Skip Navigation
New Jersey Agricultural
Experiment Station
Menu
Home Home, Lawn, and Garden

Harvest, Cook, and Preserve

Canning jars filled with jelly. There's never better a better time to learn how to safely preserve food at home when summer crops start to grow. Home food preservation helps you stock up and save money, whether you're growing your own food or buying in bulk. It adds variety to meals, and the flavor of home preserved foods can certainly enhance your eating experience.

Vegetables – General Information

  1. Carrots
  2. Cauliflower
  3. Leafy Greens
  4. Radishes
  5. Strawberries
  6. Sugar Snap Peas

Vegetables - Tips

  1. Quick & Easy Ways to Eat More Fruits and Vegetables
  2. Eating Seasonally
    Every three months we adapt to the new seasons heading our way. Fortunately, for us, each new season brings with it unique abundance of fresh produce that boasts a variety of new flavors and tastes to savor.
  3. Tips for Grilled Vegetables
    Grilling vegetables is a great way to bring out sweet, toasty, caramelized flavors that other cooking techniques won't. And there's very little prep involved.
  4. So Many Ways to Prepare Vegetables
  5. Recipe: Very Veggie Wraps
  6. Recipe: 4-Ingredient Green Smoothie

Food Preparation and Safety

  1. Food Preservation Resources
    Home food preservation is fun with tasty results. In order to ensure a safe product and to maximize flavor and texture of the food, always use a scientifically tested recipe.
  2. Selecting and Serving Produce Safely (from the FDA)
    As you enjoy fresh produce, follow these safe handling tips to help protect yourself and your family.
  3. Steps to Safe and Healthy Fruits and Vegetables (PDF from the CDC)
    Fruits and vegetables are healthy to eat. But did you know that harmful germs, like Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria, can sometimes be on fruits and vegetables? There are steps that can help keep you healthy—and your fruits and vegetables safer to eat—from the store to your table. .

Family Fun Pages

  1. Carrots (PDF)
    Learn all about carrots - recipes, serving suggestions, nurtiional benefits. Check out the Cooking with Children section for tips and tricks of working in the kitchen with your children.
  2. Leafy Greens (PDF)
    Learn all about lettuce - recipes, related activities, facts. Take a look at the book suggestions to help your children learn more about lettuce.
  3. Peppers (PDF)
    Learn all about peppers - recipes, types, serving suggestions, and facts.
  4. Radishes (PDF)
    Learn all about radishes - recipes, types, serving suggestions, and facts. Be sure to try your playing with your food by making a mouse out of a radish.
  5. Spinach (PDF)
    Learn all about spinach - recipes, facts, activities and nutritional benefits. Don't miss the recipe for Pita Pizza with Cheese and Spinach - a fun way to introduce your child to spinach.
  6. Strawberries (PDF)
    Learn all about strawberries - recipes, facts, preserving suggestions, and nurtiional benefits. Make a strawberry themed fruit wheel craft project with your children.
  7. Tomatoes (PDF)
    Learn all about tomatoes - recipes, types, serving suggestions, and facts.
  8. Sugar Snap Peas (PDF)
    Learn all about peas - recipes, types, facts, and serving suggestions. Try your hand at growing more than one type of peas in your garden.

Resources

  1. Plant Diagnostic Lab
  2. Soil Testing Lab
  3. Rutgers Master Gardeners
  4. Lawn and Garden FAQ
  5. Community Collaborative Rain, Hail, and Snow Network
  6. Professional Training
  7. NJAES Event Calendar
  8. All NJAES Publications