It’s Autumn, and probably the last opportunity to soak up a lovely warm-ish day in South Africa before the winter chill sets in. Why not arrange some outdoor time on your patio with friends and family and surprise them by preparing some dishes, almost exclusively from your garden? Get your preserve recipes ready and let’s fill some bags with produce to share with those in need.
Pick me
A tasty host of herbs to be picked now include thyme, parsley, marjoram, and mint. Veggies like squash, zucchini, eggplants, peppers, chillies and, beetroot are also ready for the lunch buffet. Juicy fruit such as melon and tomato will be coming to an end now as well.
Harvesting tips
- Prolong your lettuce harvest by only picking the larger, outer leaves each time, allowing the inner leaves to keep growing.
- Tomatoes are ready to be picked when they’re uniformly red – just before they soften. Spray preventatively against various fungal diseases.
- Lemons, depending on variety and care should be available to harvest pretty much all year round. Keep your tree well-watered, prune when necessary and protect it from pests to keep your bounty flowing.
- Peppers are a Catch-22 harvest. If you want volume you should pick them frequently and before they mature since they’ll keep trying to produce viable seed but if it is flavour you’re after you need to let them reach maturity before harvesting knowing you’ll have less but tastier fruit.
Preserve your bounty
Fresh produce has a limited shelf life but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy your harvest for longer. Fill jars with homemade pasta sauces, relishes, and pickles that can be enjoyed for months after you’ve harvested your vegetables. There are some stunning preserve recopies out there, not to mention fire ciders and other health conics you can create. Fermented yummies are powerful immunity boosters so have fun experimenting.
Sharing is caring
If you’ve been tending to a vegetable garden or growing fruit trees, you’re likely to have a variety of homegrown goodness at your fingertips. Often you end up with an abundant supply of fruits and vegetables that is far more than you need to feed your family. This is the ideal opportunity to share your harvest with friends, neighbours and those in need. Pack a basket with some surplus produce and share your care!
Fruit and vegetables are jam-packed with nutrients that are beneficial for your health. However, less fortunate families will often skip the vegetable aisle and opt for foods that are high in fats and carbohydrates as these can stretch further and keep them fuller for longer. These families would greatly welcome your donation of surplus fruits and vegetables to help add some nutrients to their table.
For the many elderly and homeless people, soup kitchens provide the comfort of a cooked meal. Often these kitchens need ingredients to keep the supply of soup available for those who depend on them to fill their tummies. You can donate fresh produce to a variety of food banks, soup kitchens or churches across South Africa that feeds the community.
Nothing is better than enjoying your homegrown fruits and vegetables except for sharing the bounty of your harvest so they can enjoy the flavour and goodness of your produce too. Growing your own food is a rewarding experience that allows you to share the rewards with others. So keep your harvest growing and share your bounty with those that will enjoy it as much as you do.
