Summer produce is magic: Corn, tomatoes, peaches! Greens, turnips, sugar snap peas! Summer squash, beans – and more tomatoes! 

Whether you’re growing it, eating it, or both, the season’s bounty is glorious. What do you do when there’s too much of one thing – or items start to turn? Here are a few of Summit Community Gardens and EATS’s favorite tips to minimize food waste and use all the harvest:

• Greens wilting? Bring a pot of water to a boil, blanch for 2 minutes, and drain. Chop and freeze to put in winter soups & stews or saute with onions & garlic.
• Are your cherry tomatoes getting soft or split? Roast them on a pan of parchment paper with a little salt and oil at 400. Their sweet tang is perfect on a sandwich, folded into eggs, or as part of a vegetable saute.
• Peaches or any stone fruit soft or bruised? Roast on a pan with parchment and eat with yogurt or ice cream.
• These things should be stored in the fridge: apples, beans, beets, broccoli, cabbage, chard, citrus fruits, collards, cucumbers, kale, lettuce, okra, peppers, radishes, turnips, zucchini, and all kinds of greens.
• Melons, pears, and tomatoes can ripen on the counter, then be stored in the fridge.
• Store greens in the fridge with a damp towel so they can last longer!
• Make sure to store onions away from potatoes.
• Store root vegetables in a sealed container with a dry towel.
• And of course, pickle just about anything!
  
  By Helen Nadel