This week, in our last Community Garden Class, we discussed ways of harvesting and storing your produce and how to prep your garden for winter! One of the most exciting parts of gardening is witnessing the fruits of your labor! Harvesting crops can be done in multiple ways, from hand-picking to using shears. The hardest part for harvesting is getting the timing down, but paying attention to certain signs makes it a bit easier. A great resource is the Farmer’s Almanac for tips on harvesting any crop! When harvesting, the time of day you harvest affects the flavor of produce – the best time to harvest is early morning after the dew dries.
On a sunny Friday, we harvested a variety of kales (Curly, Purple Russian, and a mystery third one), some beet greens, and Swiss chard from our community garden! We checked on how our Tlingit potatoes were growing, and they are looking spectacular! Just a few more weeks and they should be ready for harvest. Look forward to a Tlingit potato harvest event sometime in September! We also checked on our red and elephant garlic, and they are soon to be harvested!
Left Photo: Ian Johnson harvesting an elephant garlic to check its progress. Right Photo: A handful of Tlingit potatoes that were produced from one plant!
Community members were able to take home the produce we harvested, and someone sent a photo of a lovely sauteed kale they made! Another community member, Paris Donohue mentioned she mainly consumes produce while fresh, but with the prices in Hoonah, eating fresh is difficult. She’s currently growing salad microgreens hydroponically, and with the produce harvested on Friday, she’ll be able to make a very lovely salad!
Left Photo: Community members sitting around a variety of kales and Swiss chard. Top Right: Swiss chard basking in the sun. Bottom Right: Community members examining the Curly kale.
Once you’ve collected your abundance, it may be difficult to consume everything while it’s still fresh – this is where storing and preserving comes into play! There are many methods of preserving your harvest – techniques that have existed for thousands of years! When preserving, fresh is best! The quicker you preserve it, the better the product will be. There are a few exceptions to this, such as when making jam, using overripe fruit and berries is fine! Some different ways of storing your produce are by refrigerating, freezing, jamming, canning, pickling, fermenting, dehydrating, freeze-drying, and preserving in alcohol! For more information, check out the handout at the bottom of this page! It provides a brief explanation of each method, so you’ll have to search online for exact recipes.
It’s important to sterilize your jars for whatever you are preserving. You can sterilize by washing the jars, lids, and bands in hot, soapy water and then boil the jars in water for at least 10 minutes at altitudes less than 1,000 feet elevation. Add 1 additional minute for each additional 1,000 feet of elevation. The lids and rings shouldn’t be boiled, but double check with the brand of jars you are using!
After moving to Hoonah, Donohue is excited to start preserving. Especially during berry season when peak berry time is so short, she is looking forward to jamming!
And with Autumn approaching, it’s time to prepare your garden for winter! The University of Alaska Fairbanks provides a great checklist for what a gardener should be accomplishing in Fall and Winter (linked below)! As it gets colder, harvest tender veggies (tomatoes, zucchini, peas, beans, winter squash, and pumpkin) before any frost sets in! But hardy veggies (brussels sprouts, kale, collards, broccoli, spinach, and garlic) can tolerate hard frosts – they even can taste better after a light frost. Semi-hardy veggies (cabbages, Swiss chard, arugula, leeks, mustard greens, cauliflower, English peas, kohlrabi, root crops, potatoes) can tolerate light frosts, but you should harvest before severe frost sets in.
And with the harvest season ending, it’s a great time to start thinking about what you want to do next year for your garden! Since Alaska has such a short growing season (despite the long days), it may be nice to start seeds inside before the season officially starts. For more information about seed starting, check out our Community Garden Series: Week 1 – Weeding and Seeding blogpost (don’t forget to harden off your seedlings!).
As this was the last Community Garden class, I wanted to thank every individual who participated in the classes throughout the summer. These classes wouldn’t have been possible without the support of the community, and we hope to see you next year! There are many exciting events and programs happening at HIA: Environmental and we would love community engagement. Keep an eye out for events surrounding the greenhouse, farmer’s market, and Tlingit potato harvesting!
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