Supermarket shelves are overflowing with fresh local produce! Feast on it now, but why not enjoy it year-round? Check out our tips on how to make the harvest last.

Homemade Ketchups, Chow-chows, Piccalillis and Chutneys
Can't Quit Summer Flavour Cold Turkey? Freeze It!
Canning Garden Vegetables

The produce department at your Metro store is overflowing with local produce. No surprise there since Metro buys produce from some 400 Quebec growers. Beautiful, premium quality, harvest-fresh vegetables are fabulously flavourful. Why not enjoy them year-round? With these tips on pickling, home freezing and canning, you can!

Homemade Ketchups, Chow-chows, Piccalillis and Chutneys

Every family has its treasured pickle and relish recipes. The smell of tomatoes, peppers, celery, onions and other vegetables and fruits simmering away in a mix of vinegar, sugar and spices is a promise of future feasts with homemade condiments. If Grandma forgot to hand down her recipes, go to metro.ca where you’ll find plenty of ketchup and chutney recipe ideas !

Can't Quit Summer Flavour Cold Turkey? Freeze It!

Freezing is the easiest way to preserve fresh vegetables for long periods. Choose nice, fresh vegetables without any blemishes, wash and blanch them briefly in boiling water. For more details on blanching, see the Quick Guide to Freezing Vegetables on metro.ca. Dry the blanched vegetables and pack gently in freezer bags or airtight plastic containers. You can even freeze mixed vegetables: peas, carrots and beans to accompany fish, poultry or red meat; or broccoli florets, kernel corn, and julienned carrots and zucchini for a quick stir-fry!

Canning Garden Vegetables

Home canning is obviously an excellent way to preserve vegetables for later use. Ripe, red tomatoes for example! Sterilize the jars and lids for 10 minutes in a kettle of boiling water. Use mason jars with two-piece metal snap lids that you can get at Metro. Then blanch tomatoes for easy peeling. Cut peeled tomatoes in two and pack each jar with tomato halves, leaving ½ in. (1 cm) headroom. For each 2-cup (500-mL) jar, add 1 Tbsp. (15 mL) lemon juice. Screw lids on with fingertips. Do not overtighten. Process jars in a canner of boiling water for 90 minutes. Remove from canner and cool undisturbed for 24 hours. Listen for the telltale pop that lets you know a seal has been formed.