Growing your own fruits and vegetables can be both fun and rewarding. However sometimes it can be a challenge to use your harvest to its fullest potential. Below are some ways to make the most of your harvest without subjecting your family and friends to endless squash and tomato dinners:
SEE ALSO: How to Use Your Home Grown Vegetables
Breads and Cakes
Many of us have a recipe for the traditional banana or fruit bread, but there are many vegetables that are also well suited for additions to breads and cakes of all kinds. Sweet potato and zucchini make great bases for nutritious breads. Pumpkin, butternut, and other winter squashes can make delicious cakes. You can either freeze the cooked squash puree or bake ahead. Both breads and cakes can be baked at harvest time or be put in the freezer for later use.
Juices and Jams
One great way to use a large apple harvest is to make cider or juice using a cider press. Other homegrown fruits such as blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries can be added to make various juice blends that are both delicious and healthful. Using a reliable recipe, juices and ciders can be successfully bottled for months of delicious drinking. Mashed fruit can also be cooked down to jams and jellies that are sure to please every member of the family year-round.
Sauces and Stews
Canning can be a useful way to preserve homegrown vegetables in the form of soups and sauces. By taking care to use reliable recipes and good canning techniques, tomatoes can be made into pasta sauce, root vegetables can add nutrition to stews, and beans and peas can add fiber and protein to chilies and soups.
Snacks
Another reliable way to use fruits and vegetables that your family might not otherwise eat is to dehydrate them to provide snacks that won’t leave you feeling guilty. Fruit of all types can be dried either whole or sliced. They can also be mashed and dried into fruit leather sheets. Vegetables can be sliced, salted and either dehydrated or baked into crunchy snacks. This is a great add-in for your homemade trail mix or road-trip snacks.
Growing your own fruits and vegetables can be a great way to ensure the quality of your food, extend your grocery budget, or provide a fun family project. Whatever your reason for growing your own food, it only takes a little planning to use your harvest in new, exciting and delicious ways that last year-round.
Rizwan Ahmad
SEE ALSO: How to Use Your Home Grown Vegetables
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| Image Credit: Christer |
Breads and Cakes
Many of us have a recipe for the traditional banana or fruit bread, but there are many vegetables that are also well suited for additions to breads and cakes of all kinds. Sweet potato and zucchini make great bases for nutritious breads. Pumpkin, butternut, and other winter squashes can make delicious cakes. You can either freeze the cooked squash puree or bake ahead. Both breads and cakes can be baked at harvest time or be put in the freezer for later use.
Juices and Jams
One great way to use a large apple harvest is to make cider or juice using a cider press. Other homegrown fruits such as blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries can be added to make various juice blends that are both delicious and healthful. Using a reliable recipe, juices and ciders can be successfully bottled for months of delicious drinking. Mashed fruit can also be cooked down to jams and jellies that are sure to please every member of the family year-round.
Sauces and Stews
Canning can be a useful way to preserve homegrown vegetables in the form of soups and sauces. By taking care to use reliable recipes and good canning techniques, tomatoes can be made into pasta sauce, root vegetables can add nutrition to stews, and beans and peas can add fiber and protein to chilies and soups.
Snacks
Another reliable way to use fruits and vegetables that your family might not otherwise eat is to dehydrate them to provide snacks that won’t leave you feeling guilty. Fruit of all types can be dried either whole or sliced. They can also be mashed and dried into fruit leather sheets. Vegetables can be sliced, salted and either dehydrated or baked into crunchy snacks. This is a great add-in for your homemade trail mix or road-trip snacks.
Growing your own fruits and vegetables can be a great way to ensure the quality of your food, extend your grocery budget, or provide a fun family project. Whatever your reason for growing your own food, it only takes a little planning to use your harvest in new, exciting and delicious ways that last year-round.
Rizwan Ahmad
About the Author:
This article is contributed by Anita Ginsburg and posted by Rizwan Ahmad Author and founder of myfoodforu blog He is a blogger from India and he loves to share his thoughts by writing articles on the different topics related to humanity,
This article is contributed by Anita Ginsburg and posted by Rizwan Ahmad Author and founder of myfoodforu blog He is a blogger from India and he loves to share his thoughts by writing articles on the different topics related to humanity,
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