Simply The Best Way to Freeze Seasonal Fruit and Veggies

We still aren't eating seasonally 100%. We are close, but not quite there. One thing I love about summer (maybe the only thing I love about summer living in what feels like, the Sahara Desert-Redding, Ca) is the vast abundance of fruits and veggies that grow during these months. Our family loves berries, peaches, cherries, tomatoes, zucchini, etc.. You know all the great ones that only grow in those hot summer days. Winter time doesn't leave a lot for tradition growing foods. You have to be more creative in the kitchen if you want to eat seasonally in the winter. Or you can still buy them in the grocery store. Have you ever wondered WHY and HOW you can buy tomatoes in December if they naturally grow and are in season during the summer months??? Well, that is another blog. Google it if you just have to know now.

This blog is about preserving those amazing fruits and veggies in a way you can still eat in the winter months. Not as fresh as picking them off the tree or the vine, but you can still make a killer pie or delicious smoothie. As easy as 1, 2, 3. Freeze!!!

The best and most efficient way I have learned to do this over the years is this. Take your fruit or veggies that you want to save for the winter. Lay them out on a tray covered in parchment paper. Do NOT wash the fruit or veggies or they will become a soggy mess. This is why it is important to buy/pick fruits and vegetables that are NOT sprayed with pesticides. Sometimes, they wont look as pretty as store bought, but trust me-they taste just as good, if not better! Ok-rabbit trail (I do that a lot).

After spreading the produce out so it doesn't touch each other, put the tray in the freezer until it is

completely frozen. Once frozen, remove from the freezer. I then use my food saver to seal them up for a good freeze. I usually store them in 1 quart bags. They freeze great this way. You could use freezer bags too, but they do tend to get freezer burnt over an extended period of time. Store in your freezer.

Now come December, and you are craving a good peach pie, pull out a bag and bam! You have a fresh, in season, peach pie on your table for dessert. Enjoy! And your welcome ;)

Simply Peach Pie Smoothie

One of our family favorites is a good smoothie. Another is being creative in the kitchen. These two things go great together when creating recipes that become staples in our family cookbook.  Sometimes they work out very deliciously. There are other times, well, lets just say we try-try again ;) Here is a simple, fresh smoothie that we love. It tastes like peach pie, hence the name. Enjoy!

2 Cups Raw Milk

1 Cup Organic Plain Yogurt(homemade yogurt is even better)

2-3 frozen whole peaches (see my Simply How to Best Freeze Seasonal Fruit and Veggies)

1/4 tsp of Cinnamon

Raw Local Honey to taste(if you have sweet peaches, you really don't need a lot).

Mix in your Vitamix or blender. Serve with a dash of cinnamon of top, which makes it look super fun AND cinnamon has a ton of health benefits!!

For our family of 7, we will double or triple this recipe ;)