Harvesting Guide
Beets, carrots, radishes
These can be gently pulled or dug as soon as the tops are large enough to handle. Consult your seed packet for the recommended time to harvest for optimum flavor and texture.
Broccoli
Composed of flower buds, broccoli must be cut before the flowers have a chance to open. The heads should be green and densely packed.
Cantaloupe
When a cantaloupe is ripe, it will slip easily from the vine, and the netting on its surface will turn beige.
Corn
You’ll know it’s ready when the silks turn brown, and the ears feel full through the husk from end to end.
Cucumbers
Cut these from the vines when they are young, small, and softly spined. As they grow large, the seeds develop, and must be removed before eating.
Eggplants
Pick them at any size, but the larger they get, the more seeds they’ll have.
Peppers
These can be harvested green or ripe, depending on the taste you want. They have their best flavor during periods of high heat.
Pole beans and snow peas
Harvest them when the seeds inside feel small in their pods. This ensures they will be tender and stringless.
Summer Squashes
These become tough and stringy when large, so harvest the small ones for the best flavor and texture.
Tomatoes
These fruits continue to ripen after picking, but they develop the best flavor when left to reach their full color outdoors on the vine.
Harvest Recipe
Tomatoes are ready to be picked when they yield to the slightest tug. To make sure the ripe fruit doesn’t get bruised or damaged in transport, carefully place the tomatoes on rimmed baking sheets instead of stacking them. To get the most out of the tomatoes you grow, try preserving some for use throughout the year. Here is one of my favorite methods.
Oven-Dried Tomatoes
Active Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 4 hr. 45 minutes
Makes: 2 quarts (about 30 slices)
These add depth of flavor to any recipe. Use them straight from the freezer on pizzas and Focaccias with your favorite cheese or work them into pasta recipes.
Ingredients:
- 6 large beefsteak or heirloom tomatoes (about 3½ pounds}, such as Pink Brandywine, Marbonne, or Beefmaster, cut crosswise into ½-inch slices
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 10 thyme sprigs
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 250° with racks in upper and lower thirds. Fit 2 parchment-lined rimmed baking sheets with wire racks. Divide tomato slices evenly between racks. Drizzle both sides with oil. Season with salt and pepper; scatter thyme over top.
- Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until tomatoes are dry (but not crisp) and wrinkled, about 3½ hours. Let cool completely.
- Transfer tomatoes to a parchment- lined rimmed baking sheet, freeze until firm. Stack In airtight containers and freeze up to 1 year.
