Ways to Use Everything Your Garden Has Produced

Ways to Use Everything Your Garden Has Produced

Having a garden is a great way to ensure you and your family have delicious fruits and vegetables to enjoy. It also can save you money at the grocery store. Earlier I’ve shared gardening tips for gardening with kids and tips on growing cucumbers, but what do you do when your garden just keeps giving? Instead of letting your extras go to waste, here are a few different ways on how to use everything your garden has produced.

Ways to Use Garden Produce

Can everything – If you have a garden and aren’t into canning yet, get into it! I have a great home canning for beginners guide that I put up. This is a great way to save your abundance of goods from the garden. You can do the typical stewed tomatoes or green beans, which are both great, but there are tons of other options as well. Just about anything can be pickled. Might I recommend garlic dill pickles. Canned minced garlic is great for cooking. How about trying onion marmalade? And zucchini is so versatile, you can can mock versions of crushed pineapple and strawberry jam with it!

Freeze everything – just like canning, freezing is a great way to ensure that you’ll have fruit and veggies to use well after your garden is done for the season. You’ll be saving the produce you grew instead of letting it go to waste, as well as saving money by not having to buy certain foods in their off season.

Try juicing or smoothies – Fruit and vegetable juices are so delicious and good for you! You can buy the super yummy healthy stuff in the store but the price tag on them can be rather expensive. This is the perfect opportunity for you to make your own. There are numerous recipes out there that include practically everything you could imagine your garden producing. If you don’t think you or your family can drink that many smoothies right away, make frozen smoothie packs and you’ll be set for future drinks.

Prepare herb infused oils – My tips on growing an indoor herb garden can help you grow beautiful and fruitful plants. But then what? Fresh herbs can go by quickly and when you have a lot of them on hand, it’s best to try and find a way to preserve them. Try putting some rosemary or basil in ice cube trays, pour in some olive oil, and freeze. They’re easy to pop out when you need one or two for a dish you’re making. Compound butter is another great way to use up herbs – and it also freezes well!

Give extras to family and friends or make them food gifts – People love receiving gifts. Offering them a bag of homegrown produce is a real treat and will save them money, and ensures that the food is used up rather than just going into the trash. Try making something with the produce as well – try making a couple batches of zucchini bread for people and they’ll love you forever!

Donate to a food bank or soup kitchen – Call your local food banks or soup kitchens and see if they take donations of fresh produce. Not all of them will, so don’t be surprised if you find some tell you ‘no thank you’. Those that will accept the food will greatly appreciate the donation. You’ll get a warm feeling knowing that your garden has not only fed your own family, but is feeding needy families in your community as well.

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