GARDENING WEEK 9 EXTENDING THE LIFE OF YOUR GARDEN: FOOD PRESERVATION AND SEED SAVING What we would like you to learn: 1. Learn about the history of food preservation. 2. Learn about different ways to preserve food from your garden. 3. Learn how to use drying to preserve herbs. 4. Learn how to save seeds.
Extending the life of your garden through food preservation and seed saving Food Preservation When your family goes to the grocery store and brings home a perishable product, what do you do with it? Most likely you preserve it by putting it in your refrigerator so you can eat it on another day or during another week. What did our ancestors do who didn t have refrigeration? In this lesson, we ll talk about some methods that people developed to preserve food that you can use at home to extend the life of your garden. History of food preservation In our first lesson, we learned that our earliest human ancestors were hunter-gatherers and had to find crops and follow animals around for food. When humans evolved into agricultural societies, they planted crops and raised animals to eat. Discovering a method to save food was very important otherwise food had to be eaten immediately or it would spoil. Early humans who lived in caves in cold places used freezing to store fish and meat. Ancient humans also dried fruits and vegetables to store them for long periods of time. Fermentation was also a method used by our human ancestors and is believed to have been used as long as 12,000 years ago. Methods of food preservation Food spoils because bacteria grow in the food, making it something we don t want to eat. Food preservation methods act by either slowing the growth of bacteria or killing the bacteria thus preventing them from growing at all. There are many methods of food preservation that we use today.
Some methods of food preservation include: 1. Refrigeration/freezing - the method of preserving food which we are probably most familiar. Using a refrigerator/freezer appliance or perhaps an ice chest, we keep food cold, at a low temperature. 2. Drying/dehydrating the process by which water is removed from food so that it becomes dry. Dried fruit is an example of a food that has been preserved by drying. 3. Pickling uses liquid that contains salt and or vinegar to preserve food. Dill pickles are an example of a food that has been preserved by pickling. 4. Canning a food preservation method in which cooked or uncooked food is sealed in cans or jars and then sterilized using heat or pressure. Jams and jellies are an example of food that has been preserved by canning. 5. Fermentation this method involves a chemical reaction between sugar and yeast in the absence of oxygen to produce alcohol. Wine and beer are made by fermentation.
Exercise in food preservation: drying herbs for cooking In this exercise, we will practice the food preservation method of drying to dry some herbs that we can use at home for cooking! Herbs can be characterized by their water content. There are herbs that have high water content such as basil, chives, mint and tarragon. Other herbs have low water content such as bay, dill, marjoram, oregano, rosemary and thyme. Herbs that have high water content will take longer to dry than those that have low water content. To dry your own herbs: 1. Start by selecting the freshest looking leaves; look for those with the fewest damaged or bruised leaves. 2. Wash herbs with a little water. Shake off excess water and pat herbs gently with a paper towel to dry. 3. Try one of the following: Gather the herbs together in a bunch and tie them together at the stems using some twine. Hang them upside down in an area that gets good air circulation. Lay the herbs on a paper towel in a thin layer and place more paper towels on top. Let them sit in an area undisturbed. This method allows the herbs to keep the most flavor and color. Put herbs in a paper bag. Fold over the top of the bag a few times to close. Keep herbs in bag until they are dry.
Seed saving Imagine that this year you grew the most delicious and beautifully colored pepper in your garden. Not only was this pepper delicious and beautiful, but it was the perfect size and perfect shape. You think to yourself, you d really like to be able to grow a pepper just like this next year. But you know that if you have to buy a new package of pepper seeds then, not only will this cost money, but there s a very good chance that the peppers just won t be the same. In this lesson, we ll learn how to save seeds also as another way to extend the life of your garden. History of seed saving A hundred years ago, half of people were farmers - one of every two people! Today only two percent are farmers. Where did all those farmers get their seeds? For thousands of years, people have saved their own seeds. Every farmer depended on the seeds they and their neighbors saved to plant next year s crop. In other words, seed saving was simply a way of life. The first seed companies in the US were established in the late 1700s making it possible for people to buy seeds. Many traditional farmers still saved their seeds and handed them down from generation to generation. Many immigrants brought their cherished seeds with them when they came to this country. These seeds were like family heirlooms. They were prized not only because they represented a part of family history but also because people trusted that these seeds grew vegetables that were tasty, easy to harvest, and survived diseases and pests.
