Harvesting and Storing Vegetables, Fruits and Herbs

Wendy Hanson Mazet&

Rachael MurphyUniversity of Nevada Cooperative Extension

Helpful links and resources

Getting Started with a Vegetable Gardenwww.unce.unr.edu/publications/files/ho/2010/fs1015.pdf

Searching for Fact Sheets?www.extension.orgwww.growyourownnevada.com

Onions Garlic• Harvest when the leaves

lose color and the tops begin to fall over.

•The ideal onion bulb is 2 to 4•inches in diameter. •Pull all onions when the tops fall over.•Let the harvested onions dry for a day or two with the tops on; then clip 1 inch above bulb before storing them in a cool, dry place.•Harvest green onions when they are 6 to 8 inches tall.

Peas• If the peas will be shelled,

harvest the pods when they are shiny green and fully developed.

• Overly mature peas are of poor quality.

• For the edible podded varieties (such as snow and Chinese peas), harvest when the pods are fully developed (about 3 inches) and before the seeds are more than half developed.

Spinach• Harvested when the large

leaves are 4 to 6 inches long.

• Pull the larger, whole plants or harvest the older leaves and allow new growth to develop.

Greens - Swiss Chard

• There are many kinds of greens, including beet greens, collards, dandelions, kale, mustard greens, Swiss chard, turnip greens, and others.

• Break off the outer leaves when they are 6 to 10 inches long and before they start to yellow.

• Avoid wilted or flabby leaves.

Rhubarb• Only the long, thick leaf

petioles, the “stalks,” are edible. Wait until the second season, or the third season if the plants were started from seed, before harvesting.

• To pick, hold the stalk firmly, pull, and twist. Using a knife to cut the stalks from the plant is not recommended.

• The harvest season for rhubarb lasts until the end of June. Until then, pick as many stalks as you wish.

Root Crops

Radishes• Harvest radishes when

they are about 1 inch in diameter.

Jerusalem artichoke:• Dig the tubers after

early fall frosts or in very early spring before the new growth starts.

Beets• Pull early beets when they

are about 2 inches in diameter. If they are allowed to get much larger, they become woody, especially in warm, dry weather.

• For late-crop beets, remove all but about 1½ inches of the tops.

Carrots• Carrots are ready to be

harvested when they are small and succulent.

• Do not let them get over about 1 inch in diameter.

• Always pull the largest carrots in the row.

Potatoes• Mature tubers can be

harvested after leaves have dried or when tubers have reached full size.

• For Irish potatoes, a good harvest size is 2 to 3 inches in diameter. (individual preference is the rule)

• Harvest “new” potatoes at any size, but generally do not dig before they are 1¼ to 1½ inches in diameter.

• “New” small potatoes can be harvested about 7-8 weeks after planting.

• Let the potatoes dry several hours in garden after digging them.

Irish Potatoes

Cultivar Remarks Kennebec Smooth, oblong white tuber; heavy yields; good quality;

high starch.

Irish Cobbler Round white tuber; early; well adapted, high starch.

Pontiac Round, oblong red tuber; heavy yields; low starch.

Superior Early, round white tubers; moderate heat tolerance; low starch.

All Blue Deep blue/purple-colored skins and flesh. Retains color after cooking as well. Suitable for all cooking. Mid to late maturity; vigorous plants. Blue flowered; medium starch.

Yukon Gold Mid-early variety; oval, medium-large potato with light yellow flesh. Large, upright plants have violet flowers; medium starch.

Dark Red Norland Early, stores well. Oval-oblong, smooth red potato with white flesh. Great for early digging. Medium-large purple flowering plants with low starch

Cucumbers• Harvest them when fruits

are bright, firm, and green and before they get too large.

• A rule of thumb: harvest sweet pickles at 1½ to 2 inches long;

• harvest dills when they are 3 to 4 inches long, bright green, and less crisp.

• Avoid yellowed cucumbers.

Beans• Harvest these beans when

the pods are well filled but have not begun to yellow.

Beans—snap:• For maximum tenderness,

harvest snap beans before they are fully mature, when the pods are almost full size but before the seeds begin to bulge.

MelonsMuskmelon: • muskmelon when it is at three

quarters to full slip; full slip or ripe is when the stem separates readily from the fruit under moderate pressure and leaves a circular depression.

