Sweet Banana Peppers
Sweet Banana Peppers can be harvested when they are 6" or longer and when they have turned from green to yellow or red.  Many gardeners like the taste of the pepper when they are fully mature or deep red.  Cut them off about 1/2 inch to 1 inch above the pepper.  Use a knife or scissor so that the plant is not damaged.  Peppers can be roasted, canned, frozen or eaten fresh from the garden. 

Harvesting Herbs
Herbs should be harvested when the oils responsible for flavor and aroma are at their peak. Proper timing depends on the plant part you are harvesting and the intended use. Herbs grown for their foliage should be harvested before they flower. While chives are quite attractive in bloom, flowering can cause the foliage to develop an off-flavor. Harvest herbs grown for seeds as the seed pods change in color from green to brown to gray but before they shatter (open). Collect herb flowers, such as borage and chamomile, just before full flower. Harvest herb roots, such as bloodroot, chicory, ginseng, and goldenseal, in the fall after the foliage fades. Some general guidelines to use include:

• Begin harvesting the herb when the plant has enough foliage to maintain growth. Up to 75% of the current season's growth can be harvested at one time.
• Harvest early in the morning, after the dew dries, but before the heat of the day.
• Harvest herbs before flowering, otherwise, leaf production declines.
• Herb flowers have their most intense oil concentration and flavor when harvested after flower buds appear but before they open.
• Herb flowers harvested to dry for craft purposes should be picked just before they are fully open.
• Annual herbs can be harvested until frost.
• Perennial herbs can be clipped until late August. Stop harvesting about one month before the frost date. Late pruning could encourage tender growth that cannot harden-off before winter.
• Harvest tarragon or lavender flowers in early summer and then shear the plants to half their height to encourage a second flowering period in the fall.

Preserving Herbs
Herbs acquire their fragrance and flavor from oils that evaporate into the air when the leaves are crushed. Ideally, you should use fresh herbs for cooking, but it is possible to retain some quality for later use. There are several methods to preserve herbs.
Freezing is one of the easiest methods to preserve herbs. Rinse the herbs quickly in cold water, shake off the excess, then chop coarsely. Place generous pinches of herbs in water-filled ice cube trays and freeze. Transfer herb-cubes to plastic bags or air tight plastic containers. Another method for freezing is to spread the herbs loosely onto a cookie sheet to freeze, then transfer the herbs into a large plastic bag and seal. When they thaw, herbs will not be suitable for garnish, but can be used in cooking. Do not re-freeze herbs after thawing.
Drying is the traditional method of herb preservation. If the herbs are clean, do not wet them. Otherwise, rinse dust and dirt from the foliage, shake off the excess water, and spread the herbs out to dry on paper towels or dishcloths until all surface moisture has evaporated. Remove any dead or damaged foliage. Then, tie the stems into small bundles with twine or string and hang them upside down in a warm, dry, airy place out of the sun. Be sure to make small, loose bundles and allow for good air circulation around each bunch.
UV rays from the sun and moisture from dew and frost can discolor and severely reduce the quality of many herbs. Thus, it is best to dry herbs indoors in a large empty closet, attic, or unused corner of a room. Drying herbs look quite attractive drying in a kitchen or pantry. If none of these places are practical, herbs can be dried in a barn, shed, or (least desirable) under the cover of a porch. Sage, thyme, summer savory, dill, and parsley are easy to dry. Basil, tarragon, and mints may mold and discolor if not dried quickly.
An alternative to hanging herbs to dry in bunches is to spread the herbs out on window screens. Suspend the screens over sawhorses or the backs of chairs. Turn the leaves often to ensure even drying.
To air dry herbs with seeds, tie the herbs in small bundles and suspend inside a paper bag with holes punched in the sides. Suspend the bag in a dark area with good air circulation. Collect the seeds when they are dry, and store in rigid light-proof containers.
Microwave drying is a quick and easy method to dry small amounts of herbs. Lay a single layer of clean, dry leaves between dry paper towels and place them in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes on high power. Drying will vary with the moisture content of the herb and the wattage of the microwave oven. Let the leaves cool. If they are not brittle, reheat for 30 seconds and retest. Repeat as needed. Thick leaved herbs may need to be air dried for several days before microwaving.
Conventional ovens can also be used to dry herbs. Spread the herbs on cookie sheets and dry at the lowest temperature setting possible. Home food dehydrators also do an excellent job of drying herbs. Follow the directions provided with the dehydrator.
Herbs are sufficiently dry when they are brittle and crumble easily. When the leaves are dry, separate them from their stems and package the leaves in rigid containers with tight fitting lids. Glass or hard plastic are best, although heavy-duty zip-lock plastic bags can be used. To preserve full flavor, avoid crushing the leaves until you are ready to use them. Store dried herbs in a cool, dry place away from sunlight, moisture, and heat. Many herbs can be keep for a year if stored properly. NCSU Website

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Picking Beets – Learn The Steps To Harvest Beets

Posted By Becca Badgett In Vegetable Gardening |

By Becca Badgett
(Co-author of How to Grow an EMERGENCY Garden ^[1])
^[2]
Image by 3liz4 Learning when to harvest beets takes a little knowledge of the crop and knowing what use you have planned for the beets. Harvesting beets is possible as soon as 45 days after planting seeds of some varieties. Some say the smaller the beet, the more flavorful, while other allow them to reach a medium size before picking beets.
Picking the leaves for use in various culinary endeavors is also a part of harvesting beets. The attractive leaves are packed with nutrition and may be eaten raw, cooked or used as a garnish. Making juice may be a part of your plan when harvesting beets.
Picking beets is easy once you know what to look for. Shoulders of the beets will protrude from the soil. When to harvest beets depends on the size of beet you desire. The best beets are dark in color, with a smooth surface. Smaller beets are most flavorful. Larger beets may become fibrous, soft or wrinkled.
The time table for harvesting beets will depend on when the beets were planted, temperatures where the beets are growing and what you are looking for in your beet crop. Beets are best grown as a cool season crop, in spring and fall in most areas.

