Whether you have your own garden, belong to a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) or want to buy up all those nicely priced seasonal veggies, preserving your harvest has many benefits. One of the key advantages of home preserving is that you are limiting your exposure to the chemicals and pesticides used on many commercially available food products. You are in charge of what is going in to your food. A specific chemical of concern is BPA (Bisphenol A), a chemical that has been shown to disrupt hormones. Preserving your own foods in non-plastic containers will make sure you are keeping your food BPA-free. The positive environmental impact of preserving your food versus buying pre-packed foods is also a big advantage. For example, it reduces the waste associated with pre-packed foods; you can reuse the glass jars you use to preserve again and again. You are also reducing the amount of energy that is being used to move that commercially produced food from farm to factory to store to table. You can preserve your harvest in a number of ways, including canning, freezing, fermenting, drying and pickling. The Zero-Waste Chef, Anne-Marie Bonneau, believes that fermenting is the way to go. In a recent post, Bonneau explained, “The good bacteria present in fermented foods offer all sorts of benefits. Fermented vegetables contain higher levels of vitamin C plus B vitamins, such as thiamin, riboflavin and niacin. Phytates in grains, nuts, seeds and legumes bind to minerals, making nutrients unavailable for absorption. Fermentation breaks these bonds so the body can absorb the previously unavailable nutrients.” Freezing your harvest is also a good way to preserve the nutrients in your produce and that just-picked flavor. The only downside is you have to have enough freezer space, and that freezer is using energy. Some resources to help you get started: