Making best use of excess produce

These letters are in response to an editorial by Julie Eley asking readers for ideas about what to do with excess produce. After a random draw, Margaret Osborne of Balclutha wins the six-month subscription to TV Guide. We have had so many emails and letters on this topic we will run more of your correspondence next week as well.

My extra tomatoes, I put 1kg cut up in an ice-cream container and freeze. In the winter I turn them into tomato juice using Alison Holst’s recipe. Margaret Osborne (Balclutha)

Julie asked for ideas about what to do with excess produce. In towns all over New Zealand, we have community pantries. It can be a trolley in a corner of a local library or a cupboard in the community garden. People donate their spare produce, food, plants and seeds. Everything is free. There is no supervision. The basis is, “Take what you need. Give what you can.” If you can afford to, it’s nice to buy an extra item at the supermarket or an extra punnet of vege plants or a packet of vege seeds at the garden centre and donate it. If you don’t have a local community pantry, please consider setting one up. You just need a location like a library or the porch of a church or hall. You can help to feed the people of your own community with your excess produce. Judith Yeatman (Darfield)

I do like tomato juice and thanks to Alison Holst’s microwave recipe none of my tomatoes are wasted. Quartered tomatoes, one chopped onion, a little salt and pepper and a teaspoon of sugar, 10 minutes in the microwave on high. Puree, then strain in a sieve and discard the pulp. Let it cool and refrigerate for two to three days. Alice O’Connor (Kaiapoi)

Making pasta sauce to freeze is my top choice for excess tomatoes. Nothing nicer mid-winter served on your favourite-shape pasta, grated parmesan and a glass of red. Heather Parnell (Tauranga)

In response to your request for ideas to use excess garden produce, have you considered donating to a local foodbank? I volunteer at one here in Christchurch and we so appreciate fresh fruit and vegetables. The foodbank may even offer to collect from you. It is a win-win. Nothing is wasted, our families are helped and you are free from hours slaving over preserves in a hot kitchen. Patricia Fox (Christchurch)

In answer to Julie Eley’s question about what to do with excess produce, I’d thoroughly recommend freezing it. I had the same problem many years ago when we first bought a lifestyle block. I created a vege garden and planted two rows of tomato plants, as I use them a lot in dinner recipes. The result was a mountain of tomatoes, too good to waste. I found a book, The Complete Book Of Home Freezing by Hazel Meyer, in which she gives full details about how to freeze all vegetables. The book is excellent and covers all vegetables, fruit, meat and dairy foods. Vicki Jerome (Akaroa)