Harvesting Your Home-Grown Vegetables

There’s almost nothing more satisfying than preparing Masterchef class dishes with your very own homegrown vegetables. Some vegetables require special care and methods for the perfect results. However, it is not as easy! For tips and an understanding of gardening, check this out. Mastering the art of growing vegetables may take some time to grasp 100%, but once you’ve got it, you might never have to repurchase them. 

A well-known fact of harvesting techniques is most definitely timing; your timing will determine the quality of your vegetables. Vegetables that are ready to be harvested don’t necessarily reflect the vegetables we see on retail shelves. Here we’ll discuss tips on harvesting your vegetables. 

Tomatoes

Celery

Scallions

Harvesting Tomatoes 

A person harvesting tomatoes from their tomato plant

Tomatoes are healthy fruits and versatile. We’re used to purchasing lovely red tomatoes, but in fact, tomatoes should be harvested before they are red; otherwise, they may be overripe. Tomatoes are one of few fruits that should be picked before fully ripe as the fruit emits gasses referred to as ethylene gas, which puts the ripening process into effect. The perfect time to harvest tomatoes is when they are in their mature green stage. Tomatoes sold in grocers are usually picked before this stage to allow for ripening while being processed and transported. This means that tomatoes bought in grocers will most likely be less tasteful than those selected at precisely the right time.

Harvesting Celery 

Celery stalks in the ground, ready for harvesting

Celery can also be a great addition to your home vegetable garden. This unique vegetable is high in vitamin C, beta carotene, and flavonoids. In addition to these, one stalk of celery also contains 12 other types of antioxidant nutrients. Harvesting celery isn’t as difficult as it might seem; similar to other vegetables, it’s all about timing. You know your celery is ready for harvest when the flower stalks are about 15cm from the ground to the first node, and the taller stalks should be between 46cm and 61cm. The longer stalks should also have a diameter of about 7cm, and your stalks should remain bunched together. You can check out how to grow and make your own celery juice here!

Harvesting Scallions 

Close up image of harvested scallions laid out in a row

Regularly used in the kitchen of many households around the world, scallions are essential to making a dish complete. This vegetable differs from others, and the timing depends on the preference of the harvester. The regular timing for most when harvesting scallions are when they’ve grown to have a diameter of about 1.2cm and between 20cm and 30cm long. Scallions will take approximately 60 days from planting to harvesting and is a vegetable with an abundance of uses. If you aren’t able to use all your scallions after harvesting them, you can consider keeping them refrigerated for up to one week. Washing before refrigerating them is also an important step.

All three of these vegetables are unique in their way, but they are also a healthy means of eating great food. For tips on how to eat cleaner and healthier, we got you! Having the ability to grow and harvest your vegetables is an excellent way of changing habits, saving money, and eating quality, tasteful foods. 

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