Gardeners should celebrate Thanksgiving in July or August when the bounty of the vegetable garden is at its peak. It’s this time or year when you will find yourself looking for another creative and tasty way to cook eggplant and spending day after day processing vegetables. How should the harvest be managed?
Vegetables should be picked at their peak of flavor. Vegetables picked too early will have immature flavors and texture, and vegetables picked too late will be overripe, tough, bitter and even full of seeds.
Green beans, beets, corn, cucumbers, peas and summer squash should be checked daily. Eggplant, leeks, melons, peppers and tomatoes can be checked every few days. Dried beans, Brussels sprouts, kale, parsnips, potatoes and winter squash need to be checked occasionally.
If possible, there are also certain times of day that are the best times to harvest certain vegetables. Leaf crops, cucumbers, summer squash and any other “watery” vegetables should be harvested in the morning after the dew dries. “Sugary” crops such as corn, tomatoes, beans and peas should be harvested in the afternoon when the sugar content of the vegetables is at their peak.
Harvested vegetables should be cooled immediately. Washing freshly picked vegetables actually encourages rot, so it’s best to store the freshly harvested vegetables in the refrigerator without washing them.
The exception to storing without washing is leafy greens; they should be washed in cool water and patted or spun dry prior to storing. Similar to leafy greens, fresh herbs can be stored for many days inside a plastic bag with a folded paper towel to absorb any moisture in the refrigerator.
Veggies should be processed as soon as possible after harvest in order to retain the highest possible nutrient content. If immediate processing isn’t being done, most vegetables can go into the refrigerator’s vegetable bin, which is a little warmer than other parts of the refrigerator.
Eggplant can go into the refrigerator, but they will be harder to peel after refrigeration. Corn not immediately used should be stored in the husk or wrapped in damp paper towels and plastic wrap for refrigeration storage.
Root vegetables like onions and potatoes, winter squash and unripe tomatoes can be stored in a dry, cool (55 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit) place like a root cellar. Veggies should be spread out on shelves in cellared or basement storage.
Finally, if your harvest is too plentiful to process everything and your friends don’t want any more squash or tomatoes, find a local food pantry that will take your fresh produce and share it with those who don’t have the privilege of their own bountiful harvest.
Questions or comments related to gardening? Contact Joleen at missourigardener@hotmail.com.