“The time has come,” the Walrus said…
It is time to start stocking up! Here on the Hogan farm, we have been picking, canning and freezing the daylights out of everything. Blueberries, blackberries, peppers, zucchini and yellow squash, you name it. The tomatoes appear to be getting close to picking – it was a cool June here in Vermont and they didn’t like it for quite a while.
Even if you don’t have a garden, you can still put food up. Just go to a few of your local farms and ask if they extra. Sometimes, a farm inundated with cukes and zukes that didn’t sell well will let you pick your fill for a flat price.
Don’t have the time to can 24/7? Do what I do. Some days are just too hot for canning and I’ve been ordered not to let my 8 months pregnant ankles get too big from standing! So, on really hot days, I slice and freeze veggies or lay berries on a cookie sheet to freeze individually and then bag them up. That way, the food is available for anyday I feel like making up salsa, tomato sauce or jam – and if I don’t get to it, I didn’t let the food go to waste.
I won’t go into the ways to preserve food right here – many have written very well on that topic. I would suggest you check out Jackie Clay’s articles at Backwoods Home Magazine
A great book on the topic is Stocking Up, by the Editors of Organic Gardening and published by Rodale. Used copies are always popping up on eBay.
Also, heading to the local hardware store can yield supplies and all kinds of info. Ball, the maker of the jars, has produced a very handy booklet on how to can your produce.
There are some great recipes for canning at RecipeZaar.com
And regardless of what many say, you can freeze almost anything. I have frozen whole tomatoes and peppers and used them on a January afternoon in a wonderful tomato sauce. They may night slice well for a sandwich, but they will cook beautifully.
Oh – and if you can up something truly wonderful, what frugal gifts you have, ready-made, for the holidays!
Organically Inclined 
I’m so glad I found your blog! I just blogged today about canning and brining pickles … Since we blog on the same topics, I’m going to add you to my blogroll, too.
Also, in our area, if you go to the source you can get such delicious produce that you never find in a store. Yum … and makes those holiday gifts so much sweeter.
Thanks for all the info and suggestions in your article. Sounds like you’re getting the canning and freezing done just in time for the new arrival! Congratulations!