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Looking for Vegetable Harvest Dates: Approximate number of days from Planting in 2024? Scroll down this page and follow the links. And if you bring home some fruit or vegetables and want to can, freeze, make jam, salsa or pickles, see this page for simple, reliable, illustrated canning, freezing or preserving directions. There are plenty of other related resources, click on the resources dropdown above. If you are having a hard time finding canning lids, I've used these, and they're a great price & ship in 2 days.

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Vegetable Harvest Dates: Approximate number of days from Planting

Vegetable Storage Conditions:

Proper Storage Temperature, Humidity and Time in Storage For Each Vegetable

The temperature and humidity requirements for holding vegetables in storage or transit, And the maximum time they will be suitable

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                      Recommended     Recommended     Maximum Amount of
Vegetables            Temperature  Relative Humidity   Time to be Held
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                         ( F)            (%)              (Weeks)
Asparagus                 32            90-95               1-2
Bean                    45-50           85-90               1-2
Bean, lima, unshelled     32            90-95                2
Beet, topped³             32            90-95               7-8
Broccoli                  32            90-95               1-2
Brussels sprouts          32            90-95                4
Cabbage                   32            90-95              12-16 
Carrot, topped³           32            90-95              16-20
Cauliflower               32            90-95               3-4
Chinese cabbage⁴          32            90-95               8-12
Corn                      32            90-95                -1
Cucumber                50-55           90-95               2-4
Eggplant                50-55           85-90               1-2
Greens and Salads⁵        32            90-95
Kohlrabi                  32            90-95               4-8
Lettuce, head             32            90-95               2-4
Melon
  Casaba                50-55           85-90               4-8
  Crenshaw and Persian  45-50           85-90               1-2
  Honey Dew             50-55           85-90               2-4
Muskmelon               45-50           85-90               1-2
Okra                    45-50           85-90               1-2
Onion, dry                32            70-75                28
Parsnip, topped³          32            90-95              24-26
Pea                       32            85-90               1-2
Pepper, sweet           45-50           85-90               1-2
Potato⁶                 38-40           85-90              24-26
Pumpkin                 50-55           70-75              12-26
Radish, spring, bunched   32            90-95               1-2
Radish, winter            32            90-95               8-16
Rhubarb                   32            90-95               1-2
Rutabaga, topped³         32            90-95               8-16
Spinach                   32            90-95               1-2
Squash, summer          45-50           85-95                -1
Squash, winter⁷         50-55           70-75              24-26
Tomato, mature green    55-60           85-90               1-2
Tomato, ripe            45-55           85-90               1-2
Turnip, topped³           32            90-95              16-22
Watermelon              50-55           85-90               1-4
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¹ Based on U.S.D.A. Handbook 66,1954.

²The ranges in the relative humidity of the storage room are offered only as a guide. The effectiveness of these on the water loss from the products will depend on temperature, air movement, method of stacking, and the type of packaging, including liners, icing, and wrapping.

³When root crops are marketed in bunches with tops attached, the holding temperatures should be the same as those indicated for the topped product, but the holding period can be only 10 to 14 days (or less).

⁴Early cabbage can be held in good condition for ¾ to 11/2 months.

⁵Chard, collar, dandelion, green onions, leaf lettuce, mustard, parsley, turnip tops, and watercress. The storage life varies with the green but is at best only about a week.

⁶Potatoes held for chipping should be at 50° to 60°F. Those stored below 50°F will need to be at higher temperatures before chipping.

⁷Winter squash should be cured prior to storage, to provide a protection against disease organisms during storage. To cure, hold for 10 days with artificial heat at 80-85°F with a RH of 80%.

Sources:

Handbook for Vegetable Grower, Revised Printing by James Edward Knott, Professor of Vegetable Crops, University of California at Davis. Published by John Wiley and Sons, Somerset, NJ 08873.

Fruit and Vegetable Facts and Pointers. United Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Association, 101919th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036.

Canning Books, Supplies and Accessories

These are my favorite essential canning tools, books and supplies. I've been using many of these for over 50 years of canning! The ones below on this page are just the sampling of. my preferred tools. but you can find much more detailed and extensive selections on the pages that are linked below.

The All New Ball Book Of Canning And Preserving: Over 350 of the Best Canned, Jammed, Pickled, and Preserved Recipes Paperback

This is THE book on canning! My grandmother used this book when I was a child.; It tells you in simple instructions how to can almost anything; complete with recipes for jam, jellies, pickles, sauces, canning vegetables, meats, etc.

If it can be canned, this book likely tells you how! Click on the link below for more information and / or to buy (no obligation to buy)The New Ball Blue Book of Canning and Preserving

Canning and Preserving for Dummies by Karen Ward

This is another popular canning book. Click here for more information, reviews, prices for Canning and Preserving For Dummies

Of course, you do not need to buy ANY canning book as I have about 500 canning, freezing, dehydrating and more recipes all online for free, just see Easy Home Canning Directions.

Home Canning Kits

I have several canners, and my favorite is the stainless steel one at right. It is easy to clean and seems like it will last forever. Mine is 10 years old and looks like new.

The black ones are the same type of standard canner that my grandmother used to make everything from applesauce to jams and jellies to tomato and spaghetti sauce.

This complete kit includes everything you need and lasts for years: the canner, jar rack, Jar grabber tongs, lid lifting wand, a plastic funnel, labels, bubble freer, It's much cheaper than buying the items separately. It's only missing the bible of canning, the Ball Blue Book.

You will never need anything else except jars & lids (and the jars are reusable)!

The complete list of canners is on these pages:

Water bath canners - Good for acidic foods, like applesauce, pickles, salsa, jams, jellies, most fruits
Pressure canners - needed for low and non-acidic foods, like canned vegetables (corn, green beans, etc), and meats
Canners for glass top stoves if you have a glass or ceramic stove
Canners for induction stovetops

Pressure Canners

If you plan on canning non-acidic foods and low acid foods that are not pickled - this means: meats, seafood, soups, green beans corn, most vegetables, etc., then you ABSOLUTELY must use a Pressure Canner.

Of course, you can use a pressure canner as a water bath canner as well - just don't seal it up, so it does not pressurize. This means a Pressure Canner is a 2-in-1 device. With it, you can can almost ANYTHING.

There are also other supplies, accessories, tools and more canners, of different styles, makes and prices, click here!

Basic Canning Accessories

From left to right:

Jar lifting tongs to pick up hot jars
Lid lifter - to remove lids from the pot of boiling water (sterilizing )
Lids- disposable - you may only use them once
Ring - holds the lids on the jar until after the jars cool - then you remove them, save them and reuse them
Canning Jar funnel - to fill the jars

FREE Illustrated Canning, Freezing, Jam Instructions and Recipes

Don't spend money on books. that you don't need to. Almost everything you can find in some book sold online or in a store is on my website here for free. Start with theEasy Home Canning Directions below. That is a master list of canning directions which are all based upon the Ball Bblue book, the National Center for Home Food Preservation and other reputable lab tested recipes. Almost every recipe I present in addition to being lab tested com. is in a step by step format with photos for each step and complete. explanations. that tell you how to do it, where to get the supplies and pretty much everything you need to know. In addition, there almost always in a PDF format so you can print them out and use them while you cook.

[ Easy Home Canning Directions]

[FAQs - Answers to common questions and problems]

[Free canning publications to download and print]