15 Harvesting Tips for Edibles

When your veggie garden is in full production mode, it can be a challenge to keep up with the harvest. These tips will help you bring in the produce efficiently so you can get to the best part: eating!

On hot, sunny days, a cold water bath will remove heat from the veggies. Take a bucket of cold water into the garden and plunge the veggies right in as you harvest. They will stay crisp and fresh until you can get them into the house.

Use an umbrella to shade your produce while you pick. It is amazing how much protection this simple trick can provide. Your greens will stay fresher longer, and no sunburn.

Root veggies will be easy to pull up if you loosen the soil first. Bring your trowel with you when you are planning to harvest. For the sake of convenience, leave a few common harvesting tools, like knives and scissors, in the garden. An old mailbox makes a good weatherproof storage container. When you are finished using them, simply rinse the blades and return them to the box.