How to Eat Locally All Year ‘Round

There's nothing like the taste of a local organic strawberry. You know what I'm talking about. It's the real thing. It's the strawberry that bursts with flavor in your mouth and is so tender that its juice runs shamelessly down your chin.

Is it possible to experience this taste sensation during Michigan's cold, dark winter? Absolutely yes - if you're willing to take a little time to extend the availability of local organic fruits and vegetables by freezing, drying and/or canning them.

These days, from the farm to the dinner table can mean food travels as many as 1500 miles. That's a pretty far reach. Instead, why not reduce fossil fuels and support your local farmer by preserving some of our own Michigan-made local bounty? In turn, you'll have access to some of the freshest, ripest, best tasting food there is and help stretch your food dollars.

Freezing
Freezing is by far the easiest, most convenient and least time-consuming method of preserving foods. And berries are by far the easiest fruit to freeze. Many food preservers believe that packing fruit in sugar or syrup gives the fruit a better texture and flavor. But berries (and Michigan is well-known for all kinds of them), lend themselves very well to what's called the dry pack method: simply pack the fruit into a container, leave 1/2 inch at the top and freeze. How easy is that? And just think of the treat you can pull out of your freezer in mid-February: local organic strawberries that have been kissed by the Michigan summer sun. What can be better than that? Well ok, maybe a dollop of fresh whipped cream just to top it off!

Drying
In their excellent book, So Easy to Preserve, authors Elizabeth Andress and Judy Harrison explain that drying food "removes the moisture so that bacteria, yeasts and molds cannot grow and spoil the food."

Since using the oven is tricky, if you like the idea of drying your own Michigan-grown apple rings and peaches for a healthy snack or tomatoes to enhance your savory stews, you might consider investing in an electric food dehydrator. Dehydrators are efficiently designed to dry foods fast at 140° and can cost anywhere from $45-$300. See the resources below for information Another option for food drying also include solar dehydrators that are relatively easy to build.

Canning
And then there is the time-honored tradition of canning. Authors Andress and Harrison explain that: "Canning is an important, safe method of food preservation if practiced properly." Basically, it involves placing foods in jars or cans and heating them to a temperature that destroys microorganisms. A vacuum seal is then created that prevents anything from recontaminating the food. The possibilities for canning are truly endless and include fruits, vegetables, meat, poultry, seafood, soups and pie fillings.

Because canning is more involved and requires specific tools, your best bet is to find a friend who has done it before or invest in a good book that provides you with the specifics.

Eating locally all year ‘round in our northern Michigan latitudes? Absolutely do-able. We can celebrate fresh local organic foods available in the summer all year long by trying any or all of the above techniques. Your local farmers will love you for it!

Resources:
The National Center for Home Food Preservation
www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/can_home.html
www.preservefood.com/canning.shtml
So Easy To Preserve, Elizabeth L. Andress, Ph.D., and Judy A. Harrison, Ph.D.
www.bizrate.com/fooddehydrators

Joan D'Argo is part of the Education and Outreach Department at Oryana Natural Foods Market in Traverse City, MI - the first co-op in the country to become a certified organic retailer