99. The Ayurvedic Guide to Preserving Summer's Bumper Crops

The farmers market is overflowing right now — but how do you keep all that fresh, local food from going to waste before you can eat it? In this solo episode, Kate answers a listener question about preserving the late-summer and early-fall haul, and shares the exact kitchen tricks she uses to make her produce last.

Kate tackles the question she gets every time she mentions saving or freezing food: doesn't Ayurveda say no leftovers, no frozen food? Her answer is a grounded, seasonal one. When you live where the growing season is short, local food that's been thoughtfully preserved carries far more prana (life force) than "fresh" produce trucked in from thousands of miles away. Short-term freezing has its place — and so does eating with the wheel of the year.

From there, Kate walks through her whole late-summer kitchen: heirloom and cherry tomatoes (and the traditional parboil method that removes the acidity Ayurveda cautions against), the parboil-and-freeze trick for kale, kale pesto in jars, and her famous jar-and-towel storage method that keeps hardy greens and fresh herbs alive for up to three weeks. She covers herbs all winter, zucchini and summer squash, pickling root vegetables to build digestive fire in the cold months, freezing berries and making fruit compotes, and storing winter squash in a root cellar (or a pretty bowl on the counter).

In this episode:

• Why Ayurveda's "no frozen food" rule needs a seasonal, local-first reframe
• The prana argument for preserving local food over buying shipped "fresh" produce
• Tomatoes two ways: heirloom on sourdough + roasted cherry tomato compote
• The traditional parboil method to make tomatoes easier to digest
• How to parboil and freeze kale (and why it stays in perfect leaves)
• Kale pesto you can freeze in single-serve jars
• The jar-and-towel trick: keep greens & herbs fresh for up to 3 weeks
• Keeping fresh herbs going all winter, indoors and in the fridge
• Zucchini & summer squash: kitchari, soups, and eating them fast
• Pickling beets, carrots & beans — and why pickles warm you in winter
• Freezing berries, stone-fruit compotes, and easy crisps
• Storing winter squash + the case for decorative "eat me" bowls
• The Ayurvedic principle: food grown closest to home is most nourishing

Mentioned in this episode:

• Kate's fall cleanse (beet pickle recipe included)
• Kate's four books (variations on beet pickle & seasonal recipes)
• India Culinary & Nutrition Immersion, February 2027 — a 10-day immersion in Mysore. Learn more and enroll at ayurvedicliving.institute

This episode is supported by:

• Dr. Tung's — natural oral care, including their popular Smart Floss. New customers get 15% off at drtungs.com.
• Banyan Botanicals Menopause Balance — Ayurvedic herbal support for perimenopause, menopause, and post-menopause. Find it at banyanbotanicals.com/kate.

Have a preservation trick Kate didn't mention? She'd love to hear it — leave a comment or send her a message.

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