It is romantic to think of summertime flavors as being as fleeting as the season itself—we are supposed to enjoy the fruits of the sunshine and then move on to pumpkin (spice?) everything. But this adamant cyclicity is actually more of a modern phenomenon than we give it credit for. In previous eras when grocery stores couldn’t import produce from all over the world, preservation was a key part of our diets. Summer berries turned into jam that kept us feeling bright on a cold morning, and canned summer tomatoes made winter stews more vibrant. Today, we get the best of both worlds. And by using our freezers wisely, we can take those flavors and make them easily accessible months later without the extra work of canning and preservation.

I believe the season’s best comes in the trifecta ofcorn,blueberries, andtomatoes. While you certainly can freeze each one on their own, there is something delightful about having an entire dish at the ready for when you need a bit of summertime brightness:corn fritters ready to fry, awhole lasagnato pop in the oven, or scrumptiousblueberry hand piesready to bake.

And each recipe emphasizes its star ingredient, making sure its freshness doesn’t get lost when its moment to shine comes a few months later. None of these recipes require any cooking before freezing, so you can keep your kitchen cool when you’ve got your air conditioner cranked to the max, and then warm it later when all that summer heat has dissipated.

So freeze up a side, entrée, and dessert with the summer bounty now. Your future self will thank you when you have them on hand once the cold has settled in.