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 You've worked hard to grow your fruits and veggies, and harvesting them properly is critical not just in keeping them fresh and intact, but also in ensuring that you maximize the harvest itself. But there are so many different varieties, even within a particular species. 
 

Therefore, it's helpful to have a guide, so that you know what the fruit or vegetable should look like when you harvest it. That way, you don't pick it too early, while its edibility is limited, or too late, when it might be spoiled. Here's a handy guide that will help you to harvest your vegetables at the proper time. You can find the proper information for popular fruits here.

Once you know what your ripe produce should look like, keep this in mind: regardless of what you're harvesting, you should harvest at the coolest point in the day, which is generally the early morning. This will insure that your produce is at its cool, crisp freshest.

Put it in the Freezer
Speaking of harvesting: you may end up with more than you can eat or give away. We all know how cucumbers and zucchini can overproduce, for example. Well, there's no need to lose any of your surplus harvest, because freezing is a great way to store your fresh produce for future enjoyment. Let's take a look at what you need to do to freeze your produce properly.

It's important to get your harvested produce to the freezer as soon as you can, so plan before you pluck. Once everything's been harvested and brought indoors, wash the produce thoroughly in cold water. Fruit can be drained and packed plain, or in sugar and syrup, and then put in the freezer. Depending on the fruit, you can peel it first, but that's not necessary. Here's a neat little guide on freezing fruit, complete with tips on how to pack it and how much syrup or sweetener you may need. There's even a simple recipe for pectin syrup.

With the exception of herbs and green peppers, vegetables should be blanched and cooled before you pack them for freezing. Blanching is simple: you just put the veggies in boiling water or steam for a few seconds or minutes. For details on how to blanch specific types of produce, click here or here.  

Blanching softens the vegetables a bit, making them easier to pack. Furthermore, the heat will also help to clean off any remaining dirt, and will kill some bacteria.

Storage
Remember, what you put in the freezer is what you get out. If you properly prepare and freeze only the best quality, freshest produce, then you should enjoy the same quality when it comes time to eat it for dinner. If the produce has been mishandled or isn't very healthy in the first place, it won't improve through freezing.

Here are a few basic storage guidelines:

• Store your produce in bags or in moisture- and vapor-proof containers
• Label and date the bags and containers
• Set the freezer to 0º F or below

With a little care, you can enjoy your fresh produce for months. In fact, you may have enough to last you right up until the harvest next year, since properly prepared produce can maintain its quality for 12-18 months if kept at zero degrees Fahrenheit.

Do you know how long EarthBoxes can last? Find out what some of your fellow EarthBoxers have to say on the subject in the Q&A section of our Forum!

Each month we salute one of our valued retailers, and this month we highlight Williams Nursery & The Gift House of Westfield, New Jersey. This family-owned garden center has roots that stretch back to 1920, and the business has been growing ever since!

Williams serves Westfield and surrounding communities with over six acres of splendid plants, trees and shrubs. In addition to annuals and perennials, bulbs, ground covers, herbs, evergreens, orchids and even Christmas ornaments are available. Customers who would like to do the planting themselves but aren't sure how to design their gardens need look no further: Williams has a professional design staff that will help with the urban and suburban landscapes. Fall is especially exciting, with hayrides and pumpkin picking.

One particularly special and unique way Williams shares the gift of greenery is through their Trees For Troops program. Military men, women, and families are the recipients of live Christmas trees purchased by customers. Some even include personal messages.

Accolades for Williams Nursery include David Williams serving as current President of Garden Centers of America, and volunteering his time as co-chair of a community garden project called Westfield in Bloom.
 
By the way, that's David's father Ed in the picture. As David tells us, "He always likes to brag about being the first in the neighborhood with any ripe veggies. This was his first year with EarthBoxes, and even though he's retired he's one of my best sales people now!"

Visit Williams Nursery & The Gift House at:
524 Springfield Ave.
Westfield, New Jersey 
908-232-4076
 
Visit our websites at:
www.williams-nursery.com
www.radkoshop.com
 
Visit my blog at williamsnursery.blogspot.com

Follow me on Twitter: Williamsnursery

"Yes, watermelons can grow on a New York porch!

"I have three nice size watermelons growing well, from a seedling that I almost discarded because I thought it was dead. This one had been growing steadily for two weeks and is 4 pounds so far."

Dianasgarden

Southern New York State

Zone 6

To place an order, call us at 866-727-5532 (24/7) or visit our online store.