Preserving 101
Braker suggests starting small with tasks that require minimal equipment and
build confidence, like freezing foods. You can preserve berries by freezing
them overnight on a cookie sheet and then storing the frozen berries in Ziploc
bags. To freeze vegetables like asparagus, blanch and dry them before packing
into Ziploc bags or food storage containers. Before long, you’ll have a freezer of frozen fixings to make berry-studded coffee cake and
vegetable risotto in the middle of winter.
Making jam is another easy task because all it requires is that you follow the
instructions printed on the pectin box. Don’t want to use pectin? Multiple reputable Web sites have recipes for small-batch
pectin-free jam you can make with ease.
Stock Up
Preserving won’t live up to its time-consuming reputation if you prep your pantry at the start
of summer. Your shopping list should include a large bag of sugar, a large jug
of white vinegar, Ziploc bags, and canning jars. Big-box retailers like Costco
stock bulk foodstuffs, while most grocery stores supply general preserving
equipment and instructive canning booklets (the latter is a must-have resource
for safety purposes alone).
Hit the Market
Purchase produce during its peak season to capture the freshest flavors of
summer. Fill your basket with juicy blackberries, rosy-cheeked peaches, and
fresh veggies like carrots, beans, and cucumbers. Then lug your provisions home
and tackle the task at hand—immediately. “The best-quality produce is preserved soon after harvest,” says Braker. “If you are going to buy it from the market, where it was picked a day ago, you
want to go home and preserve it that day.”
By the end of the summer, your fridge will play host to piquant pickled beans,
your pantry to jars of jewel-toned jams, and your freezer to bags of bright
berries and blanched veggies ready for eating and enjoying during the cold
months to come. 
