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What's Blooming: Preserving the Harvest

 


What’s Blooming:  Preserving the Harvest
by Selena Kunze, Horticulturist, Gardens on Spring Creek

         

With the first dip of nighttime temperatures in late summer, vegetable gardeners start wondering when the “big harvest” will happen. Tender crops (tomatoes, peppers, squash, cucumbers) cannot survive frosts (32-36 degrees) without protection. Root vegetables (potatoes, carrots, beets) and cold crops (kale, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower) can handle frosts, and some even become sweeter after a frost or two.

So, when should you harvest?  If a short-lived frost will be followed by a couple weeks or more of nighttime temperatures in at least the 50’s, you can cover tender crops with old bed sheets, floating row cover or newspaper for a night or two. If nighttime temperatures are forecast to remain in the 40’s or lower, it is generally a good time to harvest tender crops because they won’t be growing or producing much in temperatures that low. Most frost-tolerant crops should be harvested before the first hard freeze (below 28 degrees).

Once you harvest, you will need to eat or store your fruits and vegetables using a preservation method such as canning, freezing, pickling, dehydrating and cold storage. With any method, be sure to follow safe guidelines from a trusted source to prevent spoilage or illness from growth of pathogens, such as botulism. A personal favorite is the “Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving” (or “All New Ball Book of Canning and Preserving”). Colorado State University’s Extension Office also has good info in their fact sheets on food preservation. Always write the date of preservation on the container and use produce accordingly.



Canning: Use boiling water canners for high acid foods (fruits, jams, pickles and tomatoes) and pressure canners for lower acid foods (meats and most vegetables). Be sure to adjust your recipes for our high altitudes.

Freezing: Divide produce into usable quantities and store in airtight freezer bags or plastic containers. If using jars, use the wide mouth variety so they don’t crack. Some vegetables require blanching (dipping in boiling water to inhibit enzymatic action) before freezing to maintain their texture and quality.

Pickling: Useful for most vegetables and many fruits, as well as meats, seafood and eggs. Pickling preserves food using an acid solution, usually vinegar or a salt solution that produces (mainly) lactic acid through fermentation.

Dehydration: Produce should be blemish-free and peak quality, washed well and thinly or evenly sliced. Some vegetables and fruits will need to be blanched or treated for darkening, as in the case of apples, prior to dehydrating. Use a dehydrator, oven, solar oven or even the sun to dehydrate produce until fully dry. Store in airtight bags or containers for a couple months to a year, depending on the type of produce.

Cold storage: Only store unwashed, blemish-free fruits and vegetables or you run the risk of losing a whole container of produce to one “bad apple.”  Carrots and beets can be stored in boxes or tubs in a single layer, covered in sand, in a cool, well-ventilated area. Once dry and after removing loose soil, potatoes store well in paper or burlap sacks in a cool, dark area. Do not expose them to sunlight in storage or they will develop green areas that are rich in poisonous solanine. Onions, garlic and shallots can be stored in breathable bags (such as old tights or netting) once thoroughly dry. Winter squash with properly dried, hard rinds keep well in a cool, dry place for months. Apples, pears and green tomatoes can be wrapped in newspaper and stored in a single layer in a cool area. Be sure to check your cold storage area regularly for any overripe or rotten fruits and vegetables and remove them promptly to prevent your other produce from spoiling.

Finally, many garden-fresh fruits and vegetables can be stored in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator or on the counter. Use your favorite grocery store’s produce locations as a guide: If they set out their produce in the refrigerated section of the store, you should too. Gently wrap greens and soft herbs with a damp paper towel and store in an airtight bag in the fridge. Melons, tomatoes and stone fruit should be kept on the counter, while onions, garlic and potatoes do better in a dark, cool pantry. It is best not to wash your produce until it is ready to eat, which you should do within a week or two. And enjoy the results of your hard work while you dream about next year’s growing season… 

 

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