Bringing in the Harvest

These are the notes from this class.

  1. Garlic
    1. Plant in September. Harvest in July
    2. Pull from ground. Brush off dirt. Hang in dark shed or room for 1 month. Then trim top and roots. Save the best for replanting. Store in warm dry area 6-12 month depending on variety.
  2. Broccoli
    1. First harvest usually August
    2. Harvest additional side shoots until they get too buggy to use.
    3. Break into small pieces and steam until tender the way you like to eat them.
    4. Drain and put on cookie sheets in the freezer until solid and then put in bags.
  3. Green Beans
    1. Harvest several times when ready
    2. Pressure can or freeze
  4. Potatoes
    1. Dig carefully with garden fork or with hands
    2. Don’t wash. Brush off dirt. If damp, layout on newspapers in hall to dry for a week and then bag up in paper grocery bags or plastic potato bags with holes. Mesh bags bad idea because of sprouts. Eat damaged ones first. Taste green ones for solanine.
    3. Store in dry room.
  5. Peas
    1. Freeze or can.
  6. Tomatoes
    1. Make sauce and pressure can, chunks and can, dehydrate, or freeze.
  7. Berries
    1. Can or freeze
  8. Onions
    1. Harvest end of September to get as large as possible. Separate out ones that bolt as they will spoil the fastest.
    2. Wash well with hose outside. String up in closet for drying and storing or lay out on screens out of the sun until dry and then bag up (paper best to keep them dry). Great storage vegetable.
  9. Sweet Potatoes
    1. Wait until the rains come usually in late September. Dig bring into warm room by heater or stove. Ideal is 80° for 2 weeks to convert their starches into sugars. Then store at about 70° in a dry room. Should keep 12 months. Eat smaller ones first as they will not keep as long.
    2. Replant with the sprouts from them next year.
  10. Cabbage
    1. Try to harvest before the rains so they don’t split.
    2. Make sauerkraut and then can it.
    3. Steam and freeze on cookie sheets
  11. Beets
    1. Harvest right before frost to prevent damage or cover with thick leaves if voles or bugs are not eating them. Store in paper bags in cold dark room. Eat within 3-4 month.
    2. Pressure can or grate, cook, and freeze on cookie sheets.
  12. Zucchini
    1. Grate and freeze or chunk, steam, and freeze on cookie sheets.
    2. Store at room temperature for several months. Probably need to peal before using as it will get hard.
  13. Winter Squash (You are growing butternut right?)
    1. Harvest right before frost. Wash outside. Bring into house to dry and store in crates with holes in dry worm room. Some will rot so put a pan/tub or plastic under them and check weekly.
  14. Pears, Plums, Apples, Asian Pears, Figs, Quince, Bosc Pears
  15. Corn, Dry beans, Dry peas, Rhubarb