Preserving Late Season Fall Vegetables

Freezing Fall Vegetables

To freeze as a plain vegetable, blanch in boiling water. Start counting blanching time when the water returns to a boil after the vegetable is added. Let's Preserve: Freezing Vegetables has specific blanching times for vegetables

Use these guidelines for success in freezing fall vegetables.

• Blanch vegetables to stop the action of enzymes.
• Cool the vegetable completely to remove all heat from the product before it is placed in the freezer. Cool the blanched product in ice water or cold water, changing the water as necessary to remove all residual heat.
• Drain completely to remove moisture that can form ice crystals that break down cell walls and cause pieces of product to stick together.
• Vegetables may be frozen in a single layer on a tray before being packaged if desired. Tray freezing prevents individual pieces from sticking together and will cook more quickly than vegetables frozen in mass.
• Adjust headspace according to the product. Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower do not need any headspace. Allow ½ inch headspace for cabbage, carrots, kohlrabi, and turnips.  
• Check that the freezer is at 0°F or lower for best keeping quality.

Canning Fall Vegetables

Unless pickled, fall vegetables must be pressured canned. Directions for canning common root vegetables are found in Let's Preserve: Root Vegetables.

Broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kohlrabi, and Brussels sprouts are not suitable for pressure canning. However, shredded cabbage is an ingredient in several pickled products such as hot dog relish. Cauliflower, carrots, and Brussels sprouts are frequently pickled—sometimes by themselves and other times combined with other vegetables for an end of the garden relish. The large amount of vinegar in relishes and pickles allows these low acid foods to be processed safely in a boiling water bath or atmospheric steam canner. Remember - use a research based tested recipe for the best results.

Root Cellars

Some older homes had a root cellar that preserved fall vegetables through the winter. If you have a cold damp area in your basement or garage, you can create a root cellar. You want the area as cold as you can get it without freezing. Bury carrots, parsnips, beets, turnips, rutabagas, and leeks in damp sand to keep them moist. You may be able to create these conditions by placing vegetables in buckets of sand on basement steps leading to the outside.

References:

National Center for Home Food Preservation. (n.d.) "Preparing and Canning Relishes: Fall Garden Relish". University of Georgia.

Zepp, M., Hirneisen, A., and LaBorde, L. (2023, June 8). "Let's Preserve: Freezing Vegetables". Penn State University.

Zepp, M., Hirneisen, A., and LaBorde, L. (2021, June 30). "Let's Preserve: Root Vegetables—Beets, Carrots, Turnips, and Rutabagas". Penn State University.