What are your go-to tips for making the most of your harvest each season?

[SS Project Manager]

As the seasons change and gardens flourish, there's nothing quite like the satisfaction of a bountiful harvest. But once you've gathered that abundance of fresh produce, what's next? This discussion is all about discovering clever ways to extend, preserve, and fully enjoy each crop to its fullest potential. Whether it's time-tested canning techniques, creative storage solutions, or delicious recipes, share your go-to tips for making the most of your harvest every season.

Let’s inspire each other to minimize waste, save money, and savor every bit of our hard-earned bounty!

 

[CrealCritter]

We like to table ripen our tomatoes. Pick a bunch of starting to ripen all at the same time. It also helps with bruising damage. We can group them accordingly into various stages of ripening. We'll then process them in batches later, when they fully ripen. There's a lot less waste, minimizes insect, bird damage, sun scald and disease spoilage on the vine. Plus we can't always get in the garden but we can always get to the table.

Jesus is Lord and Christ

 

[FarmerJamie]

During the height of season most veggies get canned here. Small fruits like berries are frozen. Produce used for flavoring (onions, herbs, etc.)are dehydrated and vacuum sealed.

It's just not produce...when the local butchers have sales on meat, will grab a bunch and can or otherwise put up.

End of the season veggies are often in smaller quantities making it not practical to can as a full batch. I often freeze several cups of mixed vegetables to use over the winter to make a serving of soup or a pot pie dinner.

However, now having a 7 quart electric canner is making me rethink canning small batches.

 

[Mini Horses]

I've canned several veggies with only a couple pints of each by working up a few ea of different vegs that use same time in canner. Bingo full canner.

Most meats & dry beans use same canner time.

Plan for storage of winter veggies....much as you can, without processing.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Same here - dehydrate, freeze or can. We don't have the climate here for root cellar storage but can hold some winter squash for a while without refrigeration.

 

[flowerbug]

other than those already mentioned.

for a lot of red peppers i like them roasted to just a bit of black on the edges, then hot pack in jars (leaving some headspace for expansion) and then freeze them. they keep at least for two years (i've never managed to not use them up by that time to know how long they might keep). there's enough sugars in them after roasting that i've never had them spoil.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Great idea!

 

[Mini Horses]

I do all type grow, preserve, etc. THEN have to use it. It's put away in a pantry, a cold room, and I tend to "stay" in the save mode. Put it away "in case" thinking.

To make myself eat from the pantry & freezer, I impose a "do not buy" winter on myself. Make it, use it, eat it. For ME using is harder than saving it. It's mental, rainy day mental.

 

[flowerbug]

I do all type grow, preserve, etc. THEN have to use it. It's put away in a pantry, a cold room, and I tend to "stay" in the save mode. Put it away "in case" thinking.

To make myself eat from the pantry & freezer, I impose a "do not buy" winter on myself. Make it, use it, eat it. For ME using is harder than saving it. It's mental, rainy day mental.

i understand this completely. i have a lot of beans to shell, plus i have a lot on the shelves that we'll need to eat eventually. no rush, at least i know they won't spoil.

i told people yesterday that we're downsizing tomatoes next year, i don't need to grow so many if most of what we are doing with them is giving them away. it's a lot of work i could be doing something else at that time of the year when i'm already feeling overloaded. if Mom was still cooking a lot with them i'd still grow more but she isn't so... time to let a bit of it go, maybe do eight plants instead of twelve.

 

[Mini Horses]

It's nice to have extra to share -- especially if the folks appreciate the gifts. I've had neighbors who not only appreciated but truly needed the extras. So I share with people, trade with friends when we have a crop not produce or only want "a few". And I have animals that are always willing to share the bounty. I even grow some things just for them.

If there's a bountiful crop, share with those who can no longer garden. Or sell some to buy seed.