Harvest & storage
Handle and store a fresh garden harvest
Use clean hands and containers; keep produce away from soil, animals and garden chemicals.
When to do it
Immediately after picking.
What you need
- Clean containers
- Potable water
- Suitable cool storage
How to do it
- Use clean hands and containers; keep produce away from soil, animals and garden chemicals.
- Move the harvest into shade promptly and separate damaged or rotten items.
- Refrigerate perishables such as leafy greens and berries promptly; dry onions and whole cured pumpkins need their own dry storage. Follow crop-specific guidance for chilling-sensitive produce.
- Wash under potable running water before preparation. Refrigerate cut produce promptly and use safe preservation instructions if freezing, bottling or fermenting.
What success looks like
- Produce stays clean and appropriate storage slows deterioration.
Watch out for
- Leaving harvested greens in a hot car.
- Assuming washing removes every contamination hazard.
Related help
Cure and store onions and garlic
Check maturity before lifting: bulb onions naturally soften and fall at the neck; garlic is lifted as lower leaves yellow while some green leaves remain.
Cure and store pumpkins and winter squash
Check variety maturity: the rind should be developed and firm and the stalk beginning to dry.
Sources and review
Checked 24 September 2026. Source-checked editorial guidance; not field-tested or independently reviewed by a horticulturist.