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How to Store Onions From the Garden

August 1, 2021 By: Sweet Frugal Life2 Comments

The best way to preserve onions from the garden.

It’s officially harvest time at my house.  I love this time of year.  When the fields turn golden, the garden is producing, and I can finally enjoy the fruits of our labor.  I have been curing my onions the past couple of weeks and am excited to have them saved in my home to enjoy throughout the winter months.  Onions are one of the easiest garden crops to grow.  They are very low maintenance and easy to harvest and store.  I’m excited to show you today how to store onions from the garden (which is so easy PS!).

How To Harvest Onions

You will know it is time to harvest your onions when you notices these two things happening:

  1. The green stems will begin falling over.
  2. The onions will be large and sticking out of the ground.

It is actually really easy to harvest your onions!  All you need to do is pull the onions out by grabbing down them by the bulb and yanking them out of the ground. 

Your onions should come out of the ground fairly quick and easy!  Fill that wheelbarrow up with onions and you’re ready to start preserving them.  We will talk about that next!

 

How To Preserve Onions From The Garden

There are a few different ways to preserve your garden onions.  This article is going to tell you all about freezing and curing onions.  

How to Freeze Onions

I love to freeze onions!  It makes meal prep so quick and easy to just grab the already chopped onions out off the freezer.

First, you need to chop the onions into tiny pieces.  (secretly, I totally wear swimming goggles when I do this to help prevent crying….it works!)

 

Next, lay the chopped onions onto a cookie sheet.  You want them in a single layer and not touching each other as much as possible (it’s impossible to make them perfect, so just do the best you can!). 

 

 

Now, stick the cookie sheets into your freezer.  We are doing what’s called a “flash freeze.”

Let the onions freeze on the cookie sheet for 2-3 hours or until frozen through.

Once the onions are frozen, pull them out of the freezer and scoop them into ziplock freezer bags.

     

 

Label your freezer bag with the contents and year and then stick the bags into your freezer.  These will stay good for up to one year.  I use these chopped onions straight from the freezer in all of my cooking!

  • Related:  How to Blanche and Freeze Your Garden Peas

 

How to Cure Onions

Sometimes you just want a fresh onion, and that is where curing comes in!  It’s the best way to store whole onions for long term storage.

After harvesting your onions place them in a dry and shaded spot.  You don’t want them to get wet or a lot of direct sunlight. In a garage or under a porch is perfect for this!  Don’t worry about windy conditions.  This will actually help the onions to cure quicker.

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Let your onions sit and cure for about 3-4 weeks.  You will know they are done when their stems are completely dry and brown. 

Check your onions to make sure they all cured correctly.  If you find a few with bruised spots or didn’t completely cure just toss them out.  I don’t worry about those to much.

Now, just cut the stem off using scissors and place them in a basket or mesh bag.  Make sure they have air circulation and are only stacked three deep.

Keep your cured onions in a dark, dry, cool place for 6-12 months.  A basement storage room works great for this!

 

In Conclusion

Onions are one of the easiest garden produce to preserve.  I love going into my storage room in the middle of January and grabbing a garden onion!  Truly the best feeling!

  Let me know if you have any other questions!  I’m always happy to help!

 

Related Articles:

9 Vegetables to Grow in Your Beginner Garden

How to Freeze Raspberries

19 Foods You Didn’t Know You Could Freeze

 

Pin For Later:

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I hope you now understand how to store onions from the garden!

How to Freeze Raspberries

August 3, 2020 By: Sweet Frugal Lifecomment

Check out this easy freezing fresh raspberries tutorial.

Last week my dad invited me to come pick raspberries at his raspberry patch.  I look forward to this all year long!  He has a huge patch and is so kind to share these berries with us.  We always pick a few gallons and then freeze most of them to use throughout the winter months.  Today I am going to show you just how easy it is to freeze raspberries.

I like to flash freeze my berries.  This is one of the easiest methods I have found!  All you will have to do is pull your bag of frozen berries out of the freezer, dump out the amount of berries you need (they don’t clump together!) and enjoy!

Raspberries are one of my favorite fruits to preserve.  They are so easy to freeze and stay fresh and delicious throughout the year.  I planted a raspberry patch a few years ago and still haven’t seen any berries!  I’m hoping to get a good crop next year!

  • Related:  9 Vegetables to Grow in Your Beginner Garden

How to Freeze Raspberries

To freeze raspberries you will want to do a flash freeze.  This process is very easy, everyone can do it!

