The summer harvest is ending, but that's no reason to give up on eating local. Preserving produce is a fun, budget-friendly way to enjoy a local and varied diet even while the farms are resting.

Chef Maria Hines of Wallingford's Tilth restaurant cans local heirloom tomatoes for fresh-tasting bloody marys and homemade ketchup year-round. "We like to preserve things because you're picking them in their prime flavor," she explains, "and then able

to showcase them even if they're not in season." 

If you're a beginner, freezing is by far the easiest preserving method. Freezing stops bacteria, molds, and yeasts in their tracks, letting you use your produce whenever you're ready. Experts suggest blanching all veggies and most fruits in order to preserve nutrients and prevent discoloration. For best freezing results, start with high quality, local foods and freeze soon after harvesting. Store foods in nonabsorbent, shallow containers, such as sturdy, airtight plastic bags.

Drying fruits and veggies takes patience: The key is low heat (140º F), air circulation, and regular taste-tests. Use an electric dehydrator, or place sliced produce on a cookie sheet in a preheated oven with the door left slightly open. Successfully dried fruit feels leathery, while dried veggies appear brittle. Your dried foods are ready for storage when they can sit in an airtight plastic bag or glass container without producing condensation.

Want more personal instruction? Join farmers from the Seattle Urban Farm Company for a fruit-preserving class at Carkeek Park next month. Or book a private session with Culinary Communion to learn to make smoked meats, jams, pickles and more.

The "Use Your Fruit!" class (Oct. 18, 6:30-8:30 p.m.) is part of the Living Green series at the Seattle Parks' Environmental Learning Centers. For information on Culinary Communion's classes and new Beacon Hill location, call 206-284-8687. Learn even more about preserving produce from the National Center for Home Food Preservation.