Growing and Preserving Your Own Fruits and Vegetables

1. Growing and Preserving Your Own Fruits and Vegetables By Sherry Ellis

2. Why Grow Your Own Fruits and Vegetables? • Save money on food • Know exactly what goes on your food and where it comes from • Get healthy by eating fruits and vegetables • Gardening provides exercise: 45 minutes of gardening can burn as many calories as 30 minutes of aerobic exercise

3. A Lesson from History • Victory Gardens were fruit and vegetable gardens planted during World War I and World War II to reduce the pressure on public food supply. • 5 million gardens were created in the United States on apartment building roof tops, backyards, and parks. • “Grow your own, can your own,” became the popular slogan of the day.

4. How to Get Started • Plan your garden space • Plant from seeds • Plant seedlings/older plants

5. Planning Your Garden Space • Select a site that gets enough sun and has enough space for the fruits and vegetables you wish to grow. • Measure your garden in order to plan row lengths, spacing between rows and amount of plants and seeds that will be needed. • Select fruits and vegetables based on your growing climate and preferences. • Diagram your garden plot and determine where you wish to plant each crop. Plant tall plants on the north side of your garden to avoid shading the rest of the plants. • Rotate annual plants to help replenish the soil chemistry in your garden. Refer to previous garden diagrams to help you do this.

6. Growing from Seeds • Read seed packet instructions. • Some can be started indoors in small pots or seed starter kits. • Start seeds inside about two months before the last frost. • Keep soil moist. • Two weeks before planting, acclimate the seedlings to the outdoors by placing them outside for short periods of time. • Plant seedlings outside after last frost. • Place seedlings and soil into the ground, allowing enough space between plants for them to grow. • Water regularly.

7. Collect Your Own Seeds • Collect from mature, healthy fruits and vegetables. • Save seeds from several plants of the same variety to keep gene pool healthy. • Seeds can be stored in a cool, dark place for about three years. • Two methods for collecting seeds: wet and dry

8. Wet Method • Used for wet, fleshy fruits and vegetables, like tomatoes and cucumbers. • Scoop out the insides of vegetables and leave in a container to ferment. • In three to five days, a mold will have formed over it. This is fine. It encourages germination. • Scoop mold off with a spoon then add water to the container and swish around. • Some seeds float, some will sink. Keep the ones that sink. • Rinse and dry on a tray out of direct sunlight. • When dry, store in a labelled envelope. Include date on envelope.

9. Dry Method • For vegetables whose seeds are encased or not surrounded by pulp, like beans, peas, and carrots. • When seeds look mature, secure paper bags over the seed heads, and attach to plant stems. This will catch the seeds as they fall off. • Separate the seeds from their coverings (chaff). You may need to loosen the coverings by lightly crushing them in a brown bag. Be careful not to hurt the seeds. • Place seeds in a bowl and shake the bowl around. The chaff will rise to the top. Gently blow the chaff out of the bowl until just the seeds are left. • Store seeds in a labeled envelope. Include the date on the envelope.

10. Growing from Seedlings • Read labels or information cards attached to your plants. Most seedlings should be planted after the last frost. • Prepare planting site by weeding and loosening the ground (tilling). • Dig holes twice the diameter of the seedling’s root ball and slightly deeper than the pot it was in. • Place seedling in the hole so that the base of the seedling stem is near or just below the surface level. You may need to add or remove soil to do this. • Fill remainder of hole with garden soil. • Water well.

11. Vegetables That Work Well Together • Beans, celery, cucumbers • Beets, lettuce, onions • Carrots, lettuce, radish, onions, tomatoes • Squash, cucumbers, corn

12. The Three Sisters • Corn, beans and squash • Iroquois Indians used this method of companion planting. • Plant in a ratio of 4:4:1. • 4 corn seeds and four bean seeds for every squash seed. • Corn is the oldest sister. Plant first in the center of a mound. It will protect the others from weeds and insects and offer support. • When the corn is 10 inches tall, plant the squash and beans around it.

13. Vegetables That Do Not Work Well Together • Do not plant cucumbers near herbs or potatoes. • Do not plant onions near peas and beans. • Do not plant cabbage or cauliflower next to tomatoes, onions or carrots.

14. Double Duty Plants • Garlic wards off aphids, fleas and spider mites. • Chives keep away aphids and spider mites. • Basil keeps away flies and mosquitos. • Radishes discourage cucumber beetles, squash bugs and stink bugs. • Peppermint repels ants, cabbage moths and aphids.

15. Caring for Your Garden • Water. Early morning works best. Plants need about 1-3 inches of water per week. • Weed. Adding mulch in your garden can reduce weeds and increase water retention. • Fertilize. • Deter pests with a chicken wire fence. You can soak old rags in white vinegar and attach them to fence posts to keep unwanted visitors out.

16. Fertilizer • Three main ingredients: nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium • Nitrogen is for foliage growth. • Phosphorus is for flowers and roots. • Potassium is for overall health. • On fertilizer bags, there is a set of three numbers, which represent the percentages of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in the mix. (5-10-5 = 5% nitrogen, 10% phosphorus, 5% potassium) • 1-2-1 is a good mix for vegetable gardens. • 5-10-5 is a good all-purpose fertilizer.

17. Harvesting • Most fruits and vegetables should be harvested before full maturity. • Apples: Harvest in the fall, when a little twist easily removes them from the tree. • Asparagus: Harvest when spears are 6-8 inches tall and as thick as your little finger. • Beans: Harvest before the seeds inside bulge out. They should easily snap in two. • Broccoli: Harvest before flower heads bloom, when heads are deep green and compact. • Carrots: Harvest 2-3 months after planting, when diameter looks right for the variety.

