End of Summer Rituals

End of Summer Rituals


Celebrate the abundance of summer.

The energy is warm, bright and exciting. Fruits and vegetables are plump, gardens are full of color and everything around us is bursting with life. While you may be ready to embrace sweater weather with open arms, take some time to really soak in and honor the beauty of this season before it's gone. 

My favorite way to honor the transforming summer energy is to indulge in all that the sunshine + rain has created. Eat all the fruit, fill your house with flowers, and take time to preserve these summer gems for the cold months. These End of Summer Rituals are so simple, but they help me practice gratitude for Earth's bounty, connect with the Source of the season, and ready my body + mind for the transition into Autumn.

For the month of September, we will be sharing more of these practices to put into place before we wave goodbye to sweet summertime. Keep your eyes peeled for our next few End of Summer Rituals blog posts!

Freeze your summer fruits

This is such a simple way to bring a bit of summer warmth all the way into the winter months. Topping your oatmeal with some of your summer berries when its cold + blustery outside is going to be SO worth it.

1. Take a cookie sheet, line with parchment or wax paper.

2. Flash freeze for 4-8 hours.

3. Once they are hard, you can put them into a more convenient storage (like wax or plastic bag).

It's as easy as that!

 

Dry fresh cut flowers

Dried flowers are one of my favorite summer keepsakes to enjoy throughout the winter! It is always a lovely reminder of warmer days.

 

Air Drying Flowers

1. Remove your flowers from sunlight as soon as you've cut them in order to retain their color.

2. Hang flowers individually or rubber-band stems together to hang a bouquet.

3. Find a dark, dry area with good circulation. An empty closet will do! With unflavored dental floss or twine, hang the flowers upside down to dry. Leave flowers for two to three weeks until completely dry.

You can also press some flowers using a heavy book and parchment paper.

Freeze your herbs

Using fresh herbs from your garden is one of the best parts of the season. Is there anything better than the smell of freshly chopped basil? No. No there isn't. Preserving your herbs by freezing (vs drying) also helps to retain their flavors.

1. Freezing Whole Herbs

You can use the same freezing method listed for freezing summer fruits above for herbs like rosemary, dill, thyme, bay or sage.

2. Freezing Chopped Herbs

Chop herbs like mint, cilantro or parsley and place into ice cube trays, cover with water and pop into the freezer. Once frozen, cubes can be transferred into a more convenient storage bag.

3. Freezing in Oil

Herbs like basil and oregano are best preserved when processed with oil. Take off the stems and add a cup of fresh herbs with 1/4 cup of olive oil in a food processor. Pulse to blend, and then transfer into ice cube trays. Once frozen, move cubes into an airtight container. Use them for sauces and soups in late autumn and winter!

 

What are some of your favorite End of Summer rituals?

 

 

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