Seeds and Genes Each seed contains genes, which are the blueprints that provide all the information and instructions that the future plant needs to grow. Genes determine the characteristics of a plant that we think about color, size, shape and flavor. In fact, the genetic diversity of plants is dependent on seeds. Uniformity in crops because of uniformity in genes makes them vulnerable to disease. Exercise in seed saving Remember our delicious and beautiful pepper? Let s learn how to save its seeds so we can plant them next season! To save your own pepper seeds: 1. Cut open the pepper. 2. Separate the seeds from the rest of the pepper. 3. Lay the seeds on a flat surface such as a cookie sheet to dry. 4. Place the seeds in a warm, dry area that gets plenty of air. 5. When dry, place the seeds in a small envelope. Label the envelope so you know its contents; note the date and any other information that is important. 6. Store your seeds in a place that is cool, dry and dark.
Let s define the following terms: Perishable: A product (fruit, vegetable, food) that can spoil or rot. Preserve: The process by which foods like fruits and vegetables are prevented from getting spoiled and thus allows for longer storage. Sterilize: To clean something to the extent that any bacteria or other microorganisms are removed. Heirloom: Old varieties of fruits and vegetables that have been passed on from generation to generation. FUN Facts of the week: The country of Peru in South America today grows over 2,800 different varieties of potatoes. A coconut is a seed and is, in fact, the largest seed in the world. Strawberries are the only fruit with seeds on the outside.
Test yourself: Which of the following were methods that early humans used to preserve foods? Circle all that apply. a) Freezing b) Refrigeration c) Drying d) Fermentation Match each following fruit or vegetable on the left with a technique for preserving on the right. What would the resulting preserved food product be? Peaches Cucumbers Parsley Grapes Food Preserving method Drying Fermentation Making Jam/jelly Pickling On your own: Take home a few different types of herbs from the garden. Try each of the three methods for drying that were discussed. In your journal, keep track of how long drying takes 1) for the different herbs and 2) for the different drying methods.
GARDENING WEEK 10 SEASONAL CROPS What we would like you to learn: 1. Learn about how the weather and length of days affects what foods we grow. 2. Learn which fruits and vegetables grow in the different seasons. 3. Learn about local foods and imported foods.
Weather and Climate What times of year are the hottest? What times of year are the coldest? When is there rain and snow? All of this effects the life cycle of plants. In summer we have longer days, and longer days provide more sunlight to our garden. In the winter, it is just the opposite. Think about how your street may be hot to the touch during the summer, when the long days of sun heat up the asphalt. The same thing happens to soil. Some plants prefer hotter soils, and some prefer cooler soils. Seasonal Foods Every year we share some seasonal foods that we have with our family and friends every year. For example, when do we eat pumpkin pie and sweet potatoes? What time of year do we always have watermelon? These are just two popular examples of popular seasonal foods. Here are a few food crops by season: WINTER: Brussel Sprouts, Cabbage, Carrots, Celery, Onions, Leeks, Potatoes, Pumpkins, Radishes SPRING: Asparagus, Beets, Celery, Spring Onions, Kale, Swiss Chard, Peas SUMMER: Cucumber, Eggplant, Garlic, Beans, Peppers, Okra, Potatoes, Summer Squash FALL: Sweet Corn, Tomatoes, Turnips, Winter Squash, Zucchini Apples, Pears, Plums. WEEK 10: SEASONAL CROPS
Local vs. Imported Foods Why are there still summer fruits and vegetables in the stores during winter? For example, apples bear their fruit in the fall, but we can still buy them in the summer. What are locally-grown foods? Locally grown foods are foods grown in your home town, your home state, or your home country. What are imported foods? Imported foods are grown outside of your home country. For example, an avocado grows in California between the spring and the fall seasons. In winter, it may be imported from a country with a warmer climate. Local foods are better for the environment than imported foods. Local foods require less fuel for planes, trucks, and trains to bring them to our supermarkets. You can see if a fruit or vegetable is locally grown or imported on its sticker. Local fruits and vegetables are better for the environment. They are picked fresh at the farm and taken straight to the store so they are better for you too. And they always taste the best! *The avocado pictured above was grown in Chile. WEEK 10: SEASONAL CROPS
Activity: Where does my food come from? At one of your snacks or meals, sit down and draw the food items that are on your plate in the circle below. We ve learned in class that different fruits and vegetables come from all over the world. Many of them come from gardens. Other foods like meat or cheese come from animals. When you finish drawing, write a little about where your food comes from. On your own: Talk with your children about some of the seasonal foods from this lesson. Which ones do you include in your families favorite recipes? Consider how your family might be able to incorporate seasonal foods into your daily meals. Visit a local farmer s market with your children. Farmer s markets always carry seasonal produce from growers in and around your own community! WEEK 10: SEASONAL CROPS