Harvest Time
It is that glorious time of year when crops mature and ripen and months of hard work pay dividends in, hopefully, a wonderful harvest. Whether a cereal farmer, horticultural grower or home gardener / allotment owner, it is a blessedly busy time. Many are preserving foods, be it commercially or domestically, to tide us over the winter months. Just a few short decades ago, nearly every household was involved in this activity, not wasting any produce from their garden. Nowadays, it is so “convenient” to ignore the fallen apples, tomatoes, excess vegetables etc., as consumers can procure fresh food at artificially low prices in supermarkets. However, food preservation should not become a forgotten skill – if one either has too much in one’s own garden or has bought excess food, it can be passed on to others, frozen or made into sauces, jams or chutneys etc. It is also very rewarding and an excellent skill set to be passed on to future generations, with the added benefit of teaching the value of not wasting any food.