Preserving Summer: Carrying the Season Forward
More Than Saving Food—Preserving a Season
Every August, I find myself standing beneath our fig trees asking the same question—but with a slightly different twist.
"What can I try that's new with all of these figs?"
Harvesting figs isn't new for us. Every year, our trees produce generously, often giving us eight to ten pounds a day at the peak of the season. We eat them fresh, share them with Liberated Harvest members, and preserve as many as we can. But every summer, I find myself looking for one new way to honor the harvest, whether that's a new jam, a chutney, dried figs, or something I've never made before.
They're sweet, delicate, and beautiful but anyone who has ever grown figs knows they don't wait for you. Their season is brief, and if you don't gather them today, tomorrow may be too late.
As I fill another basket, I already know what will happen.
Some figs will be eaten while they're still warm from the morning sun. Some will be shared with friends, farm visitors and neighbors. Others will become jam, dried snacks, placed on pizza or a special treat tucked away for winter.
The garden has taught me something I don't think the grocery store ever could.
Abundance is temporary. Stewardship is what we choose to do with it.
When I was younger, preserving food felt like something our grandparents did. It belonged to another generation, another pace of life. But the more time I spend growing food, the more I realize that preservation isn't about nostalgia. It's about paying attention.
The grocery store has quietly changed the way many of us experience food.
Today we expect strawberries in December, tomatoes in January, asparagus in October, and blueberries almost any time we want them. Convenience has made our lives easier in many ways, but it has also disconnected us from the rhythm of the seasons. When everything is available all the time, it's easy to forget that every fruit and vegetable has a moment when it is at its very best.
The land teaches us something different. It reminds us that tomato season is worth waiting for. That fresh basil has its moment. That figs arrive with abundance but leave quickly. That peaches taste sweeter because we know they won't be here forever.
Previous generations understood this instinctively.
When the harvest came, they didn't simply enjoy it—they honored it. They canned tomatoes, dried herbs, froze berries, pickled cucumbers, and tucked away jars of jam on pantry shelves. They weren't just preserving food.
They were preserving the season. I love thinking about it that way.
Every jar of jam, every bundle of dried herbs, every frozen bag of tomatoes, every pickled onion captures a little piece of summer that can be enjoyed long after the garden has gone quiet.
It's like placing August on a pantry shelf.
The beautiful thing is that you don't need a large homestead or even your own garden to begin preserving.
Some of the best preserves start with a Saturday morning trip to your local farmers market.
When farmers have an abundance of tomatoes, peaches, peppers, basil, or berries, that's your invitation. Buy a little extra. Bring it home. Preserve what you can. Not only will you enjoy produce at its peak, but you'll also be supporting the people who grew it.
Whether your harvest comes from your backyard or your favorite local farmer, preserving begins with gratitude.
Here are a few of my favorite ways to carry summer forward.
Dry Herbs for the Seasons Ahead
Drying herbs is one of the simplest ways to preserve the garden, and it's where I encourage many beginners to start.
Every summer, bundles of basil, rosemary, mint, thyme, oregano, and lavender begin hanging throughout my home. I harvest them in the morning after the dew has dried, gather them into small bundles, and tie them with a simple piece of twine. They hang in a warm, well-ventilated place away from direct sunlight until they're crisp enough to crumble between my fingers. Sometimes I use my dehydrator.
Once dry, I strip the leaves from the stems and store them in small glass canning jars. I've kept my herbs this way for years. In fact, when our children were growing up, every herb and spice in our kitchen lived in small canning jars. They weren't just storage containers—they were teaching tools. Our children learned to recognize herbs by their fragrance, color, and texture long before they understood their many uses.
Try this: Start with one herb. Basil, mint, or rosemary are all forgiving choices. Label your jar with the harvest date, and enjoy the satisfaction of reaching for something you preserved yourself.
Freeze Summer at Its Peak
Not everything needs to be canned.
Freezing is one of the easiest ways to preserve fresh produce, especially if you're short on time.
One of my favorite tricks is freezing whole tomatoes. Wash them, remove the stems, and place them on a baking sheet until frozen. Then transfer them to freezer bags. Months later, when you're ready to make soup or pasta sauce, run them under warm water and the skins slide right off.