We love to use our frozen raspberries in smoothies, pies, jam, or just eating frozen right out of the bag.

Frozen raspberries will stay good for 6-12 months after freezing, which is perfect timing for the next raspberry season!

Prep Raspberries

After picking your raspberries, wash them very gently in the sink.  Raspberries are fragile, so do this part carefully.  To be honest with you, sometimes I skip washing just because of how fragile the berries are.  I’ll leave the decision up to you!

Toss out any bruised or bad berries, we don’t want to freeze those!

Lay raspberries on a cookie sheet.  Try not to let any of them touch each other, but squish as many on as you can!  This is a perfect job for kids to help with.  I love talking with my kids as we take time placing each raspberry on the pan.

Freezing Raspberries

Now just stick those cookie sheets in your freezer to let the raspberries flash freeze.

Leave them in the freezer for 2-4 hours or until the raspberries are frozen.

Once frozen pull the cookie sheets out of the freezer and you will want to quickly put the berries in a ziplock freezer bag.  Don’t worry, this is super easy to do!

Just grab a spatula and scrape the berries off the pan.  They will come off really easily.  Put them all into your bag, get out all excess air and seal tightly.

Date and label the bag and pop it into the freezer.  You want to move quick on these last steps so that your raspberries don’t begin to thaw.

Use your frozen berries within 6-12 months.  Enjoy!

  • Related:  How to Freeze Strawberries (the easy way)

You can use this same method for freezing all the berries!  I have used it for raspberries, strawberries, huckleberries, and blueberries.  

Related Articles:

Freezing Peas Tutorial

How To Freeze Fresh Corn

How To Cure And Store Your Garden Onions

 

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I hope this tutorial helped you understand how to freeze raspberries.

9 Easiest Vegetables To Grow In First Garden

February 19, 2020 By: Sweet Frugal Life6 Comments

Beginner Gardening Tips!

Gardening season is just around the corner and so it’s the perfect time to share a few tips about some of the easiest vegetables to grow in your first garden.

I am so excited for garden season!  I’ve already  started mapping out my garden and planning all the yummy produce I will be growing.  My goal every year is to grow enough produce so that I don’t have to buy any throughout the summer.  I haven’t quite met this goal yet, but I have faith one year I will find success (fingers crossed!).

Another goal I work towards each summer is to grow enough produce to preserve for use throughout the winter.  If done correctly gardening can be a huge money saver.  If you have wanted to start gardening but are unsure where to begin, this is the article for you.

easy to grow vegetables

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Choosing the Perfect Garden Spot

If this is your first time planting a garden you will need to prep your garden area.  I recommend starting small at first.  If you have success with a small garden, then you can slowly increase the size every few years.

When choosing  a garden plot pick a spot in your yard that gets at least 6 hours of direct sunlight each day.  The more sunlight, the better!

Also, think about the logistics of your garden area.  Is it within reach of your garden hose, so it can be watered?  Is the ground flat?  Both of these are important aspects of a successful garden.

 

Prepping Your Garden Plot

Vegetables grow best in soft, loose soil.  Once you have your garden spot picked out spend some time tilling up the soil.  We use a garden rototiller for this.  Here is a fairly cheap tiller on Amazon with really great reviews.

For best garden results, spread a 2 inch layer of compost or manure over your soil before tilling.  This gives the plants extra heat and needed nutrients.

Once your soil is loose and fertile you are ready for planting!

 

Where to Buy Seeds

You can buy your garden seeds at any local garden supply store or online.  Remember when choosing what to grow, pay attention to your local Hardiness Zone.  This will help you determine what to plant and when to plant it.

The Best Beginner Garden Vegetables

And now it’s time to learn all about the easiest vegetables to grow in first garden for beginners!  Remember, when deciding what to plant in your garden, choose the vegetables that your family already likes and eats regularly.  If your family isn’t going to eat it, it’s probably not worth planting!

1.  Lettuce

 

Lettuce is one of the easiest garden vegetables!  Lettuce is a cold weather crop and grows best in the spring and fall months.  So, remember to plant early!

When planting lettuce, it’s best to plant seeds in 1/4 inch dirt and water regularly.  Once they start sprouting, thin plants 8-10 inches apart.  Lettuce should be ready to harvest within 6 weeks.

2.  Potatoes

 

I was raised on an Idaho Potato Farm, so you know potatoes will be on this list!

