini struggled for many, it seems, but tomatoes and cucumbers had a great year. And now, at the end of the season, we are experiencing yet another shortage.
Pair our new stay-at-home lifestyles with an abundance of backyard crops (and no dinner guests to share them with) and there’s only one possible outcome: A desire to start canning the surplus. And when that desire is multiplied by who-knows-how-many thousands of additional domestically inclined homebodies, naturally we’re left with a shortage of supplies, specifically Mason jar lid discs.
CNN was the first to call attention to the shortage earlier this month, when it reported “the increase in the number of people cooking and trying recipes during the pandemic has led to a surge in canning -- because experienced canners are doing it more and novices want to give it a try. And that surge has led to a shortage...”
Exactly how serious is the shortage? One online retailer, Marie Bregg, owner of Mason Jar Merchant, told the network she saw sales increase 600% in mid-August — and they haven’t let up since.
So what’s a home gardener to do with excess crops before they go bad? Freeze them!
If you stashed tomatoes in your refrigerator, hoping to use them before they spoiled, and now that November is here you’re losing hope, rinse, dice and give them a quick saute with some oil, garlic and basil. Or, for a deeper flavor, lay them on a baking sheet, drizzle with oil, salt and pepper, and roast for 15 minutes at 350 degrees. When your “sauce” has cooled, freeze portions (including the tasty juices released) in zip-top plastic bags. For garden-fresh puttanesca in February — just reheat and add salt, pepper, capers, olives, whatever you like, and toss with pasta.
You can even place a few tomatoes in a zip-top bag and freeze them whole. When a sauce, stew or chili craving hits, defrost them and slip off their skins. Dice them up and use in any recipe calling for tomatoes.
Winter squash — including pumpkin — can be peeled, diced and frozen with or without parboiling, then sauteed with onions and peppers (or those frozen tomatoes you’ve been stashing) when the feeling strikes. That makes a comforting side dish as it is, but you can also pulse chunks of defrosted squash in a food processor, then heat with oil, salt, pepper, garlic and sage, and toss with pasta or stir into risotto and top with Parmesan. Harvest these after vines die back — but before a deep freeze.
You can also freeze broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, corn, green beans, peas, collard greens, spinach, kale and Swiss chard, all of which benefit from a quick parboil first. Allow to cool, zip ‘em up and pop them in the freezer. Peppers and onions can be diced up and frozen raw, separately or together.
And don’t forget herbs. If you were lucky enough to grow parsley successfully this year, you can freeze it, as well as other flat-leaf herbs like basil, mint and cilantro. Just remove leaves from stems, rinse and leave out to dry in a single layer on paper towels overnight. If their undersides are still damp in the morning, flip them over and let them air dry for a few more hours, then freeze in zippered bags. Drying ensures that when you’re ready to use them, you’ll be able to remove as many individual leaves as you need from the bag, as opposed to having to chisel off a chunk of herb-containing ice.
Another method, which I use here with chives, is to freeze them in recipe-ready oil cubes. You don’t need a mold like mine; regular ice cube trays work well. When they’re frozen, pop them out of the tray and freeze them in — you guessed it — a zip-top bag. Then take one or two out and drop into a pot of soup, etc., when needed. Here’s a short video how-to:
Sunday shoutout
Over the summer, I found myself driving through an unfamiliar neighborhood — Elmont — in search of a much-hyped gluten-free pizza from King Umberto’s (very good, by the way) and an item that my local Home Depot didn’t stock. As I drove on Hempstead Tpke., eyes peeled for my destinations, I nearly came to a screeching halt when I spied in my peripheral vision nothing short of a lush oasis. I made a quick turn down a side street to investigate further and sat in my car for a few minutes.
We’re in the middle of a pandemic, so I can say with almost near certainly that most people wouldn’t welcome a stranger knocking on their door. And that’s saying nothing of how I feel knocking on strangers’ doors during these times. But I couldn’t leave this stone unturned. So I put on my mask, took out a business card so I wouldn’t seem too sketchy and rang the doorbell, then stepped way back.
Ralph Scherillo not only opened his door, but he happily told me all about his garden, which according to him (and a sign posted above a rhododendron) has been named “Grandma’s Garden.” He and his wife planted everything themselves, and they do maintenance, too. I wasn’t the first to stop and ring his bell, he said. Strangers do it all the time. It’s not uncommon for parents to ask to have family portraits or First Communion photos taken in his front yard. And he told me he’s happy to oblige.
Photos by Ralph Scherillo
If you do one thing this week…
Give the lawn one last mowing, much shorter than usual. Just this once, set blades to 1.5 inches. This pre-winter cut will go a long way toward keeping grass healthy and preventing mold and fungal diseases.
If you do one more thing this week — vote.
The 2021 gardening calendar is here
This is not an ordinary calendar. It’s 365 visits from a gardening friend! Every daily box contains a little nudge from me to you: a timely chore or tip to keep your garden on track all year long.
Send me your feedback!
Since this newsletter is brand new, I expect it will evolve a bit in the coming weeks. I welcome your comments and suggestions, so please send them along — as well as any topics you’d like to see covered and questions you’d like answered in the upcoming Q&A section.
If you’re sending photos of your garden, please include your full name and the name of anyone depicted, your hometown, details about your plant or garden, the name of the person who took the photo, and a sentence granting permission for its use in this newsletter and archives.
Until next week, stay safe. Be well. And always keep your mind in the dirt. —Jessica
Great tip on the tomatoes! I'm STILL harvesting them (and ironically, my parsley came back just a few weeks ago).
We enjoyed your Newsletter very much. You were close to our neighborhood when you visited King Umberto and "Grandma's Garden". And thanks for the tip in IF YOU DO ONE THING THIS WEEK! We've ordered your calendar already.