18. More Harvesting Guidelines • Corn: Harvest about three weeks after the silks on the cobs have formed. They will have turned brown. • Cucumbers: Harvest when firm and smooth, before they become big or yellow. • Leaf lettuce: Harvest when outer leaves are about four inches tall. • Onions: Are mature when tops of plants turn yellow and tip over. • Peas: Are ready three weeks after the flowers appear. • Pears: Harvest before they are fully ripe – when they are mature and still hard. • Peppers: Harvest when they reach a useable size. • Potatoes: Are mature when the potato plant stems and leaves turn brown. • Tomatoes: Are ripe when they change color.

19. Recycle through Composting • Compost is recycled garden debris that acts as a mulch and fertilizer for your garden. • Compost adds valuable nutrients to the soil. • Compost helps clay soil drain better, and sandy soil retain water.

20. How to Make a Compost Pile • Choose an area that’s out of sight, yet convenient to your garden. • Buy or create a composting bin. A stiff, wire mesh can be used to contain your compost. • Collect compost material: green and brown garden debris. • Green garden debris: raw vegetable peelings, coffee grounds, grass clippings • Brown garden debris: dry leaves, newspapers, sawdust • Mix debris in the ratio of one part green debris to two parts brown debris. Too much green makes the pile smell bad. Add more brown if this becomes a problem. • To jump start the microbial action, toss a shovelful of finished compost or garden soil. • Your pile should be moist, but not too wet. Add some water if it starts to dry out. • Turn the pile once a week to keep the airflow continuous. If possible, keep uncovered. • Your compost should be finished in about two months, when you can’t tell what the original materials were.

21. Preserving Your Fruits and Vegetables • Preserving saves money. • Preserving prevents waste. • Preserving allows you to enjoy fruits and vegetables throughout the year. • Methods of preserving: Canning and freezing

22. Canning Method • Peel the fruit. (Tomato and peach skin can be removed by placing the fruit in boiling water for 30-60 seconds. The skin will crack. Remove fruit and place in cool water. Once cool enough to handle, slip the skin off.) • Remove cores, pits, or damaged parts. Tomatoes can be canned whole. • Slice fruit to preferred size. • Place fruit in a pot with water and turn on high heat. • Add sugar to fruit: approximately one cup per quart of fruit. • If desired, add seasonings. • Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Simmer for twenty minutes. • Prepare jars. Use clean, sanitary jars. • Turn off heat and fill jars to about a half an inch from the top. • Place lids on each one and screw on a band, tightening snugly. • Process the filled jars by bringing a large pot of water to a boil. Boil the jars with water level a half inch above the tops of the jar. This kills any remaining microorganisms. See next slide for boiling times or follow your recipe. (Begin timing when water comes to full boil.) • Remove jars carefully and place on a dish towel to cool. • Jar lids should snap down and make a “pop” sound. When the lids are pressed, they should not pop up. If the jar is not properly sealed, refrigerate. • Dry the jar lids to prevent rusting. • Store in a cool, dry place.

23. Process Times for Jars Quart Pint Apples: 20 minutes Apricots: 20 minutes Berries: 15 minutes Cherries: 15 minutes Peaches: 20 minutes Pears: 20 minutes Tomatoes: 40 minutes • Apples: 20 minutes • Apricots: 25 minutes • Berries: 15 minutes • Cherries: 20 minutes • Peaches: 25 minutes • Pears: 25 minutes • Tomatoes: 45 minutes

24. Freezing Vegetables • Wash vegetables and remove stems and damaged parts. • Chop the vegetables into useable pieces. • Boil one gallon of water per pound of vegetables. • Prepare another pot with ice water to blanch after boiling. • Boil vegetables, covered and in a colander for appropriate blanching time. (See following slide.) • Remove from boiling water and place vegetables in ice water. • Drain thoroughly. • Store vegetables in a freezer container and close lid so it is sealed. • Label the container with contents and date. • Freeze.

25. Blanching Times • Asparagus: 2 minutes • Broccoli: 3 minutes • Carrots: 2 minutes diced, 5 minutes whole (small) • Cauliflower: 3 minutes • Corn: 7 minutes small ear, 11 minutes large ear, 4 minutes if taking off the cob. (Blanch before removing kernels.) • Green beans: 3 minutes • Peas: 1-2 minutes • Summer squash: 3 minutes

26. Freezing Fruit • Wash fruit and remove stems and damaged parts. • Drain thoroughly. • Berries may be placed on a tray and frozen before storing in a freezer bag, to prevent clumping. • Juicy fruits such as strawberries and peaches can be preserved by first rolling them in sugar, then layering in freezer containers with a sheet of wax paper separating the layers. • Label freezer bags and containers with contents and date.

27. How Long Can Preserved Food Be Stored? • Frozen, blanched vegetables should be used within 12- 18 months. • Canned food should be used within a year. • Frozen fruit should be used within 9 months. • General rule: Use preserved food within 12 months.

28. Recap • Gardening helps you save money and eat healthier. • For optimal results, plan your garden and research the fruits and vegetables you wish to grow. • Preserve your fruits and vegetables so they can be enjoyed throughout the year.

29. Sherry Ellis Sherry Ellis is an award-winning children’s author and professional musician who plays and teaches violin, viola and piano. To learn more about her, please visit www.sherryellis.org.