The last week or so has been all about harvesting and prepping vegetables for storage. But it is like waiting, dealing with pests, harvesting, preserving, dealing with problems, and waiting some more. Some vegetables I haven’t harvested yet and others I am already done with for the season (insert sad face here). I wanted to be better about not having any wasted vegetables from the garden this year. I have done pretty well. Other than a few wasted too-ripened tomatoes, I am doing much better this year compared to last year.
Sweet Corn
I am done with sweet corn for the season! I am sad but also excited I got all the corn I did this year! A big difference from not successfully growing any last developing comes to growing and harvesting a plant I haven’t before, that is when I start second-guessing myself and everything I have learned. I read and read a lot but was still nervous about harvesting too late or too early. Luckily, my good friend Maurissa, has grown and harvested sweet corn on a much higher level most of her life I would say. Her family grows and sells it every summer. I asked her some questions, and she sent me a video back of their corn, and then just my corn! Really just gave me the reassurance I needed.
Signs your corn is ready for harvesting and preserving:
- Silk is a very dark brown
- If you peel back some of the husk and gently press you nail into a kernel of corn, a milky white substance comes out.
- Your ears of corn a full (but this can be depending on how much rain you got over the growing season)
I ended up with 13 ears of corn and I am happy with that! I picked them all, shucked them, and blanched them for 5-6 minutes depending on the size of the cob. Then into ice water for the same amount of time. Next, I cut all the corn off the cob and into freezer-safe containers. You can leave the corn on the cob or take it off, it is your preference. My best advice is to grab a Ball canning book. I picked this one up from Menards. I like this book because it is about preserving not just canning. So you have the directions right there for all the freezing and canning needs.
For the corn I decided to bring in the drink cooler for ice water and that really made it so much easier! I had room for all the corn and I had it sitting right next to the stove. Cutting off the corn was a little messy but it all worked out in the end. I have quart-size freezer storage bags so I was putting two cobs worth of corn per bag. One ended up with three. I gave a bag to my parents for them to try too! Here is the reel portion of me blanching and prepping corn for the freezer.
Garlic
Harvesting an preserving garlic is easy! After you harvest the garlic, you want to completly dry it out. I used some hooks this year in my inclosed porch ceiling and let them dry that way. Once there was no more green on the tops, I cut the tops and roots off and then brushed all the dirt off the bulbs. I have them all in a basket in the bottom of my lazy susan. Your garlic is ready to harvest when the tops are 2/3 brown and/or they could be laying over similar to how onions do. I could have left some of mine in longer I think but they were all fallen over so I was ready to pull them out. Here is a quick reel of my process of prepping the garlic for storage.
Harvesting and Preserving Bell Peppers
This year I had my own successful pepper plants. I am growin about 7 plants out in the garden and I think that is just the right amount escpecially with wanting to can salsas and other things later on. 32 peppers have been harvested so far this year! I gave some to my parents and the rest I have cut and stored in freezer safe containers and they are all in the freezer now. The great thing about peppers is that you don’t have to Blanche them! Just cut to your preference and store and freeze them!
I really don’t have any tips on when to harvest your bell peppers other than the size. I think they are about the best size when they are around 4 inches wide. Of course you can harvest them if they are smaller or bigger and I have done both! I am hoping to make some stuffed peppers before the season is up too!
I do have tips on how to cut your peppers without getting seeds everywhere. I start buy cutting all around the top and then the same on the bottom in a circular direction. Then I cut one time from my top cut to the bottom cut and open the pepper up. Then I am able (96% of the time) to just pull the stem and all the seeds out at once. There be a few stragglers behind but thats way better than all the seeds!
You can cut your peppers anyway you want. I did a mix of diced and strips. You can also halve the peppers. You can watch the prepping peppers reel here.
Green Beans
The blanching and storing process of green beans is pretty similar to corn! Trim the ends off and blanch for 3 minutes and then into ice water for the same amount of time. Then cool and drain and into freezer-safe containers! You want to keep in mind a pencil when harvesting green beans that is the diameter you are wanting for the beans. I feel like I am hunting for green beans everytime I go out! I grow pole beans and I feel like everytime I think I picked them all I look and find more! This year is a little easier I only planted one row of green beans rather than a double row. You can view the green bean blanching reel here.
If you are just starting to garden for the first time and canning seems daunting or you just don’t have the means for all the canning supplies, do not worry! Freezing is just as good of a method to preserve all your hardwork! A lot of people even prefer some vegetables frozen over canned! There is no wrong way or better way to preserve. This 2nd year I was way more confident and wanted to preserve more. My 1st year I was still just trying to get my ducks in a row. Like I have said before you don’t have to do everything right away. It takes baby steps! Don’t get to harvesting and preserving and be scared, YOU GOT THIS! Let me know what you have preserved. Make sure to follow Roost Eleven Eighteen on Instagram for day-to-day updates and more behind the scenes!
