As the spring sowing season begins, I’m filled with optimism for the upcoming growing year. This time, I’m focused on growing more vegetables to stock up for the leaner months. Planning ahead for your pantry—whether through freezing, preserving, or canning—requires some careful thought. But when done right, it can ensure a bountiful supply of homegrown produce well after the season ends.
Focus on Reliable Crops
When planning your garden, start by considering how long crops take to reach harvest. This will help you spot gaps that may appear once your first crops are finished, and you can plan to replace them with other crops to keep your garden productive. Using a garden planner tool can help you track these harvest times and manage the planting schedule effectively.
Start with reliable, easy-to-grow crops like tomatoes, peppers, onions, cucumbers, and beans. These crops should form the bulk of your stored produce, while also offering plenty for fresh eating. Choose varieties that perform well in your local climate. For instance, in hotter climates, select heat-tolerant tomatoes, while cool climates may require tomato varieties bred for cooler, overcast conditions.
The Right Crops for Storing
It’s essential to consider your soil type when choosing crops for storage. For example, blueberries require acidic soil to thrive. If your soil isn’t acidic, you may need to grow them in containers, which can limit the quantity you can grow. Instead, focus on crops that are well-suited to your garden’s conditions.
Also, plan your crops based on your storage goals. If you want to make a lot of tomato sauce for the freezer, consider growing paste tomatoes like ‘Roma,’ which cook down easily. For pickles, choose smaller cucumber varieties that are perfect for canning.
Stagger Your Harvests
While it’s tempting to plant large quantities of certain crops, staggering their planting times can help prevent a glut. Harvesting all your cucumbers or beets at once can quickly become overwhelming and time-consuming. Spreading out your planting will help you manage the harvests and ensure you’re not swamped by too much produce at once.
Fruit for Preserving
Fruit trees and bushes are excellent additions to any garden aimed at building a pantry. They offer high yields with minimal effort. Choose a variety of fruit types and planting times to extend the harvest period. For example, early-season plums ripen in midsummer, while late-season varieties don’t ripen until fall. This ensures a continuous supply of fruit for preserving.
Select fruit that’s not readily available in stores. Crab apples, for example, are great for homemade preserves but difficult to find in grocery stores. Berries, such as blackberries, currants, and raspberries, are perfect for canning, freezing, or preserving. These soft fruits are often expensive to buy but easy to grow. For larger crops, consider using a fruit cage to protect your harvest from birds.
Make Smart Use of Growing Space
Plan your garden layout carefully. Place your more labor-intensive crops—like tomatoes and herbs—close to your house for easy access. These crops require regular watering, feeding, and pest inspection. Less demanding crops, such as fruit bushes, can be planted farther away.
Take advantage of microclimates within your garden. For example, a south-facing wall can help apricots ripen in cooler climates, and even figs can thrive in warm, sunny corners.
Prepare for Preservation
Finally, ensure you have all the necessary equipment and ingredients to process your harvest. Preserving your produce, whether by canning, freezing, or drying, is a key step in creating a well-stocked pantry.
By thoughtfully planning your garden for preservation, you’ll enjoy the fruits of your labor long after the growing season ends. There’s nothing quite like enjoying homegrown food in the middle of winter—knowing you’ve created it all yourself.