by Birdsong
I just read with interest Ex Pat Chef's post about how foods ripen. I have certainly experienced the tastes, both of freshly picked and fully ripe fruits or vegetables, and those that will never ripen or have any flavor. I also have pondered a lot about preserving foods for the lean months as I continue to refine my personal ELC.
I made it through the month of May eating heavily within a 50- to 100-mile radius, only to discover I had made a rather large dent in the freezer. I have been steadily restocking, as well as eating almost entirely what is in season as June progresses into July. We were lucky to be able to freeze lots of fully ripe strawberries in late May and early June, and will be able to add to that stash over the summer, as the growers of ever-bearing varieties see a second flush of fruit.
We also had a heavy crop of cherries. In fact, this year there were enough for the birds and for us. I froze several bags from each tree, expecting to use small handfuls in smoothies later this year.
As I make a morning shake, I think about what I will do if I don't round up enough ripe fruit to freeze to see me all the way through till next summer.... will I have to give up this healthy start to the day, or give up my commitment to eating locally, at least in the mornings?
I realized that I have never tried to put by all the food we would need for a whole year - what does that really entail? Is it a practical idea? I am fortunate to have a freezer, and they do consume less energy when full, at least in ratio to the amount of energy needed to preserve the food, pound for pound. But is using the freezer an eco-centered option? Is there something I could be doing that involved a smaller footprint? I can see that the ELC is offering new questions and new lessons to me. I would love to hear what it is doing for all of you.
Birdsong lives in the Sierra Nevada foothills of California, where she blogs about her passions at A View from Sierra County.
