Summer is a great time for lovers of fresh, local fruits and vegetables. The choices available in stores and local farm shops are simply staggering. Having some delicious and colorful summer fruits or green vegetables on hand is an amazing way to add a little sunshine to the colder winter months. There are some really easy ways to preserve colorful Berries, Peaches, Apricots, Basils or any other delicious summer fruits and vegetables at its peak!

Freeze it!

This is the easiest method to save your favorite summer fruit for wintertime!

Simply, line a baking pan with parchment paper, and evenly space your fruits over the surface. Then, just pop it in the freezer until frozen, transfer to a zip-bag…and repeat as necessary. Just don't forget to remove the core and slice your stone fruits such as peaches, apricots, and plums. Frozen fruits are the best for smoothies and nice-creams (frozen banana, fruits, and almond milk). You can also use them for baking pies, crisps, muffins and more.

And don't forget about fresh herbs! All you have to do is chop basil, mint, or cilantro, and freeze them the same way as above.

You don't need a fancy food dehydrator to dry your fruits and veggies! Simply use a low-temperature oven which concentrates the flavors of fruits and extends their shelf life. The oven-dried technique works perfectly for tomatoes, blueberries, peaches, apricots, cherries or plums. Homemade dried fruit is an amazing fiber-rich sweet snack, or a tasty add-in for granola, trail mix and even salads. Trust me! This is a great snack that your kids would love. Just don't overdo it to avoid a high amount of sugar intake.

drying herbs are super easy! Just simply jam them into bundles and hang your herb bundles upside down in a sunny window. After around a week, make sure they’ve dried completely, then keep them in jars.

Jams and Jellos are one of the most popular ways to preserve fruits. Since berries naturally contain pectin, they’re an easy place to start. Just simmer them on the stovetop with a little sugar and lemon juice, then add to sterilized jars. Here’s one easy guide to get you started. Homemade jams are not only more delicious than artificial ones, but it is also healthier. Just try to use less sugar and cook the fruits less to maintain more nutritional value. By cooking the fruits, their nutritional value drops and it contains a high volume of sugar. So, ty to minimize your use of jams!

So, if you’re nervous about a long winter with no juicy berries or fragrant basil, now you know there are a few easy ways to eat like it’s summertime all year long. Bon appetit!