Imagine rows of tomatoes lining every windowsill in your house, 20 pound boxes of apples stacked in the basement, squash of every form and autumn color ripping through big paper bags and peppers being canned and stored away for the winter. Over the last week we filled all our free time with processing as much of the fall harvest as we could. It was fun, but it was also messy and time consuming. So why bother when we can buy all this stuff year round in any good grocery store?

It's the affordable way to be eating local organic produce year round. Buying produce out of season, or buying imported produce is expensive whether you are buying organic or conventional food. Yet, if buying organic food is a priority for you, one way to beat the bills is to take advantage of what's in season, abundant and affordable, and then preserve it for the winter ahead.

Fall is not the only time to do this, but Mother Nature has perfectly planned the fall crops to be the ones that store the easiest and last the longest. Produce pickings are getting slimmer in November, but there are still farms and some farmers' markets stocked with apples, pears, beets, carrots, garlic, onions, squash and parsnips. All of these are excellent candidates for the root cellar or any cool, dry, dark corner of your basement.

As well, many organic food stores and food box delivery services will order produce by the case for you. Fall is the best time for produce deals as the markets are winding down and farmers are getting ready to close up their farm-gate or road-side stands. You can also take advantage of the lower prices on seconds, which are still delicious but not as visually perfect - ideal for sauces, jams or just to eat.

Once you've stocked up and found that perfect corner for your winter stash, it's easy:

Lay out squash, onions, potatoes, rutabagas, apples and winter pears in dry boxes no more than two layers deep; keep garlic in brown paper bags and store carrots and beets layered in boxes with damp leaves. Check your stored produce regularly and discard any fruits or vegetables that are going bad; it is normal for a small amount of the stored produce to spoil. Different varieties of fruits and vegetables will store well for different amounts of time, so ask the farmer that you buy them from for storage advice and how long they are expected to last. Fruit that begins to soften still makes good jam, sauces for ice cream and pie fillings, while vegetables losing their crispness can be made into stock.

If you can buy directly from the farmer, you will be able to learn more about the varieties you buy and plan how to use them better. For example, there are more than 300 varieties of apples grown in BC. Newtons demand at least two months of ripening time after they are picked and thus store well. Gravensteins are extremely sweet when eaten fresh and Winter Bananas make great pies. Connecting directly with your food source also reduces the amount of money and energy you put into transportation and storage.

In times of busy schedules and refrigerated air transport, many have forgotten about the times when people canned steadily from early summer through late fall and how an abundant pantry was a source of great pride and a sign of wealth. Regardless of the changes, there is still something comforting and mouth watering about seeing rows of canning lining the top shelf of any kitchen.

Get out there with your friends and make a weekend of heading out to a nearby farm, stocking up and getting busy in the kitchen. Making preserves, like bread making, enriches the atmosphere of the kitchen. Working creatively and productively with your hands is amazingly fulfilling. A full pantry offers great vision of meals to come and exotic flavors in mid-winter. It will take some time, but it's worth it.

Marya Skrypiczajko is the author of BC the Organic Way : Where to Find Organic Food in British Columbia.