Though summer’s long, lazy days are over, its fresh fruits and vegetables don’t have to fade into the last late sunset.

Preserving summer’s bounty is easy, says Dr. Evelyn Crayton, an Alabama Cooperative Extension System nutritionist. Proper food preservation allows us to preserve the flavor and nutritional value of the fresh foods we love so we can enjoy them after they are out of season, she says.

"There are three major categories of food preservation – canning, freezing and drying," says Crayton. "When people think of food preservation, they often think of canning, but actually freezing is the most often used method of food preservation in Alabama."

Crayton says there are several new products available now that make freezing foods quick and easy, such as sturdy yet disposable plastic containers and double-duty freezer bags for heavy foods. There is also a new "stand and zip" freezer bag that stands to allow for easy filling, especially for soups, sauces or other liquid products.

Choosing the right container to freeze your food in is one of the most important steps in proper food preservation, says Crayton. "Food must be stored in an appropriate container to maintain the quality, nutrients and taste of the food," she says.

To store foods for up to one year, Crayton recommends using plastic freezer bags, plastic-coated freezer paper, wide-mouth glass jars made for canning and freezing, heavy-duty aluminum foil and casserole dishes or pans.

"When using jars, make sure they were made for canning and freezing – don’t use peanut butter or mayonnaise jars. They were not made for freezing and may break when frozen. Also, make sure to leave 2 inches of space at the top of the jar because

when the food freezes, it will expand and rise to the top. If you don’t leave enough space, it may cause the jar to break. When using aluminum foil, slide the foil-covered food inside a plastic bread bag to keep the foil from tearing and exposing the food. When using an open casserole dish or pan, cover it with a large freezer bag."

When using plastic storage containers, plastic tubs (such as margarine, cottage cheese or sour cream containers), zipper-topped plastic freezer bags or light-weight aluminum foil to freeze foods, do not keep them in the freezer longer than three months. They are not moisture- and vapor-resistant, says Crayton, and the foods will begin to take on the smells of other foods in the freezer.

If necessary, fish can be stored in milk cartons or jugs. Never use regular glass jars (such as peanut butter or mayonnaise jars), pillow cases, brown paper sacks or wax paper to store foods, she says.

Some people reportedly freeze corn in the shucks, says Crayton. When freezing corn this way, first peel the shucks down, she says. Then remove the silks, wash the ears of corn and blanche them. Corn can be steam blanched or water blanched, she says. After blanching, pull the shucks back up and freeze the corn in freezer bags.

For more information about food preservation, contact your county Extension agent.

SOURCE: Dr. Evelyn Crayton, (ecrayton@aces.edu), Extension Foods and Nutrition Specialist, Alabama Cooperative Extension System, (334) 844-2224