How To Harvest Beets

Depending on soil and recent rainfall, you may want to water the beet crop a day or two before picking beets to make them slip from the soil more easily. This is particularly true if you will be picking beets by hand. To harvest beets by hand, firmly grasp the area where the leaves meet the beet root and give a firm and steady pull until the beet root comes out of the ground.
Digging is an alternative way of harvesting beets. Carefully dig around and below the growing beet, being careful not to slice through and then lift them out of the ground.
After picking beets, wash them if they will soon be used. If beets will be stored for a length of time, place them in a dry, shady place until the soil on them has dried, then gently brush the dried soil off. Wash the beets right before using.
Beet greens can be sparingly and individually trimmed from the root while the roots are still in the ground, or can be cut off the beet root in a bunch after the beet has been harvested.
These simple steps to harvest beets are all that is required to take this vegetable from the garden to the table, stove or storage area.
Have a plan for the beet harvest, as beet greens will last only a few days when refrigerated and beet roots only a few weeks unless stored in sand or sawdust in a cool place, such as a root cellar. When picking beets, try to eat some of them fresh for the best flavor and highest nutritional content.

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Harvesting Lettuce

1

Pick lettuce early in the morning when the leaves are still crisp.

2

Start harvesting leaf lettuces as soon as they're big enough to use. Cut leaves from the outside of the plant, letting the inner ones continue to develop. You can also take the whole plant, cutting it off about an inch above the ground, and letting it re-grow.



SPINACH

Beginning about six weeks after planting, pinch off individual leaves as you need them in the kitchen, leaving the central rosette intact.
In spring, long, warm days cause spinach to “bolt” (flower and produce seeds). Unless you plan to save seeds, pull up the plants when you notice them developing a tall central stem. Thoroughly clean, then steam-blanch (which limits their uptake of water and fixes enzymes) and freeze bumper crops.


Read more: http://www.motherearthnews.com/Organic-Gardening/2008-10-01/How-To-Grow-Spinach.aspx#ixzz20l0k9KQB

Mesclun

For delicious, tender salads it's vital to pick the greens when they're very young (lettuce, for example, is "done" when it's a mere 3 inches high). Consequently, mesclun harvesttime comes quickly — only five to six weeks after planting. The best method for gathering, I've found, is simply to pull up whole handfuls of the tiny plants, trim off the roots, wash and dry the leaves, and toss the clean greens into a salad bowl.
The mesclun blend of young lettuce and herbs is so moist and appetizing that very little dressing is needed; in fact, it's delicious with no dressing at all. But when I or mine do want a salad dressing, I use a basic vinaigrette blend composed of three parts olive oil and one part wine vinegar.
After a few plantings, you'll quickly discover your favorite mesclun combination. And when the gardening is done and the salad's on the table, I'm sure that your family and friends will be as delighted as mine were when I decided to experiment with this international appetite delight!


Read more: http://www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/mesclun-salad-greens-zmaz85zsie.aspx?page=2#ixzz20kzfRyag

Harvesting Lettuce

The quality of mature plants deteriorates quickly if lettuce is not used at its prime, so make extra plantings rather than trying to extend a harvest. To test the firmness of heading types, press down gently on the heart of the lettuce with the back of your hand. Don’t pinch it, as this can bruise the heart. Picking lettuce in the early morning preserves the crispness it acquires overnight. Use a sharp knife to cut the heads just below the lowest leaves, or pull the plants out by the roots. For the best flavor and nutrition, use lettuce immediately. If that’s not possible, wash it thoroughly but briefly in cold water, and drain it well. Refrigerated, most lettuce will keep for up to two weeks.

Read more: http://www.motherearthnews.com/real-food/grow-harvest-cook-different-types-of-lettuce-zmaz89zblon.aspx?page=4#ixzz20kxiX2Lp

When pulling radishes in warm weather, cool them right away by dropping them into a pail of cold water. Use a sharp knife or kitchen shears to remove the leaves, then store in the refrigerator for up to three weeks. Large oriental varieties can be left in the ground well into fall and dug just before the soil freezes.
Harvest salad radishes once they are bigger than grapes. Radishes left in the ground too long develop a pithy texture and often crack following heavy rains.
Hot weather and drought encourage the development of spicy flavor compounds, which are similar to those found in horseradish.


Read more: http://www.motherearthnews.com/Organic-Gardening/2008-02-01/Growing-Radishes.aspx#ixzz20kuM1pHk

In the Beginning..................

• Glacier Church had some land that they wanted to use as community service and Pastor Jamie spent two years getting the soil ready to prepare for a community garden for those who didn't have room to garden in their yards or didn't have yards.
• After the two years preparation, the garden opened in spring 2012 welcoming about 30 families who were given 8X25 foot plots to plant their gardens in.  Many of these folks were new to gardening.  At the same time, Pastor Jamie gave the kids in the community 4 foot X 4 foot boxes to plant with 16 crops per box.
• After a tough spring, warm and sunny May and cold and rainy June, it seems that we're on our way.