• The outer rind should not have any green color.

Watermelon:• Harvest watermelon when the fruits

are full size and have a dull surface and a cream-colored ground spot.

• If it’s a dull sound , similar to tapping your forehead, it’s not ripe. A hollow sound, similar to tapping you chest means it’s ripe.

Honeydew:• When it is yellowish to creamy white

with a soft, velvety feel. The rind should be slightly soft at the blossom end and have a faint, pleasant odor.

Winter SquashPumpkins: • Pick pumpkins when they are full size,

the rind is firm and glossy, and the bottom of the fruit (the portion touching the soil) is cream to orange colored.

• Harvest before frost or when rind resist fingernails scratches. Leave a 2 to 4 inch stem with the fruit.

Winter Squash • when the fruits are full size. The rind

is firm and glossy and bottom (portion touching soil) of fruit is cream to orange colored.

• Light frost will not damage mature fruit.

Summer Squash• Harvest squash when it

is 4 to 6 inches long for yellow crookneck squash, 6 to 8 inches long for yellow straight neck, and 3 to 4 inches in diameter for white scallop.

• A glossy color indicates tenderness.

Corn• Watch corn for signs of

ripeness for earliest harvest. • Corn silks darken and dry

out as the ears mature. • As the kernels fill out toward

the top, the ends become more rounded instead of pointed.

• Pick sweet corn in the milk stage, when a milk like juice exudes from the kernels if crushed with a thumbnail.

Peppers• Harvest bell peppers

when they are 4 to 5 inches long and have full, well-formed lobes. Immature peppers are pale, soft, pliable, and thin fleshed.

• Harvest jalapeños when they are 2 to 2½ inches long.

• Mature peppers turn orange or red; this does not mean that they are hotter.

Eggplant• Harvest eggplants

when the fruits are near full size—about 6 to 8 inches in diameter—but still firm and bright in color.

• Older fruits become soft, seedy, and dull colored.

Tomatoes

• Harvest tomatoes when they are fully colored but still firm.

• Harvest red tomatoes for eating fresh, cooking, or canning.

• Do not can overripe tomatoes!

• If necessary, pick mature green or slightly pink tomatoes and ripen them at room temperature, out of direct sunlight.

Indeterminate vs. Determinate

Pip FruitsApples

• Pick ripe apples from the tree by pulling fruit upward and outward while rotating the fruit slightly.

• If picked prematurely, apples are likely to be sour, tough, small and poorly colored; if picked overripe, they may develop internal breakdown and store poorly.

• a frost will not sweeten or mature apples or other fruit. Sugars accumulate with bright, warm (not hot) days and cool nights regardless of frost.

Pears

• Pears picked when slightly immature will ripen with better quality than pears that are over mature when picked.

• Most mature, ready to ripen pears will usually detach when "tilted" to a horizontal position from their usual vertical hanging position.

Stone Trees

Peach/ Apricot/ Nectarine• As stone fruits ripen, the flesh

softens and the skin changes from green to purple, red, orange, or a combination of these colors. You may test for ripeness by applying pressure (the flesh should yield to gentle thumb pressure), but the best way to determine ripeness is to taste the fruit. harvested without the stems attached.

• To harvest without hurting the fruit buds for next year’s crop, twist the fruit slightly while pulling. Handle fruit gently to avoid bruising.

Stone fruits include peaches, plums, cherries, and apricots: all have a hard pit

Cherry• Fruit maturity can be

determined by color• sweet cherries are

hand-harvested leaving the pedicels intact.

ShrubsCane Fruit

• Raspberries are ready to pick when they easily separate from the receptacle or core.

• Blackberries do not separate from the core, so ripeness should be judged by color and taste.

• All bramble fruit are extremely perishable & should be harvested frequently.

Gooseberry• Many gardeners pick

gooseberries when they reach full size, but are not fully ripe. (At this stage, the fruit are green, tart, and still quite hard.)

• Others prefer to allow the fruit to ripen to a pinkish color and sweeter flavor.

Grapes

Grapes• Color, size, sweetness, and

flavor are the most useful indicators of table grape maturity.

• Berry color will change from green to blue, red, or white as the different grape varieties approach maturity.

