Page 45 - Bringing out the Potential In Our Children - Gardeners - Food Producers

Cut bell peppers from the plants with a sharp knife or pruning
shears, leaving at least ½ inch (1.3 cm) of stem attached.
Cayennes, and some other peppers usually come off with
enough stem attached when pulled from the plants. Always
use a scissors or shears if you find yourself having to twist and
tug to get peppers picked. You don't want to break or damage
the delicate branches.

Ripening will continue after harvest if kept in a warm room;
ripening stops when peppers are refrigerated. Most peppers
change color when ripe. Small, thin-walled peppers, like
cayennes, tend to color up quickly. Sweet bell peppers can
show strips of yellow, red, or orange and will continue to ripen

when harvested and stored at room temperature.

Store thick-walled peppers in plastic bags in the refrigerator
for up to 2 weeks, or wash, cut into strips, and blanch them for
30 seconds in boiling water, and freeze them. You can also
pickle peppers if you want.

Small-thin-walled peppers start drying the moment you pick
them. To dry hot peppers like cayennes, lay them in a single
layer in a very warm place until they are beyond leathery but
not quite crisp. Then store them in airtight jars.

Potato As tubers become fully mature, the potato plant's stems and
leaves turn brown. You don't however, have to wait for the
plants to die back to start eating your potatoes. Harvest when
the potatoes reach the size you want. If you plan to store
them, make sure the skins are very tough, and don't peel off
easily when you gently rub them with a finger at harvest time.

If your soil is loose, simply pull up the brown foliage and use
your fingers to explore the soil and find more potatoes. You
can also use a pitchfork to gently loosen the soil and lift the
tubers out by hand.

Leave the potatoes outdoors for an hour or two to dry off on
the ground. There's no need to wash or brush them before
storing, although you can wipe away any clumps of soil. Keep
the potatoes in complete darkness after they've dried in the
open for a short time. Don't leave them in any container that
light can penetrate or the potatoes will turn green.

If you plan to store your potatoes, you'll be better off if you
cure them for a week or two. Put potatoes in a single layer on
newspapers in the dark around 50-60° F (10-15° C) for 2
weeks to cure. After curing, store in boxes or bags at about
40° F (4.4° C).

Pumpkin, Winter Squash Pumpkins and Winter Squash
Summer Squash, Zucchini
Harvest pumpkins and winter squash when the rind is hard
enough to resist puncturing with a fingernail, or wait until the
plants begin to die back. When handling any kind of pumpkin,