MomsMenu.com offers a variety of newsletters from holidays to kid's recipes. Check them all out by clicking here or use the links below to view a sample of what we have to offer.
Commercial vegetable growers, wholesalers and
retailers are experts at determining the optimum
harvest time and storage conditions to ensure that
the vegetables you find in the grocery store will
have the longest possible shelf life. They do an
excellent job of ensuring that the grocery store
produce department is continually stocked with the
freshest vegetables possible, even when the grower
is thousands of miles from the consumer. The only
problem with the system is that the optimum harvest
time for a long shelf life is not always the
optimum time for the best flavor.
Some people swear that once the bloom falls off the
end of the squash, it's past it's prime. These
infant squash aren't available at the grocery store
because at this stage they bruise easily and have a
shorter shelf life than squash left on the vines
until the skin toughens. Some vegetables (such as
tomatoes) are picked long before their prime and
ripen in storage facilities rather than on the
vine.
The only way to experience vegetables at their
prime is to grow them yourself. For best results,
harvest your vegetables the day you plan to eat
them, preferably early in the morning. Sprinkle
them lightly with water and store them in a cool
place until you're ready to prepare them.
Some vegetables, such as parsnips, carrots and
potatoes, keep well in the ground until needed.
Others have a short harvest window and should be
picked promptly when ripe. Invest in a good kitchen
garden cookbook with a variety of recipes for each
vegetable to prevent monotony when you find
yourself harvesting the same vegetables for several
consecutive days.
Not
sure exactly when to harvest? We've posted a
chart on recommended harvest times here:
VEGETABLE
HARVEST
TIME
Beans,
Snap
Harvest
before you can feel the outline of the
individual beans. If left too long, shell
the beans and discard the pod.
Beets
For
greens, harvest the inner leaves while
young and tender. Roots should be
harvested when no larger than a
tangerine.
Broccoli
Harvest
broccoli while the head is still tight.
Once the buds begin to spread it will soon
flower.
Cabbage
Heads are
ready to harvest when they are firm and
heavy. If left too long they will split.
Split heads are edible, but difficult to
deal with in the kitchen.
Carrot
Carrots
can be harvested any time. Small carrots
are the sweetest, but it's best to leave
them in the ground until you need them so
they won't dry out.
Corn
Once the
kernels turn a golden color they are
getting too old, and by the time a dent
appears in the end of the kernels they are
virtually inedible.
Cucumber
Harvest
before the seeds inside swell.
Eggplant
Harvest
when the fruit is small and glossy. Once
they loose their shine they are too
old.
Lettuce
Baby
lettuce is a gourmet treat. Harvest the
leaves as needed from the outside. Once
the stems begin to lengthen and the leaves
begin to grow up, the plant is getting
ready to bolt and will be bitter.
Muskmelon
Pick up
the melon. If the vine falls off it's
ready.
Onion
Onions can
be harvested at any stage. When the tops
fall over they should be dug and dried for
a day, then braided or stored in a net
bag.
Peas
Harvest
before the individual peas begin to touch
inside the pods. They become starchy and
tasteless if left too long.
Pepper
Harvest
any time, depending on individual
taste.
Potatoes
Potatoes
begin to form when the plant blooms. Soon
thereafter you can harvest small new
potatoes, or wait until the plants begin
to die back for large potatoes.
Summer
Squash
The
younger the better. Squash left on the
vine too long inhibits the production of
new fruit.
Winter
Squash
Most
winter squash should be left on the vine
until the bottom is a different color from
the top, and the skin is hard.
Tomatoes
It's best
to wait until the tomato is ready to eat.
A tomato that is picked when is is showing
any orange or red color will be superior
to a supermarket tomato.
About the Author:
Jackie
Carroll GardenGuides
- A growing resource for
gardeners
Let's Get Cooking!
While there are many reasons for teaching kids to cook -- less expensive than eating out, preserves family heritage, etc, the most important
reason is that by teaching your child to cook, you're giving him a better chance to be a healthy grown-up. Enabling your child with the ability
to appreciate freshness and to transform ingredients into tasty foods opens their eyes to making wiser choices about what to eat...
by Jackie Carroll
Let's Get Cooking!
