Gourmet Autumn: 7 Tips to Eat Healthy Without Emptying your Wallet
Ah, autumn! Filled with colours, flavours, and local harvests, this is the perfect time to make the most of fresh produce.
Find out about our affordable, eco-friendly tips to enjoy and preserve your favourite foods year-round.
Canning: Preserving Autumn Flavours in Jars
Canning is a traditional and eco-friendly way to preserve flavours year-round. Choose seasonal fruits and vegetables such as apples, pears, pumpkin, and squash to make homemade jams, compotes, and preserves. Reusable glass jars are best for preserving these delightful recipes and reducing waste.
Never tried it before and don’t know where to start? Many experts offer tried and tested methods to guide you through easy canning steps.
To give you a hand, here is a short reference list:
- Everything You Need to Know About Canning and Preserving Food (realsimple.com)
- A Beginner’s Guide To Canning | RICARDO (ricardocuisine.com)
Freezing: Preserving Freshness with Cold
Freezing is a simple technique for preserving the freshness of autumn produce. Cut and freeze fruit for smoothies, or prepare soups, sauces, and broths for later use.
For a healthy snack, why not freeze some of the berries picked on a family outing during summer and add them to yogurt? Their frozen texture will please both kids and adults!
Fresh Herbs: Grow Your Own Garden
Congratulations! You’ve taken up gardening this summer! Fresh herbs such as thyme, rosemary, sage, and chives add delicious flavour to your dishes. Mint, for instance, adds that little extra to recipes like this eggplant salad.
When comes autumn, you can dry them for later use in favourite recipes. If you’ve grown basil, is the perfect way to enjoy any remaining leaves.
Didn’t grow a garden this summer? No worries! Your local store will sell plants of your favourite herbs at a lower price at the end of the season.
To save time, you can also buy our dried, ready-to-use herbs like mountain oregano or sage.
Buy Local: Support Your Community and Enjoy Fresh Produce
Favour local farmer’s markets to buy fresh, seasonal produce. Local goods require less transportation, reducing your carbon footprint.
You can also save and get fresher produce than those from foreign countries that may suffer from transportation and handling before making it to your plate.
As autumn means the end of the harvest, produce is also sold at lower prices. You can find better quality for less, while supporting local producers. A win-win situation!
Preparing Batches to Save Precious Time During Busy Weeks
As colder weather makes its way in, you spend less time outdoors and more time at home. Enjoy quieter weekends for batch cooking.
Prepare large quantities of soups, stews and casseroles, then freeze them in individual servings. It will help you save time during the week and avoid using packaged prepared meals.
Olive Oil-Based Oils and Vinaigrettes for a Mediterranean Touch
Prepare your favourite vinaigrettes or offer them as gifts by mixing olive oil with fresh herbs or citrus.
Extra-virgin olive oil is rich in antioxidants and fatty acids to provide health benefits, making it a healthy boost for your dishes.
Full Use: Zero Waste
Reduce food waste by using every part of the produce you buy. Here are some examples:
- Apple peels can be dried into delicious chips.
- Oven-dried celery leaves make excellent homemade celery salt. Mix leaves and some salt in the food processor for the perfect garnish to your Bloody Caesar.
- Boil vegetable scraps (peels, stalks, ends, etc.) with some herbs to make a delicious homemade vegetable broth.
Being creative will help you make the most of each produce and discover new healthy recipes.
Autumn is filled with flavours and possibilities for a healthy, sustainable diet. By canning, freezing and growing herbs, you will save time on weekday meals and save money on fresh produce.
Enjoy the season’s delights every single moment.
