Though summer seems to be drawing to a close, the harvest is just gearing up. Whether you have a garden or you haunt farmers' markets or you just visit the produce section at your local grocery store, you are likely seeing all of the beautiful fruits and vegetables that have ripened and are ready to eat.

Now is the best time to buy fruits and veggies. You get the best selection, the best prices, and the best flavor. What's not to love?

Of course, you can't eat everything you want fast enough. Fresh fruits and veggies go bad pretty quickly — especially if they were picked at the perfect time and haven't been treated with tons of preservatives. So, in the next two posts, we'll look at ways to preserve this lush and tasty bounty.