Ask Martha: Harvesting 101

Question: Hi Martha, I think my garden is ready for harvesting – how do I tell?

Martha: There's something magical about eating a perfectly ripe tomato just off the vine while it's still warm from the sun. (I like to bring a little salt with me into the garden to do just that!)

You'll know when your vegetables are ready by looking at their size, shape, and vibrant color. Tomatoes will give with a gentle tug rather than needing a hard pull. Some plants, like okra, beans, and turnips, are extra-delicious and tender when picked young. Keep up with your harvest to encourage new growth: Cucumbers will slow their production if they aren't plucked when ready, and when zucchini get too big, they aren't as tender and tasty as when they're smaller.

All your labors in the vegetable garden finally pay off at harvest time. However tempting it is to rush into picking your produce, don't sell it short by plucking it before it's ripe for eating. Here are some signs to help you recognize the moment when your crops are at their peak of perfection. Enjoy!

These can be gently pulled or dug as soon as the tops are large enough to handle. Consult your seed packet for the recommended time to harvest for optimum flavor and texture.

Composed of flower buds, broccoli must be cut before the flowers have a chance to open. The heads should be green and densely packed.

When a cantaloupe is ripe, it will slip easily from the vine, and the netting on its surface will turn beige.

You'll know it's ready when the silks turn brown, and the ears feel full through the husk from end to end.

Cut these from the vines when they are young, small, and softly spined. As they grow large, the seeds develop, and must be removed before eating.

Pick them at any size, but the larger they get, the more seeds they'll have.

These can be harvested green or ripe, depending on the taste you want. They have their best flavor during periods of high heat.

Harvest them when the seeds inside feel small in their pods. This ensures they will be tender and stringless.

These become tough and stringy when large, so harvest the small ones for the best flavor and texture.

These fruits continue to ripen after picking, but they develop the best flavor when left to reach their full color outdoors on the vine.

Tomatoes are ready to be picked when they yield to the slightest tug. To make sure the ripe fruit doesn't get bruised or damaged in transport, carefully place the tomatoes on rimmed baking sheets instead of stacking them. To get the most out of the tomatoes you grow, try preserving some for use throughout the year. Here is one of my favorite methods.

Ingredients:

• 6 large beefsteak or heirloom tomatoes (about 3½ pounds}, such as Pink Brandywine, Marbonne, or Beefmaster, cut crosswise into ½-inch slices
• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 10 thyme sprigs

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 250° with racks in upper and lower thirds. Fit 2 parch­ment-lined rimmed baking sheets with wire racks. Divide tomato slices evenly between racks. Drizzle both sides with oil. Season with salt and pepper; scatter thyme over top.
2. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until tomatoes are dry (but not crisp) and wrinkled, about 3½ hours. Let cool completely. =
3. Transfer tomatoes to a parchment- lined rimmed baking sheet, freeze until firm. Stack In airtight containers and freeze up to 1 year.

Article by Martha Stewart, as part of the Growing with Martha Stewart partnership.