Not only are potatoes easy to grow, they are also easy to store!  This means, if stored correctly, you can enjoy your home grown potatoes throughout the winter months.  Woo, even more money saved!

Plant seed potatoes 4 weeks after your last frost.  They grow well when planted in a 6 inch deep hole and 12 inches apart.

About 80-100 days after planting the vines will begin to die.  This is the sign that your potatoes are ready to harvest.

To harvest potatoes, simply dig them from the ground, and rub off the dirt.

Store your harvested potatoes in a cool, dark place.  A basement storage room or cellar works well.  Just make sure they get as little light as possible!

3.  Peas

I love to grow peas!  There is just something so nostalgic about sitting out on our front porch shelling our home grown peas with my kids.  Plus, peas are another one of the easiest vegetables to grow!

Peas are a cold weather crop and should be planted as soon as you can work your soil.  These vegetables grow well on a trellis.  Be creative with your trellis, we used chicken wire, just because we already had some in our garage.

Plant rows of peas next to your trellis.  As the plants grow, train them to grow up on the trellis.  This makes harvesting peas much easier!  Promise!

  • Related:  How to Blanche and Freeze Your Garden Peas

4.  Beets

 

Beets are another easy vegetable for your first garden.  They grow best in cooler temperatures, so plant them during the early spring months.  I always plant my peas, beets and lettuce at the same time.

When planting beets, sow your beet seeds 1/2 inch deep and 1 to 2 inches apart.  Thin your beet plants as they grow to prevent crowding.  Your beets should be ready to harvest within 70 days of planting.  (I love juicing my garden beets!  They are delicious!)

5.  Carrots

 

Carrots are another one of my favorite vegetables to grow!  You can get so many sweet, crunchy carrots from just a handful of baby seeds.

The secret to perfect carrots is well drained, deep, fine soil.  Mix some sand with your soil to make it extra fine, which will help the carrots to grow long and straight.

Carrots also need to be thinned well.  If they aren’t thinned properly they will grow together making deformed carrots….and nobody wants deformed carrots!

When watering carrots remember to water deep, and then let the ground dry out.  Deep watering will help the carrots to grow longer and thinner, which is what we want!

6.  Zucchini

 

If you plant one zucchini seed you’ll feed your neighborhood for a year.  Ha!  Not really, but kind of!  A zucchini plant is the gift that keeps on giving, and giving, and giving.  Which is why they are so awesome to grow!

To plant, sow two zucchini seeds in a fertilized dirt mound.  You can plant more seeds in mounds 3 to 6 feet apart.

Shredded zucchini freezes really well!  I use my frozen zucchini in smoothies and baking.

  • Related:  How to Make the Perfect Zoodles

7.  Pumpkins

 

There really isn’t anything more fun than watching a baby pumpkin grow into a large carving pumpkin.  Pumpkins aren’t only fun to carve, they also make fun fall decorations and can be used in baking.

Planting pumpkins is very similar to planting zucchini; in mounds spaced 3 to 6 feet apart.  Pumpkins grow best with plenty of compost mixed into the soil.  Also, be sure to give your pumpkins lots of water.  They are thirsty plants!

8. Beans

 

There are many different varieties of beans to plant, making it a great crop for everyone!  I prefer pole beans because they are easier to harvest.

If you grow bush beans no trellis is needed.  However, pole beans will need something to climb on.  We use chicken wire (because it’s what we already have), but you could also use poles or strings.

Beans need lots of warmth and sun to grow, so be sure they receive plenty of sun throughout the day, and some extra compost is helpful too!

9.  Onions

 

I planted onions for the first time last year and can’t believe it’s taken me this long to start growing them!  Honestly, I didn’t give them much care or attention, but they grew and grew.  We have them stored in our basement and I love grabbing my garden onions when prepping dinner.

Plant onions using what’s called an “onion set.”  An onion set is basically a small bulb.  You can find these anywhere that sells garden seeds.

When planting, place your onion sets 2 to 6 inches apart and cover with 1 inch of loose soil.

Onions are ready to harvest when their tops begin to yellow and fall over.  Check out this article for more info about how to cure and store your onions.

A Few Tips For The Beginner Gardener

Here are a few tips for starting your beginner vegetable garden.

  • Water your garden in the morning or evening, and avoid watering during the heat of the day.  This gives the water a chance to soak into the ground before evaporating.

 

  • Water deep (about 2 inches worth of water) and less often (about 1-2 times a week).  The soil needs a chance to dry out to prevent disease.

