Growing organic vegetables can be very rewarding and satisfying. Organic vegetables are grown without the use of pesticides or fertilizers. The gardener can use the type of vegetables they want to grow and also has complete control over the environment in which they are grown. The size of the garden can be custom made to fit in whatever space is available.
You might have just started growing organic vegetables, or you could be an experienced grower already. There exists one question that seems to appear time and time again.
What do I do with all those organic vegetables? Below are some helpful tips for your organically grown vegetables.
Most people will use their organic vegetables in a dry form. Always try to harvest your vegetables as early as possible in the day. You simply need to use a sharp knife or a pair of garden scissors to harvest your organic vegetables and make sure that the stems are quite long.
1: Cleaning Your Vegetables
Wash the vegetables, but remember they are vegetables and not some steel fork. So be gentle with them and once washed put them on a piece of kitchen towel or a clean cloth. The organic vegetables need to dry out once washed so the sheet needs to be absorbent to ensure that all the water on your vegetables can be drained away.
2: Drying Your Vegetables
Once all the water has been removed, you then want to tie them together in bundles with a bit of string. Then hang the small bundles up in an area out of the way but if possible moisture free. You will find that the airing cupboard can be a good spot as it’s always slightly warm and of course dry. You should be hanging them near a window which has direct sunlight, this will also be a perfect place. Just remember, however, that the sunlight will take some of the natural colors from your vegetables.
3: Making Your Vegetables Ready For Use
Get yourself some glass or stone jars, and once the vegetables are completely dried out, it is easy to crush them into the jars. Most prefer not to use plastic as it may affect the flavor of the vegetables.
Your vegetables once dried will last for at least nine to twelve months.
4: Freezing Your Vegetables.
As an alternative, you can also freeze your vegetables. To do this simply harvest and wash as above but when drying you should make 100 percent certain there is no excess moisture. So keep turning them on the paper towel until completely dry. This is necessary for the freezing process.
To get the best flavor from the vegetables when frozen keep the flowers and leaves on the stems. When they are dry, it is easy to put them into freezer bags and place them into the freezer. One point to note here is to put a label or mark the freezer bag with the date. Organic vegetables which have been frozen would be best used within six months of freezing them as this is when they have their best flavor.
To use the frozen vegetables from the freezer just flake off the vegetables between thumb and forefinger after which return all the remaining vegetables to the freezer.
