December 27, 2024
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Down the Garden Path: Prolong the shelf life of garden-fresh produce with good harvest habits

By Bruce J. Black, Horticulture Educator
Bruce J. Black is the University of Illinois Extension Horticulture Educator serving Carroll, Lee, and Whiteside counties. Black’s primary areas of expertise are in fruit and vegetable production, plant propagation, and community and youth garden education.

Bruce J. Black (Photo provided by University of Illinois Extension)

The fruits of our summer labors have been ripening with more fruits and vegetables ready for harvest. Overplanting is a common problem and it is a struggle to get the longest life out of the harvest.

Most of us end up with more produce than we can use. Neighbors, friends, coworkers, food pantries and community share tables benefit from the overflow.

The quality of harvested produce follows an 80-20 rule. Most of what happens after it is harvested, 80%, is decided by preharvest factors such as genetics, environmental and cultural factors. The remaining 20% is determined by how the produce is handled after harvest.

Home gardeners often pick specific fruit and vegetable varieties for their flavor, fresh consumption or preservation needs. They don’t pick varieties for their built-in resistance to diseases or response to natural environmental conditions.

Unfortunately, we have yet to figure out how to control the weather or the amount of sunlight gardens receive. How gardeners respond to fluctuating natural conditions, such as high winds or drought, can give plants a fighting chance. These cultural responses are the things we can control – irrigation, fertilizing, pulling weeds or using pesticides and choosing when and how to plant and harvest.

While the 80% preharvest factors may have more influence, the postharvest 20% can actually make a significant difference with produce.

Tips to improve post-harvest quality and extend shelf life:

  • Take care to prevent dropping, bruising or picking injuries.
  • Harvest produce during the cool part of the morning to limit heat damage. Shade fruit left outside if picking large quantities at once.
  • Store similar produce together for optimum temperature and humidity requirements in refrigerator crisper drawers or cellars.
  • Use a small fan when storing a larger harvest on a flat surface in single layers. The circulation of air helps with ethylene and pathogens in the air.
  • Store ethylene producing produce (apples, melons and tomatoes) and ethylene sensitive produce (peppers, green beans, cucumbers and lettuce) separately.

Ethylene is the natural gaseous plant hormone mostly responsible for ripening. When a fruit or vegetable is injured, four things happen – increased ethylene production, increased rate of respiration, increased water loss and the creation of an entry point for pathogens.

Taking these factors into consideration as you harvest should help your produce have a longer postharvest life and give you time to plan how to best enjoy your harvest. Given the investment of the time, money, sweat and even tears you put into your garden, getting extra time to savor their flavors just makes gardening sweeter.

For information on postharvest, check out University of Illinois Extension’s website at extension.illinois.edu/gardening.

• Have a question for the Master Gardeners? Residents can contact the Kendall County Master Gardener volunteers from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Friday by calling 630-553-5823, stopping in at 7775B Route 47, Yorkville, or emailing uiemg-kendall@illinois.edu. For helpful hints on what to include in your email, visit go.illinois.edu/HelpDeskMGdkk.