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Being stuck at home due to the pandemic encouraged people to do something productive, according to research from Weleda. Many are continuing to grow their own, even now most of the lockdown restrictions have been lifted, with 62% saying it has positively impacted their mood.
Not only do people benefit nutritionally from eating homegrown produce, but it tastes better than anything you can buy in the supermarket, because it's fresher. Going outside in the fresh air is good for us, physically and emotionally.
When do you harvest garden fruits?
The most important thing to remember when planning to harvest your garden fruits is getting the timing right. If you're a novice gardener, do your research before you start.
As a rough idea, you should already be harvesting fruits such as strawberries and gooseberries. You also need to prepare to harvest your cherries, blueberries, apricots, nectarines and peaches, as this is a mid-summer task.
In late summer, apples, blackberries, figs, damsons, raspberries and plums can be harvested. In early autumn, apples and raspberries will still be ripening, and you can also pick your pears.
Remember, the ripening of fruit can vary, depending on the weather. It can even differ year to year. Look for other signs to make sure it's ripe, as the timing is all-important in terms of flavour. If the fruit is picked too soon, its flavour may not be fully developed. If it's left too late, the flavour will have deteriorated, and it won't store well.
It's easy to check if fruit that grows on trees and bushes is ripe by simply looking at and touching it. Once it starts falling off the tree, it is ready for harvest for sure. Apples should be firm to the touch. Taste one and if it's sweet and crunchy, it's ready. You might need to harvest apple trees three times to get the whole crop at peak ripeness.
Pears should be hard and sweet. Plums should be soft when you touch them. Plums can be picked gradually as they ripen. If you find the gooseberries you've picked are under-ripe, you can still use them for jam. It's best to leave them to soften and sweeten on the bush, however.
Cherries and redcurrants are ripe when they are deep-coloured and soft. Soft fruit will spoil faster than hard fruit, so you need to eat it quickly, or cook it for jam or pie fillings. If it's left too long, it can be damaged by fungus.
How do you collect the fruit?
Use suitable containers for collecting the fruit you harvest. If you're picking fruit such as apples and pears from a tall tree, you will need either a sturdy step ladder, or a long-handled fruit-picker. Either way, collect it in a large, sturdy container that you can either stand at the top of the ladder, or hang over your arm as you are picking.
Keep your hands free for your own safety if you're climbing a ladder to reach tree branches. If you're harvesting thorny crops, wear gloves. Hold the fruit gently and twist it from the branch or stem. If it's ripe, it should come away easily. Never force it, or squeeze it with too much pressure, as you will damage it.
You can sometimes collect fruit from a tree by shaking the branches and allowing it to fall on to a sheet on the ground below. Don't do this with soft fruits, or you could bruise them. You should cut cherries off with scissors, so the fruit stalk isn't ripped from the flesh.
How long can you store the fruit after picking it?
You should eat soft fruit as soon as possible after harvesting, or it will lose its texture and taste. Keep it in the fridge in a suitable container, particularly if it's a hot day. Soft fruit such as damsons, apricots, nectarines, plums and peaches will last only a few days, even if refrigerated.
Hard fruits, such as pears and apples, will tend to last longer, but even they have a shelf life. Never leave the fruit piled up in bowls for too long, as there is a chance you will find the fruit at the bottom bruised and unfit to eat. It's better to put it in a bigger container where it's not crushed on top of each other.
You can always freeze fresh fruit as soon as you pick it. When there's a danger it will go off due to the sheer quantity, it's best to anticipate this straight away and freeze it while super-fresh. Your freezer is a perfect solution for stopping any fruit from going to waste.
Freezing fruit is easy, as long as you do it while at its peak quality. Use high-quality freezer-safe containers with a lid. Never leave them open, as fruit can get spoiled by freezer burn, just like anything else.
Make sure you choose an appropriately sized container for the amount of fruit you're putting in. If you squeeze a lot in, you will have to thaw it all at the same time, as it will be frozen together. You might be better freezing smaller amounts in individual containers.
Label each batch so you can easily spot what's inside. Even clear containers can get ice on them that will make it difficult to see the contents right away if in deep-freeze. Put the date on each container too. Freezing fruit will make it last a lot longer, but not forever!
Use airtight containers where possible. Air is the worst enemy of fruit when you're trying to preserve it. If ice crystals manage to infiltrate the freezer containers, this will leave it with a sub-standard taste when thawed out.
The only thing left to consider now, is how you are going to make best use of your homegrown efforts… maybe a crumble or perhaps some jam? The possibilities are endless!