A bountiful harvest is a joy that more than repays you for the time and energy invested in your garden.

The Basics
For optimal freshness and nutrition, harvest each crop at its peak of ripeness, then promptly use, process, or store it. Some vegetables are fragile or have ephemeral flavor and are best eaten straight out of the garden.

Sometimes different varieties of the same vegetable are better keepers, so you'll want to plant those varieties as the fall crop. This information is listed in seed catalogs and on individual seed packets.

Pumpkins are best picked after the first frost. Once they are cut from the vine -- leaving several inches of stem -- let them cure in the sun for a few days. Pumpkins can stay in a cool, dry place for months.

Tasty Alternatives
After the harvest, you can keep vegetables moist and cool in the refrigerator, dry and cool in a cold room or cellar, or at room temperature for short periods. For the long term (several months), process them for freezing, drying, or canning as soon as possible after you've picked them.