Our Vertical Veggie Gardens are bringing in buckets of fresh and delicious cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, and more. While there is nothing like just picked produce, no matter how much you love it, you can only eat so much in one season. Preserving your garden goodies will allow you to enjoy them many months later and give you a fun summer project. So we are always looking out for great canning, pickling, and preserving recipes for our vertically grown veggies. And now we will share a few of our favorites along with some helpful tips for successful preserving.

Living Wall Kit - Watered Automatically!

If you do not yet have a vertical veggie garden of your own, view your selection of Edible Living Wall here. You can also order a Living Wall Kit that is watered automatically, here.

Quick Tips:

Use white balsamic vinegar instead of plain white vinegar when pickling. White balsamic will provide the correct pH required and will provide a really nice, slightly sweet, undertone to your pickling recipes.
Green, or under-ripe, tomatoes are perfect for spicy chutneys. They have higher than average acid content, are loaded with flavor, and are less sweet than riper tomatoes. Pick them when they are mature and just starting to turn slightly orange.*
Ripe tomatoes are best for making tomato relishes. Firm flesh, full aroma, and deep color will indicate the level of ripeness.*
Overripe tomatoes, with their extra sweet flavor and soft texture, will make delicious sauces and ketchups.*
Jar lifters are worth the investment. Lifting heavy jars out of boiling water without spilling the contents is difficult and even dangerous with any other tool.

Recipes:

Cherry Tomato and Onion Relish

Tomato Ketchup

Bread and Butter Pickled Peppers and Cucs

* Adapted from Thane Prince’s “Jellies, Jams & Chutneys: Preserving The Harvest"