As the harvest season for many vegetables is in full swing, we hope your gardens are doing well and thriving after all of this season's rain. Fresh produce is always a treat, but when the garden starts producing more than you can eat right away, preservation methods such as freezing, fermentation, and canning can help to enjoy the harvest later. Here are a few practical harvesting and storage tips that you can use at home:
1. Harvest early mornings or evenings when the temperatures are cooler; this will help the produce maintain its vigour and sweetness longer.
2. Cool harvested vegetables quickly to remove field heat and slow respiration rates; this helps to preserve quality after picking.
3. Temperature and humidity are the two main factors that can affect long-term storage of vegetables. Store vegetables according to their preferred temperature and humidity conditions.
The following resources may be helpful for crop specific harvesting and storage conditions:
Respiration and Post-Harvest Cooling
Harvesting and Storing Home Garden Vegetables
References:
Tong, C. (2021). Harvesting and storing home garden vegetables. In extension.umn.edu. University of Minnesota Extension. extension.umn.edu
University of Saskatchewan College of Agriculture and Bioresources. (2018). Harvesting vegetables. In Gardening at Usask. University of Saskatchewan College of Agriculture and Bioresources. gardening.usask.ca
University of Saskatchewan College of Agriculture and Bioresources. (2021). Respiration and post-harvest cooling. In Gardening at USask. University of Saskatchewan College of Agriculture and Bioresources. gardening.usask.ca