Page 41 - Bringing out the Potential In Our Children - Gardeners - Food Producers

plastic wrap or bag them and they'll keep a week or more in
the refrigerator. The best storage temperature is 45 to 50° F
(7.2-10° C).

Pickling Cucumbers

Gather pickling cucumbers when they are very young and the
seeds are still quite soft, about 4 to 5 inches (10-12 cm) long.
If possible, harvest fruits in the morning because they'll be at
their firmest condition at this time of day, and refrigerate
immediately. Don't wash them until you're ready to use them.

For more, use our in-depth Growing Guide:

Growing Cucumbers

Eggplant

The best eggplant fruits are so young that the seeds are barely
visible when you cut them open and are about 4 to 5 inches
(10-12 cm) long for standard varieties, a bit smaller for mini
types.

The skin should be glossy and tight. If the skin is dull, that is
sign the eggplant if overripe and the flesh will be tough and
losing its flavor. Overripe eggplant also have black seeds
forming inside.

Cut fruits from the plants with 1 inch (2.5 cm) of stem
attached, and store them in the refrigerator.

Lettuce

Leaf Lettuce

Leaf lettuce matures about 40 days from seeding. Start
harvesting as soon as the leaves are big enough to eat, about
4 to 5 inches (10-12 cm) long. You can pick the large outer
leaves or slice the entire plant off about 1 inch (2.5 cm) above
the soil line, prompting the plant to send out new growth,
which will reach eating size in another 3 to 5 weeks. Harvest in
the morning when the leaves are crisp and full of moisture. If
your crop begins to bolt or is threatened by a hard frost,
harvest the entire plant.

Head Lettuce

Head and romaine lettuce mature about 70 days from seeds
and 20-35 days from transplants. When the heads are firm,
harvest by cutting the plant to ground level. For crisp lettuce,
harvest in the morning and eat that day. You can store most
lettuce in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 weeks; iceberg lettuce
keeps up to 3 weeks.