Part 5; Harvesting the Garden, Preserving Harvest

Harvesting the Garden is the last in our series and the fun part of growing your own garden! The payoff of all of your hard labor! Tons of free recipes too!

Finally, after months of planning and work, you have beautiful vegetables and fruits in your garden! There are a few tips and tricks for proper picking and then storage and preserving your crops, so that they are at the peak of freshness and flavor!

Jump to:

• How do you know a crop is ready to harvest?
• Harvesting the garden
• Storing your harvest – Harvesting the garden
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• Harvesting the garden – preserving your harvest
• Harvesting the Garden and Preserving the Harvest

How do you know a crop is ready to harvest?

Crops to harvest immature

Determining when your crop is ready to harvest varies by type. Here is a nice chart from Iowa State U, that shows this nicely.

Certain fruits and vegetables are best harvested young. They are tender and most flavorful immature. These include;

• carrots – use a garden fork to dig them out.
• lettuce
• radishes
• basil
• broccoli
• summer squash – small diameter vegetables are better tasting and have a nicer texture
• cucumbers -small diameter vegetables are better tasting and have a nicer texture
• beans
• eggplant
• peas -when pods have swelled, check on the size of the peas it contains. Smaller peas are sweeter
• sugar snap peas and snow peas. Pods should be bright in color and be beginning to swell. Taste them early. They should be tender but the peas inside should be much smaller than that of the green peas.
• asparagus – the most tender asparagus is small. The spears should be no bigger around than your little finger. Use a sharp knife or pruners to cut bottom of spear.

Crops that can be harvested at any stage

• peppers, (hot peppers are hotter when mature)
• tomatoes (they ripen faster on the vine, and are tastier when mature)
• berries – some berries may require netting to protect from birds.

Crops that should be harvested fully mature

• apples
• corn – the silks at the end of ear will begin to turn brown and start to dry out. Check an ear. Nick a kernel with your thumbnail. if white milky liquid oozes out, then corn is ready.
• muskmelons and cantaloupe
• garlic, leaves will whither and brown.
• onions, leaves will whither and brown.
• pumpkins – should have a good color and a hard outer rind.
• Watermelon – same as pumpkins above. You can also wrap on the outside of full sized melons. It should sound hollow.
• cauliflower – self blanching varieties should still be white and curds should not have turned “ricey”. Varieties that are not self blanching should have outer leaves tied loosely together when head is 3-4 inches across.

Fall picked crops – crops that become more flavorful after a light frost

• carrots
• parsnips
• kale
• Winter squash

Harvesting the garden

Harvesting the garden is perhaps the easiest of all the steps, and obviously the most rewarding! Many of our most beloved vegetable crops can be picked by grabbing the fruit, twisting the stem of the fruit, and adding a gentle tug, while twisting. Do not tug too hard, or you risk damaging the root system, or breaking the plant. Plants in this category include, tomatoes, peppers, squash and cucumbers.

Root crops, such as carrots, radishes, onion and parsnips, are picked by placing both hands around all of the leaves of the upper part of the plant, close to the ground, and strongly pulling straight up. If the root is very deep, a flat bar tool (link below) can be used to loosen the soil around the vegetable. Then it should pull right out of the soil.

Storing your harvest – Harvesting the garden

My great grandparents had what was called a root cellar, under their house. Many root cellars were accessible only from the outside. They usually had earthen floors and homemade shelving. It never froze in the root cellar, but maintained a temperature ranging from 40-50°F.

This area was perfect for storing all of their canned goods and much of their produce, like potatoes, apples, winter squash and onions. The area should have adequate ventilation.

Most modern homes do not have root cellars, so the best thing to do is purchase a separate refrigerator (used ones are cheap). Set the refrigerator to around 45°-50°F add a bowl of water and a small battery operated circulating fan to increase the relative humidity, and you have an instant root cellar!

Some crops like potatoes, especially sweet potatoes, and onions may require a process called curing before being able to store them. Clean them of dirt and debris. cure them in a dark area with moderate temperatures and good ventilation.

Most of the vegetables and herbs that you harvest will have a longer shelf life, if they are refrigerated immediately after harvest! Like everything in gardening, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Tomatoes are at the top of the list, they break every rule!

• tomatoes

Tomatoes are best stored on a sunny counter, or window sill, (not direct sunlight) after picking. They can be rinsed off, or not.

• basil

Store basil, after cutting off of plant with garden shears, in a cup filled with water. “Tent” the leaves with a plastic bag to form a greenhouse. Change water daily.

• parsley

Same as basil, above.

• potatoes

Store potatoes in a cool, dark space.

• onions

Store in a cool, dark space.

• garlic

Store in a cool, dark space.

• melons

Store in a cool, dark space.

• berries

Store in a cool, dark space.

Obviously, some crops will not store as long as others. Potatoes and onions will last a few months, berries only a few days.

 

 

Harvesting the garden – preserving your harvest

Harvesting the garden – drying as a means of preservation

Drying fruits and vegetables is an ancient tradition and still a great way to preserve some of your summer crops.

