If you are anything like me, you may have a tonne of tomatoes, chard and cabbage sitting in wait. More than one person can possibly eat. Winter’s coming. It’s definitely time to preserve.

Getting ready to preserve!

There are many ways to preserve the harvest though that go beyond a pressure cooker and hot water bath. I’m going to share some of what I’ve learned with you today. These arethe top time-saving and health-boosting tips I have collected over the past few years.

1. Tomatoes and peaches can be washed, dried, tossed into a bag and frozen. Seriously. It works like a charm. The skin slips off when it starts to thaw and the tomatoes taste exquisite. The peaches are a million times better than any of the tasteless (picked-too-early) frozen ones you find in the supermarket over the winter.

2. Chard can also be frozen. Wash. Dry well, then run through the food processor. Freeze chard in baggies and use for soup or in quiche instead of spinach. (Thanks for that tip, Andrea)!

3. Onions and garlic: Both can be diced and frozen. Then chipped off as needed. Garlic can also be crushed and stored in (extra virgin olive) oil in the refrigerator.

4. Any vegetable (zucchini, cucumbers, carrots, cabbage, tomatoes, onion…) can quickly and easily be fermented. This is a traditional method of food preservation common across many cultures. All you need is some jars, whey and salt. Whey is a byproduct of yogurt. You can easily make it at home by allowing yogurt to ‘drip out’ overnight.

RHN Sherry Rothwell getting ready to demonstrate batch ferments…

I am most excited about this method because it actually BOOSTS the nutritional value of your food. That’s because the beneficial micro-organisms infuse your food with the flora your gut needs to THRIVE. Good health and digestion is closely linked to this important ‘food group’.

I’ve been eating and drinking probiotic foods for more than a year now and for the first time in my life, I don’t crave sugar. I’ve been on all sorts of detoxes and restrictive diets to try kick the habit and NOTHING EVER WORKED. Until this.

That’s why I am so excited to share a BRAND NEW COURSE I’ve developed together with Registered Holistic Nutriotionist Sherry Rothwell.

It’s called Cultured Kitchen: Discover How to Take Simple Everyday Foods and Turn them into Probiotic Condiments and Bubbly beverages. This online, video e-course that let’s you learn at your own pace, from the comfort of your own home. How great is that!

To tell you the truth, a course like this would have saved me alot of time and money and got me on the road to healing my own digestive issues and health issues much faster! But now you can learn from the collective wisdom we’ve gained through our own experience. I’m happy to share it!

You can learn more about the course and register online here. Right now we are offering a special, pre-launch EARLY BIRD price. Because the pre-launch price IS SUCH A BARGAIN, we have to close it off on Friday, September 23rd at midnight.

I am also excited about the BONUS course you will received when you sign up. It’s called “How to Ferment Anything” and will give you everything you need to know (including a grocery list, handouts, videos) so that you can get started and experience the benefits of fermentation right away! In this first video series, we show you how you can literally ferment any vegetable in your garden or fridge in under 10 minutes!

Right now I’m perfecting some special lacto-fermented relishes and spicy krauts just for the course. I hope to ‘see’ you there!