So, with the CSA pumping out loads of veggies–namely beets, cabbage, and potatoes–and ripe stuff beginning to peek out from under leaves in the garden, the season of food preservation seems to be cranking right into gear. I spotted some nearly-mature green beans this morning, and the cucumber yield promises to reach epic proportions by this weekend.
Within the next seven days I expect to pickle cucumbers and maybe some beets, and perhaps freeze some green beans (I’m not fond of canned beans).
Last night I made a triple batch of this tasty potato soup to use up potatoes and carrots, and while it was simmering I bagged up wineberries for the freezer. I’ll be buying pickling spices and hauling my Mason jars out of the attic so they’re easily on hand.
Though I do hope to get lots of canning done this summer, as a still-pretty-new mother, I’m eyeing up the freezer as a ready backup when I just can’t put together enough hours to can. The freezer has its downsides, namely freezer burn and the possibiity of losing food in a power outage, but nothing’s more convenient.
My question is this: What’s the best option for storing food in the freezer, for example that soup I just made? Mason jars would be my first choice. But I can only fit so many of those in there, and they make no sense for little portions of berries or baby food. In that case, I want to use plastic bags. But what about BPA and other nasties leaching into the food?
It seems, if I’m to believe everything I read (!), that major-brand freezer bags are probably safe. See this page and this page. Now, the generic bags I picked up yesterday in a fit of thriftiness…those may not be such a great deal after all. I’ll likely replace them with Ziploc or Glad or somesuch.
Anybody else have a tip on freezing food in plastic?