Recent salmonella scares have many people wondering how safe their food system really is. Tomatoes, finally vindicated after the spring salmonella scare, have been replaced on the notorious list by hot peppers.

Commercially grown produce passes through many hands on its 1,500-mile journey from grower to grocer. How many of those hands were washed? How was that food grown? When you start asking questions, you begin to see the beauty of eating locally.

Peak tomato season is upon us, and many gardeners are blessed with a bounty from their own gardens. If you have grown the tomato yourself, you know exactly where it has been and who has touched it. If you buy it from a local farm, chances are you just shook the hand that picked it.

The main problem with the U.S. food system is once a food has left the farm there is little hope of tracing it. Most produce is gathered from many sources, some overseas, and mingled before being sorted, packed and shipped. This makes food-borne illnesses particularly difficult to trace. In the case of the tainted tomatoes and peppers, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration suspects they originated in Mexico.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta estimates that 76 million Americans get sick each year from a food-borne illness and it is the cause off death for 5,000. Author and nutritionist Marion Nestle notes that statistically the risk is quite small in our country considering "there are 350 million people eating several times a day. But if you're one of those people (who gets sick), it's not very nice."

Apparently, many of us agree. A recent Associated Press-Ipsos poll found that nearly half of consumers have changed their eating and buying habits in the past six months because they're afraid they could get sick by eating contaminated food.

On the other hand, local produce is usually grown and harvested within 24 hours of being sold. Local producers tend to be more careful because it is often their own families, friends and neighbors who will eat the produce.

Be on the safe side, stock up now on local tomatoes, peppers and other fresh produce and preserve them for the winter. Not only will you be assured the healthiest product, you will help the environment and the local economy as well.

Dehydrating tomatoes is an easy preservation method that doesn't take a huge block of time. Quarter the tomatoes, lightly salt them and place them on cookie sheets in a slightly warm oven. They should dry overnight.

Tomatoes also freeze well if they are packed in tightly sealed packages and used within three months. Drop fresh tomatoes in boiling water for a few seconds, peel them, remove the stem end, and either freeze them whole or coarsely chopped.

Canning is a little more laborious but the resulting sauces and stewed tomatoes can't be beat. Canning also helps to preserve the nutritional content of tomatoes better than drying. To can tomatoes, make a big batch of your favorite sauce, pack it into canning jars and process the jars in a boiling bath.

Pickling is a great way to preserve the last of the green tomatoes before a frost. A no-fuss method is refrigerator pickles. Once you empty a jar of regular pickles, save the brine and refill a clean jar with brine and green tomatoes. Let it sit in the fridge for a few days and enjoy.

Some gardeners clip the remaining tomato vine and hang it upside down in a root cellar or basement. This allows the green tomatoes a few more frost-free days to ripen. You can also extend the season by putting unripe tomatoes in paper bags and letting them ripen on the countertop.

Preserving the harvest is one way to ensure your family gets the healthiest and best local produce year round. Canning, drying, or freezing are equally good ways to savor the abundance of summer long into the winter.

Whatever your favorite preserving method, do it now while produce is at its peak in nutrition and flavor. By taking a little extra time and effort today, you can have a higher-quality, better-tasting and safer alternative to imported produce.

Shawn Dell Joyce is a sustainable artist and activist living in a green home in New York's Mid-Hudson region. Contact her by e-mail Shawn@ShawnDellJoyce.com. To find out more about Shawn Dell Joyce and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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