Harvest is an art

A growing concern

by Jonathan Van Wiltenburg

One of the factors of growing a vegetable garden that is rarely touched upon is harvesting. Harvesting can be just as demanding as growing. There are optimal times and techniques particular to every fruit and veg. Cleaning, cooling, and storing will determine the quality and longevity of your produce before it hits your plate, or whether it becomes compost.

Just think about garlic. The fussing usually starts sometime in May as the bulbs are swelling and the flowers begin to rear their heads (known as garlic scapes). The scapes must be picked. This will make the bulbs swell even more. Then sometime in later July, when the stalk and leaves begins to wither, you pull the garlic. Once pulled the garlic needs to be cured in a warm location with good air circulation for at least a week. When good and dry it should be cleaned with a brush, trimmed of its roots, and then stored in a dry, cool location where it can be used up for the next eight months or so.

Or take cilantro. Optimally it is harvested in the early morning, pulled from the ground roots and all (not cut). It is then rinsed in cold water (submerged in a bucket, not blasted with a hose) to remove the soil from the roots and the heat from the leaves. Then it should be refrigeratedin a mason jar half filled with water with a plastic bag over it. It will last for over a week.

Tomatoes should be picked at peak ripeness, left at room temperature, not refrigerated, and used as soon as possible.

That is three crops, all with different harvest needs! Every crop is different. Some need cold temperatures, others need room temp. Some need a rinse, others need to stay dry.

Out in the garden bed you have something very alive, but once cut or pulled it starts the down spiral to decay.

It is our job to keep our fruits and veg in a pseudo-alive state as long as possible until you get around to eating it. This should always be at top of mind when harvesting. Nobody wants to grow all this nice produce and then have it go flaccid.

Super Basic Rules for Harvesting:

Pick in the Morning. Plants are living until the moment you cut them. This means they are metabolizing as we cut/harvest. In the morning plants are just gearing up for their day so are less metabolically active. They have usually had all night to fill their tissues which will make them turgid and optimal for harvest.

Get the field heat out. By immediately lowering the temperature of the produce, you will slow down the

decay. This is very important for lettuce and greens. They will last for over a week if you submerge in cold water after cutting, thoroughly dry, and then store in a closed container in the fridge.

It’s hard to list all the do’s and don’ts in this little column so if in doubt, take the time to do a quick web search on best harvesting and post harvest practices for your crop.

There is a lot of great information out there on how and when to harvest and how to store your fruit and veg to maintain the highest quality.

Just a warning, you will probably want a bigger refrigerator.

Happy gardening!