Bexley Farmers Market: July 11

Peak Season = Peak Flavor

Ohio is bountiful this time of year!

Sweet corn, peaches, watermelon and tomatoes. Green beans, blackberries, cantaloupe and blueberries!

But how do you hold onto that fresh picked flavor and quality? How do preserve Ohio's harvest for cold January days?

Living in Ohio means you must preserve the season through canning, freezing, drying, maybe even fermenting - storing fruits and vegetables today for enjoyment when the days are short and extremely cold. Here are some of our favorite tips, tricks and techniques for preserving the harvest:

PICKLING "Quick pickling is an easy alternative to canning because it only requires a small amount of produce, some vinegar, and a jar or two." 15 Pickles You Can Make When Canning Isn’t Your Thing is a time-saving and hassle free way to pickle.

CANNING The Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving: 400 Delicious and Creative Recipes for Today is a tried and true guide for canning and preserving. With hundreds of recipes, you'll find this book informative and useful in every way.

FREEZING "It’s Shannon from @urbanfarmfoods again for your second freezer tip for today! Herbs! A great way to create a perfect flavor bomb for so many recipes. Olive oil and freshly picked garden herbs portioned into nice neat little cubes. I use everything from tarragon to spicy oregano to lemon thyme. Sometimes I make an aromatic medley of rosemary, thyme and oregano for chicken dishes or chive bombs for a kick of onion! The oil solidifies in the freezer and makes this herb time capsule so when you drop one in your pan to sauté it’s like you just plucked green tasty ingredients fresh from the garden. When the cubes are solid you can pop them into freezer safe containers and have freshness at your fingertips even after the season fades."  

How to Freeze Berries from The Spruce Eats is a simple, surefire way to save all those delicious berries for smoothies, baking and more!

DRYING Methods for drying food at home by The University of Minnesota Extension is an excellent list of at-home methods using machines, ovens and the air in between.

FERMENTING Read up! With so many methods and styles, it's important to read first. Try one of these fermentation books before choosing the method, equipment and vegetable you'll be preserving. The Art of Fermentation by Sandor Katz is a great place to start.

So, how will you preserve the season? Tell us @bexleyfarmersmarket and @getfreshohio!

#bexleyfarmersmarket #wherefarmsmeetmainstreet #getfreshmarkets

#groweatohio #ohlocal #ohfarmersmarkets

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Our producers for market on Thursday, July 11 include:

Rhoads Farm

Hirsch Fruit Farm

Dan the Baker

Florentine Legacy

Two Roasting Joes

The Crazy Cucumber

Darby Valley Farm

Dana Lee Bakery

Growlers Dog Bones

Solo Merengues

Harriet Gardens

Kingdom Fish

Bluegreen Gardens

Chuck Evans' MONTEZUMA Salsa & Sauces

Sweet Thing Gourmet

Seven Continents Cookies

Ohio City Pasta

Made Without Grain

Kennedy Farms

9N Farm

The Fomagerie

Waffle Hub

Larry the Tie Dye Guy

Lemon King

Sweet Cheese

Our Musical Entertainment: Dean Gledhill

Our Community Table: Mid Ohio Workers Association

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Join us every Thursday through October from 4-7 PM, rain or shine!

Support your market! We have partnered with the Bexley Community Foundation to receive contributions to the Bexley Farmers' Market. Every dollar to the Bexley Community Foundation is reinvested in Bexley organizations, ideas and projects – allowing our community to dream big for Bexley. Please consider giving to your market today!

Bexley Farmers Market

Intersection of Dawson and Main

Bexley, Ohio 43209

For more information, or questions related to any of our services, please contact us via email at bexley@getfreshmarkets.org.