There are many fruits, vegetables and herbs which are abundant in summer, that are suitable to preserve.

Tomatoes are the classic example, but you can also preserve a wide variety of other vegetables such as zucchini, squash, peas, beans, cucumbers, capsicum, chillies, broccoli and beetroot.

Fruits such as apples, pears, quinces and figs, and stone fruit such as plums, nectarines, apricots and peaches can also be preserved for use later in the year.

Some of these are best preserved by manufacturing products such as pickles, relishes and chutneys by adding sugar, vinegar or both. Fruits are good for making jams, jellies and cordials. Other preservation methods include bottling, drying, freezing and fermenting.

The best preservation methods depend on the fruit or vegie being preserved, but also on the ripeness of your produce. Ripe fruit and vegies have their colour, flavour, and texture fully developed.

Once fully ripe, fresh produce begins to decline in quality and starts to spoil. Slightly underripe produce is best for bottling, pickling, and making jams and jellies and ripe fruits and vegies are best eaten fresh or dried or frozen. Overripe produce is best fermented - think kimchi, kombucha and sauerkraut.

For your fully grown fruit trees, about two weeks after you harvest the last of your fruit, cut out all or most of the new growth on the tree and prune it back to a manageable size.

Pruning the tree now will allow it to heal while it is still in active growth and will also inhibit growth so in spring the tree will put its energies into flowering and fruiting.

Pruning fully grown fruit trees when they are dormant will promote vigorous growth in springtime, so winter pruning is best for when you are shaping a young tree.

Even if you already have some preserves on the shelf or in the freezer, it's still important to keep harvesting all your vegies while the fruits are still young so you get to enjoy their fabulous flavours and encourage more flowers and fruits so your crops continue into autumn.

Read more about gardening:

The Armidale Garden Club's first meeting for the year will be on Thursday February 24 in the Uniting Church Youth Club Hall. Mark the date as everyone is welcome! For more information call 0412589414 or just turn up.

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