Wrapping Up The Harvest

Well as fast as it came it is over. The farming season of 2009 is officially at an end at Organics.

Our apples finished several weeks ago, and we are just about finished putting down our preserves for the year. There is a tiny bit more work to do as far as the animals and crops are concerned but the majority is done. We have a stack of hay-bails ready for the animals this Winter and the straw is ready to go on the berries.

We have made about two hundred jars or so of tomato sauce, which will last us until about halfway through the spring next year. One thing I will say is that if you can preserve even a little tomato sauce it is worth it. Store-bought tomato sauce cannot even compare to preserved Ontario tomatoes. Once you have tasted each you will know exactly what I'm talking about. Ontario tomatoes are not only field ripened when you buy them but they are generally at the peak of their ripeness too, meaning that they will be about four times as sweet as their California counterparts.

Aside from the sauce, apples and root veggies, we also preserve our peppers. Now the way to do this varies depending on the type of pepper but generally small peppers such as Thai chilies are able to be dried whereas bigger, more juicy peppers like Cherry Hot's or Portuguese Wax peppers must be cut into smaller pieces and frozen. First the seeds are removed and then the pepper is cut and the pieces are frozen. Drying peppers takes a little bit less work, simply attach a sewing needle to some fishing line and thread on the peppers, then hang the string from a rack or cupboard so they dry. By allowing peppers to dry you not only allow them to last for months but will actually increase the intensity of the heat.

The other side of preserving food involves meat. As anyone who has visited the farm knows we raise our own meat. The animals do their part during the growing season by helping to control the weeds, recycling compost and creating manure which will be composted again and used for fertilizer. They eat what comes off the farm and whatever waste they produce is returned into the farm, a truly sustainable cycle. In late fall when the farm is slowing down and no longer provides for the animals it is time to process them. This again is a new experience to us and not the easiest one, however it is a vital part of sustainable agriculture and important if we are to eat our own food.

After processing and cleaning the meat, it can be stored or dried. We do a mixture of the two; filling about two freezers full of meat and salt rubbing the rest, then hanging them up to dry in our cold cellar. Never the less it is a hard thing to do, especially when you are used to getting meat wrapped in paper, coming from a shelf at the store. However when you compare pasture raised home grown pork or turkey to the factory farmed alternative you remember why you do it. So everyone I really hope you try to put in some preserves this fall, it will be worth it! While it will take a bit more effort, you and your family will notice the difference. Though it's been a while I hope you all had a good Thanksgiving and until next time:

Good Health and Good Eating!

Seasons End In Ontario

Well unfortunately its that time of year again.

The leaves on the trees are changing, the cows fur is getting thicker and all the plants in the field are slowing down. Fall is the catch-up time of year for us; most of the mid-summer busyness is over and finally we can take a breather. Our apples were good this year but our season ended a little earlier because the trees are still a bit young.

However even though it is coming to fall there are still many things to do either for winter crops or in preparation for next years garden and top quality local produce is still available. At the moment we are quite busy cleaning up and preparing the farm for winter. Soon enough we will be pruning the apples and raspberries but we have to get the farm ready for snow first. All the irrigation must be drained so it doesn't freeze or crack, tree guards need to be put on the bottom of the apple trees to protect them against mice and moles under the snow and straw will soon have to be spread on the strawberries. 

We have been maintaining our sourdough starter or yeast culture for the breads as well as trying to develop a recipe for a damn good gluten free sourdough! This is the time of year where we can really focus on planning out the future of the farm and building on what we already have. We have to decide what we are going to grow next year so we can prep the fields accordingly. As well we now have to start preparing for the long winter months to come and store what we can from the farm this year.

It is obvious that during the Winter the majority of people resort to buying imported foods, even the foodies because the knowledge of how to preserve food seems to be lost. Well I'm going to give you a few tips i've picked up from my experience with food that will hopefully help you stay local and eat well at the same time.

The first tip is for apples, which just so happen to be in season right now. I have had many people ask me about freezing, drying and many other methods of storing apples and in reality the best way is a lot easier then you think. There are several problems with the above methods: they can damage the flavor and texture of the apple, limit its uses and even make it go bad more quickly. 

The best way to store apples is in a cool dry place like a cold cellar or garage(somewhere around 2-5 degrees celsius). Leave the apples in a basket of some kind and make sure they can air out to prevent mold. Now depending on the variety of apple they can last a long time after being picked and still retain their crispy texture and unspoiled flavor. Again check your local farms and ask the farmer about their experience with varieties and which ones last longer. Personally my family has found we can keep honeycrisp apples until around May of the next year and they will still be good, however varieties such as courtlands may only last two weeks after being picked. 

When you are storing apples be extremely careful not to bruise the fruit. This can take months of the life of an apple and effect the other apples in a basket by causing them to rot and mold. Another thing to be wary of is keeping apples in the fridge. This is usually a moist environment and can actually make the apples go soft more quickly then if they were out on the counter. 

Carrots and root veggies are also available right now and we have a slightly different way of storing them. We fill a large container with sand and bury the veggies in it, the container then goes into the cold cellar where the veggies stay nice and cool. This drains off liquid that may run out of the vegetable, prevents mold and keeps them from drying out. The only issue is that moving the sand and setting the whole thing up requires a fair bit of work. So an alternative is just letting them sit on some kind of shelving unit in a cold cellar or garage. If you do not have access to a cold dry place then root veggies can be left on a counter or shelf. For things such as rutabagas you can wax or vaseline the outside to keep them from drying out, other veggies such as potatoes can just sit out for a very long time. 

Squash and pumpkins need a cool dry place or else they will mold. A cold cellar or garage are ideal for these and they will last a long time if stored right. If you have a garden consider digging out herbs or smaller plants and potting them so you can keep them in your kitchen over the Winter. Just remember that all produce is susceptible to frost and must be in an area above zero degrees. Hopefully you may have learned something new and I will try to find out and share some more great ways to store your produce. Until then everyone,

Good Eating!