Many vegetables and herbs are perfect candidates for drying. Methods include, the oven, grill, an electric dehydrator, air fryer, or in the sun in dry climates. Those include;

• Sweet and hot Peppers

Recipes;

• Basil
• Oregano
• Thyme
• apples

Freezing as a means of preserving crops

Some crops freeze quite well. Many will lose their texture, but are great used in a variety of dishes.

• carrots

Recipes;

• corn, Cut off cob. Freeze on baking sheets, until firm, then transfer to freezer bags.

Recipes; Chicken Soup,

• garlic

Recipes;

• peas. Freeze on baking sheets, until firm, then transfer to freezer bags.

Recipes;

Chicken Soup

• peppers, roast in oven or on grill. Freeze in bags

Recipes; Sausage with peppers and onions, Roasted Pepper Soup, Roasted Pepper Sauce, Salsas

• tomatoes

Recipes;

• zucchini, (I grate it in a food processor and then freeze)

Recipes;

• berries, all types. Freeze on baking sheets, until firm, then transfer to freezer bags.

Recipes;

• cherries, halved with pit removed. Freeze on baking sheets, until firm, then transfer to freezer bags.

Recipes;

Fermenting vegetables to preserve

• cabbage

Recipes; Sauerkraut

• carrots

Recipes; Fermented Carrots

• hot peppers

Recipes;

• radishes

Recipes; Fermented Radishes

Harvesting the garden – pickling vegetables to preserve

• cabbage

Recipes; Sauerkraut

• carrots

Recipes; Pickled Carrots

• cucumbers

Recipes;

• hot peppers

Recipes;

• radishes

Recipes;

• onions

Recipes;

Pickled Red Onion

Making relishes to preserve garden vegetables

• cucumber

Recipes;

• peppers

Recipes;

• Tomatoes

Recipes;

• Zucchini

Recipes;

• Peaches

Recipes;

Canning; Making Jams, Jellies, Preserves, BBQ Sauce, Salsas, Pie Fillings, Chutneys and Syrups

Water Bath Canning Pot is sufficient to can jams, jellies, etc., due to the acid content. Canning your garden harvest in jars is a great way to conserve freezer space.

• Apple

Recipes; Apple Jelly, Apple Butter

• Apricot

Recipes;

• Blackberries

Recipes;

• Blueberries

Recipes;

• Cherries

Recipes;

Cherry Jam

• Peaches

Recipes;

• Raspberries

Recipes;

• Rhubarb

• Onions

Recipes; Onion Jam, Onion Marmalade

• Tomatoes

Recipes;

Harvesting the garden – Canning; whole or sliced vegetables

Pressure Canner is required for canning some fruits and vegetables whole or sliced. Others can be processed in a water bath canner!

• Apple
• Blackberries
• Blueberries
• Cherries
• Peaches- Recipes;
  
  Canning Peaches

  An easy step by step tutorial on Canning Peaches. This recipe for how to can peaches is perfect for beginners and experienced canners alike. Instructions include low-sugar and no-sugar options.

  Make This

  
• Raspberries
• beans
• beets
• Carrots
• corn
• peas
• Tomatoes- Recipes;

Other recipes using produce from your garden

Vegetables

• Asparagus

Recipes;

• Beans

Recipes;

,

• Beets

Recipes;

,

• Brassicas – Brussels Sprouts, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Romanesco

Recipes;

• Cabbage

Recipes;

• Carrots

Recipes;

• Corn

Recipes;

• Cucumber

Recipes;
Cucumber Sandwiches

• Eggplant

Recipes;

• Peas

Recipes;

• Potatoes

• Radishes

• Rhubarb

Recipes;

,

• Summer Squash

Recipes;

Squash Risotto with Thyme,

• Winter Squash

Recipes;

,

• Tomatoes

Recipes;

Fruits

• Apples

• Apricot

• Blackberries, Raspberries

Recipes;

• Blueberries

Recipes;

• Cherries

Recipes;

• Peaches

Recipes;

• Plums

Recipes;

• Strawberries

Recipes;

There are, indeed, thousands of ways to preserve your precious crops, so that you can enjoy them throughout the year! So why not get started? Take that first step and plant a little garden this year, so that you can reap the benefits this summer!!

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If you have any questions about Harvesting the Garden, or any other garden topic, let me know in the comments below! I would love to hear from you and be happy to help!

If you missed the rest of the series, start with Planning Your Garden, one of the most important steps!

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Tools I use to when harvesting the garden

Contains affiliate links, for full disclosure, see FTC Disclosure, here.

• carrot picking tool
• harvesting basket

I hope you have enjoyed this series on How to Start a Garden, and that it is, and will be, helpful to you, now, and in the future! Thanks for stopping by today!

Enjoy! And have fun cooking!

Xoxo,

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I get a small commission if you click the link and purchase something, at no additional cost to you. See FTC Disclosure, here.

Orriginally published 6/11/19