Peppers, corn, berries, chopped herbs, and pesto all freeze beautifully.
Try this: Every time you buy an extra basket of berries or peppers at the farmers market, freeze one portion instead of using it all immediately. Winter you will be grateful.
Turn Fruit into Something That Lasts
There is something deeply satisfying about making jam.
Fresh fruit already feels like a gift, but transforming it into jars that will brighten winter mornings feels almost magical.
Jam doesn't have to be complicated. Start with one fruit that's abundant where you live. Follow a tested recipe, gather your jars, and give yourself permission to learn.
My fig trees have me thinking about jam a lot these days.
Some of those ten pounds we harvest each day will certainly become fig preserves. Months from now, when I open one of those jars, I won't just taste figs.
I'll remember August.
Try this: If you're new to preserving, begin with a small batch. Success builds confidence.
Pickle More Than Cucumbers
When people hear the word "pickles," they usually think of cucumbers.
I think of possibility.
Carrots.
Red onions.
Green beans.
Radishes.
Cauliflower.
Even peaches.
One of my favorite recipes is refrigerator pickled red onions. They're simple, colorful, and ready in just a day or two. I also love adding garlic, peppercorns, thyme, or sliced jalapeños to create different flavor profiles.
The beauty of refrigerator pickles is that they require no special equipment and are a wonderful way to extend the life of fresh produce while adding brightness to everyday meals.
Try this: Pickle one jar of red onions this week. Add them to tacos, grain bowls, salads, sandwiches, or avocado toast. You'll quickly find yourself making another batch.
Preserve the Stories, Too
Not everything worth preserving belongs in a jar. Write down your grandmother's peach cobbler recipe. Teach your children how to stir the jam.Take pictures while you're harvesting tomatoes. Label your jars with the year. Keep a notebook of what grew well in your garden.
Invite a friend over for a canning afternoon.
Food preservation has always been about more than food.
It's about passing along confidence, memories, traditions, and the quiet wisdom that says, "This season mattered."
Long after the last tomato has been picked and the fig trees have gone dormant, those stories continue feeding us.
Jada was seven years old when this photo was taken, helping me harvest figs from one of our trees. Thirteen years later, we're still gathering fruit from that same tree. Some harvests feed us for a season. Others become part of a family's story.
Ready to Learn More?
If you're just beginning your food preservation journey, here are a few trusted resources I recommend:
Books
- Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving – One of the most comprehensive and trusted guides available.
- Ball Canning Back to Basics: A Foolproof Guide to Canning Jams, Jellies, Pickles, and More – A great place to start for beginners.
- The Complete Guide to Home Canning (USDA) – A free, research-based guide available online.
Trusted Learning Resources
- National Center for Home Food Preservation
- Your local UC Master Food Preserver Program
- Your county Cooperative Extension office
- Local farmers markets and community food preservation workshops
And don't forget—your local farmers market isn't just a place to shop. It's one of the best places to begin preserving. Buy produce when it's abundant, ask your farmer what's at its peak, and let the seasons guide what you bring home.
Carrying Summer Forward
A few months from now, when the mornings are cold and the garden has gone quiet, I'll reach into my pantry and pull down a jar of fig jam.
I'll remember the mornings we harvested ten pounds a day.
I'll remember sticky fingers, overflowing baskets, and trying to decide what to preserve before another day's harvest arrived.
That's the beautiful thing about preserving food. It doesn't simply save what's growing. It saves the season that grew it.
Every jar tells a story. Every recipe carries a memory.
Every preserved harvest reminds us that abundance once filled the garden, and that with a little intention, we can carry a piece of that abundance with us into whatever season comes next.
Learn Alongside Us
If preserving the harvest is something you've always wanted to learn, I'd love to invite you to join us at Yisrael Farms. Through our food preservation classes, cooking workshops, and Soil & Stewardship Days, we explore practical skills that reconnect us to the land, the seasons, and one another. Visit the Classes and Gathering link on our home page.
Because preserving food isn't simply about filling pantry shelves.
It's about carrying the season forward.