Summer Harvest Recipes: Preserve and Enjoy Your Summer Garden
Summer is a season of abundance on the homestead. Whether your garden is overflowing with tomatoes, herbs, berries, or cucumbers, the kitchen table is bound to fill up soon. From preserving herbs to making fresh desserts and supper entrees, we’ve rounded up some of the best farm-to-table summer recipes that celebrate the season’s bounty.
Summer Harvest Recipes
These recipes from trusted homesteaders and creators in our community will help you preserve, savor, and share the fruits of your labor.
Preserving the Summer Harvest
1. Easy Sweet Zucchini Relish for Canning
This sweet zucchini relish adds flavor and crunch to hot dogs, burgers, and sandwiches—and it’s perfect for canning.
2. Canning Tomato Juice
Turn your tomato harvest into a versatile staple with this recipe for tomato juice—perfect for soups, chili, or sipping.
3. Pickled Cauliflower
Try this simple recipe for pickled cauliflower.
4. Spicy Refrigerator Dill Pickles
Want to turn your cucumbers into pickles fast? Try this spicy refrigerator pickle recipe—no canner required.
5. Canning Peaches with Raw Honey
Preserve the peach harvest by slicing them and canning with raw honey. This recipe is sweet, simple, and sugar-free.
6. Blueberry Pie Filling + Canning Guide
Turn fresh-picked blueberries into delicious pie filling with this blueberry canning recipe.
7. Homemade Strawberry Jam
This strawberry jam recipe is a tried-and-true classic!
Fermented Goodness from the Garden
8. Hawaiian Sauerkraut
This Hawaiian sauerkraut recipe includes pineapple and ginger for a tangy-sweet ferment.
9. Sauerkraut: Lessons from a First-Time Ferment
New to fermenting? Learn what to expect with this beginner’s sauerkraut journey.
10. Fermented Italian Delights
This recipe for fermented tomatoes uses cherry or grape tomatoes with basil and garlic. They are delicious!
11. Lacto-Fermented Dilly Beans
This recipe for dilly beans is extremely easy to make, simple to adjust to your taste preferences, and it only takes 3-4 days to ferment.
Freezing Summer Produce
12. How to Freeze Green Tomatoes
Do you like to enjoy fried green tomatoes year-round? Here’s how to freeze green tomatoes so you can enjoy them anytime.
13. How to Freeze Leafy Greens
Whether you’ve got kale, spinach, or chard, this guide to freezing greens helps reduce waste and round out your meals with garden-fresh ingredients all year.
14. How to Freeze Fresh Herbs
Preserve your herb garden’s flavor with these simple freezing tips—no fancy tools required.
Sauces, Condiments & Conserves
15. Sweet Pepper, Toasted Garlic & Basil Pesto
This homemade pesto recipe combines sweet peppers, garlic, pine nuts, and basil into a smooth and savory sauce.
16. Herbal Tomato Conserve with Rosemary & Smoked Garlic
This savory tomato conserve is a delicious spread that can be served on fresh bread, spread over smoked chicken, or used as a pizza topping.
Summer Suppers from the Homestead
20. Roasted Duck Breast with Ginger Lime Dressing
This roasted duck recipe is dressed with a ginger-lime sauce. Serve over a bed of mixed greens for a refreshing summer meal.
21. Savory Heirloom Tomato Pie with Sausage & Basil
Use up your juicy heirloom tomatoes with this tomato pie recipe—comfort food at its best.
22. How to Steam Quail Eggs
If you raise quail, learn how to steam quail eggs for salads, snacks, or lunches.
Summer Sips & Treats
17. Fresh Mint & Ginger Lemonade
Cool, calming, and hydrating, this straight-from-the-garden lemonade recipe is a refreshing favorite.
18. Cherry Lemonade Popsicles
These homemade popsicles are refreshing, fun, and free of artificial dyes and sweeteners.
19. Lavender Lemon Pound Cake
Floral and zesty, this pound cake recipe is perfect for summer gatherings, bridal showers, or afternoon tea.
23. Homemade Strawberry Shortcake
Nothing beats this classic. This strawberry shortcake uses fresh-picked berries and sweet homemade shortcake.
24. Old-Fashioned Peach Cobbler
Make the most of ripe peaches with this old-school cobbler recipe. Serve warm with ice cream.
