Weekly Roundup: Maximizing Your Autumn Garden Bounty

As the gardening season winds down, it’s crucial to make the most of the produce you’ve nurtured all summer long. From fresh kale to slightly blemished apples, knowing what to do with your harvest before winter sets in can help minimize waste and support your community.

Local volunteers harvest produce for a good cause.

Share the Bounty

Edmontonians are blessed with a wealth of edible fruit trees, with over 52,000 in the area. Most tree owners find themselves overwhelmed with produce as the season comes to a close. If you have more fruit than you can handle, consider donating it to the Edmonton Food Bank. They welcome fresh vegetables like root veggies, beans, and squash. Doug Thompson from the food bank noted, > “This time of year we get a lot of potatoes, tomatoes, and corn on the cob, which are always appreciated.”

Potatoes can produce between three and five pounds per plant, making them a popular donation item.

Unfortunately, not all fruits can be accepted; crabapples, for instance, don’t meet the food bank’s standards due to their size and tart flavor. However, leftovers can benefit local organizations like the Leftovers Foundation, which redistributes excess produce to campus food banks and social agencies.

Gardeners can register to donate already-picked fruits and vegetables through the Home Harvest program. Meanwhile, if you have wormy apples or caterpillar-chewed cabbages, don’t toss them out. FARMM gladly takes these imperfect yet edible donations. Their owner Melissa Marttell explains, > “We have about 150 animals that benefit from getting donated produce. It’s great to see it used rather than wasted.”

Wormy apples can still be donated for animal feed.

Save the Season

If your harvest is manageable, consider storing hardy vegetables in a root cellar or freezer. Vegetables like potatoes, carrots, and onions can last up to eight months when stored properly. No root cellar? No problem! Blanch veggies before freezing to keep them fresh, and don’t forget to create herb bombs for easy flavor additions to winter dishes, using your herb garden.

We also recommend putting up jams, jellies, and pickles. If canning is new to you, resources are available through the Edmonton Public Library and Operation Fruit Rescue offers workshops to get you started.

Preserving food properly can extend your garden’s bounty throughout the winter.

Health Canada has guidelines in place to ensure safe canning practices, with varying methods for high-acid and low-acid foods. Beginners should thoroughly read up or attend a class before attempting canning.

Lastly, for those intrigued by fermentation, an art that adds unique flavors to your garden produce, various local establishments run classes and workshops, including the Fermentation Club.

Homemade preserves cannot be donated to food banks as they require specific kitchen standards. Always check local regulations to ensure compliance with food safety laws.

Conclusion

As the fall winds bring harvests to a close, take advantage of your garden’s bounty. Whether sharing excess produce with community groups or preserving food for winter, these actions foster a caring and sustainable food culture. Enjoy the fruits of your labor all season long!