Harvesting Vegetables by Jackie Carroll

Commercial vegetable growers, wholesalers and retailers are experts at selecting 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.


Text Vegetable Guidelines.

About the Author:
Jackie Carroll is the editor of GardenGuides.com, a leading internet destination for gardening information and ideas.

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