Author: Jordank

Home #gardeners can easily be overwhelmed by the sheer bounty of #summer and #fall #produce, especially if a particular crop succeeds. “There is an odd combination of being thrilled that you found the right plant and variety to produce like crazy, while also being stressed about what you are going to do with it all,” says The Homestead Garden. Visit the #garden daily to keep tabs on growth. Make a to-do list of tasks that will maximize your #harvest and still give you time to cook or store everything. Give excess fruits and vegetables to your neighbors if you can’t use them all. And look at gardening as a rewarding hobby, not a chore. #FreshProduce

Using fresh produce in season has a variety of benefits, says the Home & Garden Information Center at Clemson University. First, freshly harvested produce is at its peak nutritional value and is unlikely to have needed extensive storage or artificial ripening. Produce sold in season is also more cost-effective for the end user, since seasonal abundance typically lowers prices. Finally, eating fruits and vegetables in season helps support local farmers and the community, while reducing the environmental impacts associated with soil degradation and long-distance transportation. #FreshProduce

If you’re anything like the staff of The Organizing Blog, you grow and/or buy a lot of fresh seasonal produce during the summer and fall. But keeping things fresh can be a challenge! To avoid food waste and eat everything at peak, keep heavy items at the bottom of your shopping bag to avoid bruising delicate produce such as peaches and tomatoes, SF Marin Food Bank suggests. Know where to store items for longevity, whether it’s in the refrigerator, on the counter or in the pantry. And if you can’t use fresh produce before it goes bad, process it for later use and freeze or can it. Plan ahead, and you can eat healthy year-round. #FreshProduce

It’s the end of the growing season for many #summer ruits and vegetables, but you still have a few weeks to take advantage of nature’s bounty. Summer vegetables such as tomatoes, corn and peppers are still widely available, and many root vegetables such as carrots, beets and onions are still coming in. Harvest them, pick up some at the local farmers market or buy some from a CSA before it’s too late. Store-bought produce just doesn’t have the same flavor — and when something lacks flavor, Growing Spaces says, it usually comes up short in nutritional content, too. #FreshProduce