Tips for Harvesting Your Garden

I received product for this review. No other compensation was given. All opinions are 100% my own.

After the hard work you have put into your garden this summer, it is time to enjoy the fruits (and veggies) of your labor! What I love most is being able to take just a few steps down my deck to pick fresh produce to add to all our meals. It is the MOST fresh, delicious and healthy part of our meals. 

Here are some of my favorite tips and gardening ideas:

• Tips for Eating Locally
• Get Your Garden on this Winter
• The Lovely Edible Weed, Purslane
• Recipes for Garden Veggies
• Health Benefits of Gardening
• How to Get Your Child Involved in Gardening
• Epsom Salt: The Unknown Gardening Friend
• What Are the Dangers of Pesticides?

Now, let me share a few of my new, favorite products to make harvesting your garden even more enjoyable!

• Having trouble digging to find your potatoes or other under-the-ground produce? We have spent many hours trying to find our potatoes in our garden or even growing in our compost pile, and it is much easier with a sturdy digging fork. If you do not have one yet, I would recommend the one we have, the Joseph Bentley Stainless Steel Digging Fork. Not only is it helpful for harvesting your garden, it is also the perfect tool for turning over your soil (yes, we prepare our garden soil all by hand - no tiller for us!), aerating your flower beds, or just breaking up clumps of dirt. Trust me, you need a super sturdy fork, and this one is just that! It has stainless steel tines that will last forever! It also has an extra-long steel shaft joined to a wooden handle made of solid ash. The grip of the handle helps you do your gardening with just a little more ease. Highly recommend getting yourself a quality digging fork like this one if you do any sort of gardening. Look for it at www.homedepot.com and www.amazon.com.

•  See those pesky, sharp edges on my squash plants? If you find yourself with little prickers or cuts from your cucumbers, squash, thorny weeds, or rosebushes, then make sure you have some protective gardening gloves. These Jackson and Perkins Rose Gloves are one of my favorite garden products. They provide all the protection you will need, since they climb all the way up your forearm. Plus, they feature a lightweight, synthetic leather padded palm and reinforced fingertips, so those thorns will not sink through the glove material, like many others I have tried. When the gloves get dirty, they can be machine washed on a gentle cycle and line dried. Find them in two sizes—medium and large from www.jacksonandperkins.com.

• What if your garden is already almost done being harvested? Do you have to wait for fresh food until next year? No!! Check out your local farmers market, find a local farmer near you that you can buy direct from, or try growing some food in your home during those cold winter months. We love growing herbs year round in small pots throughout our home. And this year, we are going to try to grow sprouts right on our kitchen counter. Organic sprouts can be easily grown on your kitchen counter, and they are low in calories, high in fiber, and packed with nutrition. Alfalfa sprouts are one of the most popular sprouts due to their ability to be added to salads, sandwiches and many other dishes. They have a sweet, fresh taste—and alfalfa sprouts are an excellent source of vitamins including vitamins A, D, E, and K. Mung bean sprouts, which have been cultivated in Asia for thousands of years, have a crisp nutty flavor that can be stir-fried or eaten raw in salads. Today, “bean sprouts” are virtually synonymous with mung bean sprouts, and the popularity of this nutritious sprout continues to grow. They are a good source of protein, fiber and vitamins. We are using Sungarden Sprouts, which offers Alfalfa and Mung bean seeds for sprouting, plus Broccoli, Clover, Wheat, Spicy Mix, Crispy Mix and Bean Mix… most available organically! All seeds are thoroughly tested to be free of human or plant based pathogens. Sungarden tests its seeds for good germination and prints the results on every package. I love these! They are another great way to get your veggies into your diet and teach your kids about healthy eating and growing their own food. Find these varieties from www.harrisseeds.com.

What are your tips for harvesting your garden? Favorite recipes with fresh veggies?