 

  • Use mulch between garden rows to help keep the weeds down.  Mulch will also keep moisture in the ground, which is what we want!

 

  • Experience is the best teacher.  You will have a few fails, and you will have some successes.  But, over time you will find what works best for you and your garden.  Do not give up!

In Conclusion

Alright, it’s your turn!  Now, it’s time for you to get to work planning your first garden!

Remember what we learned:  First, check your zone, pick a few plants from my beginner garden vegetables list (make sure your family will eat them), and then get to work planting them in your garden.

Then, the best part comes!  Watching those beautiful green seedlings pop out of the ground.

Be sure to reach out if you have any questions!  I love to talk about gardening!

Leave me a comment telling me what veggies you are planting in your garden this year!

 

 

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I hope you find success in these easiest vegetables to grow ideas!

How To Freeze Peas For Beginners

July 14, 2019 By: Sweet Frugal Life2 Comments

How to blanch peas for long term storage.

I have been spending a lot of time in my garden this week, and it just makes me so happy!  Gardening takes a lot of work and effort to get those little seeds to grow; but harvesting brings the greatest reward.  This year we were excited to have a huge crop of peas.  I’ve been freezing them so we can enjoy these peas throughout the entire year.  I can’t wait to teach you today exactly how to freeze peas.

Peas are one of my favorite vegetable to grow.  There is just something about shelling peas that warms my heart and brings some old fashioned nostalgia.  Plus, you will never taste a pea as delicious as one straight from the garden, promise!

Freezing peas is the best way to preserve the sweet, fresh flavor you can only find from freshly picked peas.  Plus, it’s so quick and easy to do!

  • Related:  9 Vegetables to Grow in Your Beginner Garden

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How To Blanch Peas

The first step to freezing peas is to blanch them.  This word might sound a little scary if you’ve never heard it before, but it’s actually so simple! 

Blanching is the process used to preserve vegetables flavor, color and texture.  This is a necessary step when freezing vegetables, so please don’t skip it!

Wash Peas

Before blanching your peas make sure to give them a good wash.  This can easily be done by rinsing them with cold water.  Washing your peas will get rid of any lingering dirt or grime, which is important!

Boil Water

Once your peas are nice and clean it’s time to start the blanching process.

Over your stove bring a large pot of water to a roaring boil.

Boil Peas

When your water has reached a roaring boil, add your washed peas.  Make sure you don’t add them before the water is fully boiling.

Return the water back to a boil and boil peas for 1.5 minutes.  The timing is important.  Set a timer to be sure you are exact.  Remember, the timer should only begin once the water is back to a hard boil.

  • Related:  Stock Piling your Freezer: How to freeze Pancakes for a Quick Frugal Breakfast

Prepare Cold Water

While your peas are boiling, prepare your cold water. 

This is really easy to do!  Simply fill a bowl with cold water and dump in some ice cubes.  There aren’t exact measurements, all that matters is that the water is kept ice cold.

Add Peas To Cold Water

After the peas have boiled for 1.5 minutes, drain the hot water and immediately add the peas to the cold water bowl.  Allow them to sit in the ice water for 1.5 minutes, or until they are completely cooled down.

How to Freeze Peas

If you have made it this far, congrats!  You have finished blanching your peas!  Now, all you need to do is freeze them (don’t worry it’s so quick!).

Divide Blanched Peas Into Freezer Bags

When freezing peas you can either use freezer bags or a vaccuum sealer.  I have used both, but find myself using the freezer bags more often.  They are a little bit easier to pull out, but a vacuum sealer does a better job of getting air out, which is important. does get out more air.  The choice is yours!

Drain your peas one last time and then get out your freezer bags (or vacuum sealer depending on what you are using).

Divide your peas into dinner sized portions for your family.  I put about 1.5 cups into each bag, because that is how much my family will eat with one meal. 

Seal Bags

Lastly, you will need to get all of the air out of the bag.  This is very important to prevent freezer burn. 

I like to lay the bag flat on the counter and use both of my hands to slowly get the air out, and then quickly close the baggie. 

Once the air is out, write the contents and date on your bag and throw it into the freezer. 

You are done!  Enjoy your fresh and delicious peas year round!

 

In Conclusion

Freezing peas is so easy!  I love to do it while I’m watching a good movie or talking with my kids.  Trust me, if I can do it, you can do it!

 

Don’t forget to pin this article for future reference:

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I hope this article helped you understand how to freeze peas.

Hello! I’m Melanie!

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