Kitchen Gardens

From the dawn of our civilization, way back when Eve and Adam were in the Garden of Eden, people have grown kitchen gardens. So in this season of harvest it is appropriate to talk about preserving your harvest and the best techniques that can preserve your hard work throughout the cold winter months.

This article assumes that you have tilled, planted, fertilized, watered and weeded your garden throughout the growing season and you are now up to your elbows in zucchini and tomatoes and other produce that you helped along with your own hands.

The first things we need to clarify are what produce is best – (tastes best when it is in a cold cellar, frozen, dried, jammed/jellied, or is canned).

Some resources that I rely on are The Ball canning guide, WSU Cooperative Extension about canning and preserving, books-Your Kitchen Garden by George Seddon and Home Growing by Edwin Steffeck.

If you are growing things like herbs and vegetables like tomatoes, peppers, celery, onions, or small berries, grapes, and melons you should consider drying them in a dehydrator. These all can be sealed in airtight bags and used as needed in soups, or as a snack. It is an excellent way to keep their colors and in some cases like the berries or melons, it intensifies the flavor.

Root crops and most winter squash or pumpkins can be stored in root cellars after harvest by dusting off of the roots and letting them sit in the sun for a few days to dry out before storage. Make sure that you store them in a porous type material such as peat moss or other dry matter that is clean and that can absorb some moisture. The produce is then placed in the root cellar or in a container that is covered, it is dark and the temperature is fairly cool but constant a small fan that circulates air is also helpful. Most potatoes, garlic, onions, horseradish, carrots, turnips, rutabagas, beets, some apples and pears can be stored in this way.  This way of preserving can extend your harvest until spring. If somehow the produce has gained moisture it is best to try to freeze or can what is left.

Tomatoes, zucchini, fruits, peppers, peas, eggplant, artichokes, green beans, asparagus and other fresh produce can be canned or pickled. This is where the Ball or Extension canning guides comes in handy and should be used whenever you are making canned goods.

You can also use the guide for recopies to produce juices and ciders as well with the apples, blueberries and other fruits of your labor which can also be canned or stored in the freezer for later use or made into jellies.
Broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, spinach, greens and corn, as well as small berries are all very good frozen; vegetables will need to be blanched before they are frozen. In my humble opinion, some taste better after going through this process.

There are, of course, some things that should be eaten fresh; lettuce, green onions, celery, radishes, tomatoes, cucumbers.

Some plants such as beans, soy beans and peas can be harvested then allowed to completely dry out before being stored in containers for later use.

I hope that I’ve got your interest up and I hope you try one or more of these suggestions for saving your harvest into and through the winter!

Happy Gardening!

Kellie Smith, September Song Nursery
Toutle WA 360-274-8853 or on the web: www.septembersong.net