• Color alone should not be the sole basis for harvesting grapes. The berries of many varieties change color long before they are fully ripe.

Strawberries• Strawberries are

fully ripe when uniformly red. Pick the berries with the cap and stem attached to retain firmness and quality.

• When harvesting, pinch the stem off about 1/4 inch above the cap.

Currants• Fully ripe currants

are slightly soft, juicy, and develop the characteristic color of the variety.

• Most currant varieties are red at maturity, a few are white.

• Harvest currants by picking the fruit clusters from the plant then stripping individual berries from the stem.

•The time of day and time of season can affect the quantity of oil present in the leaves of your herbs. The oil present in the leaves can determine the flavor intensity of the herb and its nutritional content or medicinal value.•Harvest your herbs on a dry day, in late morning after the dew has evaporated.•Harvest your herbs before the plants flower (the energy it takes to produce the flowers can reduce the oil content in the leaves and the existence of flowers can slow or stop the further production of leaves).•Remove any flower heads from the plant to ensure it keeps producing as many leaves as possible.•Harvest your herbs on the same day you intend to use them, preferably just a couple of hours beforehand. This preserves their freshness.

•For more information on herbs:www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/components/M1223.pdf

Herbs

Preserving

Food Safety• Your life depends on it!• Only use fresh, clean

food• When canning, know

the pH and your altitude• Maintain proper

temperatures, avoid the “danger zone”

• Label everything with name & date to ensure it is consumed within its shelf life

Cold Storage

Refrigerated, 33°to 38°

• Vegetables:– All Veggies except

tomatoes– Keep a high relative

humidity• Use crisper drawer• Perforated plastic bags

– Root Vegetables should have the greens removed to a ¼” and the tap root cut off

Cold Storage, 39° to 50°• Squashes, Onions &

Potatoes– Must be washed, dried,

and cured before storage– Onions can be stored in

mesh bags

• Apples (store away from other vegetables and fruits as they emit ethylene gas)– Must be kept humid to

prevent shriveling

Storing Vegetables at Home - Fact Sheet A1135 http://nchfp.uga.edu/how/store/wisc_vegetables.pdf

Freezing temperatures 20°- 30°

Vegetables

• Most should be blanched prior to freezing; blanching is immersing in boiling water then quickly cooling. Time varies with the vegetable

• Vacuum sealing, freezer-specific plastic bags and boxes, and glass canning jars bestPreserving Food: Freezing Vegetables

Complete information on freezing food at home, Pub # FDNS-E-43-5The University of Georgia Cooperative Extensionhttp://www.fcs.uga.edu/ext/pubs/fdns/FDNS-E-43-05.pdf

Meats & Dairy

• Meats should be repackaged into freezer paper or vacuum sealed if they are purchased in plastic wrapped styrofoam containers

• Cheese should be packed in freezer paper or vacuum sealed

Freezing temperatures 20°- 30°

Feb. 2011

Dehydrating

Meats & Dairy

• Must be temperature controlled. A minimum of 160° required to ensure safety.

Fruits & Vegetables• To prevent browning

dip fruits in lemon juice.

• Some fruits need to be blanched before drying

CanningWater Bath Method

Things to know• Know your pH• 4.6 or higher cannot

be water bath canned• Steam canning is not

recommended• Know your altitude

• Check jars for cracks and chips (even new jars)

• Only use lids once• Use a proven USDA or

University tested recipe

• Maintain proper head space

• Maintain 1” of water above the lid

Resources

National Center for Home Food Preservation www.nchfp.uga.edu

Ball / Kerr www.freshpreserving.com

Canning Pantryhttp://www.canningpantry.com/

winterizing

Feed Your Soil

Double Digging

1.Spread a layer of compost and other soil amendments on the surface of the area to be dug.

2.Using a spade or short-handled shovel, remove a trench of soil approximately one foot deep and one foot wide along the

narrow end of the bed.

3.Loosen the soil at the bottom of the trench with the shovel or a spading fork. Avoid mixing soil layers as much as possible.

4.Dig a one foot by one foot trench next to your existing one and place the soil removed on top of the loosened soil in your

first trench.

5.Repeat steps 3 and 4 along the length of the bed.

Tips for successKeep Notes from Year to Year

It’s time to start planning….

Thank you