Just Grow Something | Evidence-Based Home Gardening

Every fall somebody asks me if they can save the seeds from that amazing tomato or melon they just ate, and the answer is "maybe." Whether a saved seed grows into the plant you loved gets decided twice. The first time is months earlier, when the flower was pollinated, and the second is after harvest, when the seed either stays in the right conditions or doesn't.

In this episode we're covering both. We'll talk about hybrids versus open-pollinated and heirloom varieties, which crops are easiest for beginners, why your zucchini and your pumpkin can cross but your cucumber and your cantaloupe can't, and why peppers cross more often than most people think.

Then we'll get into harvesting and cleaning seeds, including what tomato seed fermentation does and doesn't do for seedborne disease, how to dry seeds without cooking them, the simple temperature-plus-humidity rule for storage, and why seed longevity charts don't agree with each other.

Let’s dig in.

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Tell me about your garden goals and challenges, get a quote, and get on my calendar: https://JustGrowSomething.com/gardenconsulting

Six Steps for Saving Seeds From Your Garden: https://justgrowsomethingpodcast.com/blog/six-steps-for-saving-seeds-from-your-garden

References and Resources

Choosing Crops, Pollination, and Isolation

University of Minnesota Extension — Saving Vegetable Seeds (open-pollinated vs. hybrid, cross-pollination, harvesting, storage, bacterial canker and seed treatments): https://extension.umn.edu/planting-and-growing-guides/saving-vegetable-seeds

University of Illinois Extension — How to Save Seeds (terms, isolation methods, isolation distance table, wet and dry harvesting): https://extension.illinois.edu/sites/default/files/how_to_save_seeds_062021.pdf

University of Maryland Extension — Seed Saving 101: Vegetables (three levels of seed saving, tomato and potato-leaf isolation, pepper species crossing, squash after-ripening, storage rule of thumb): https://extension.umd.edu/sites/extension.umd.edu/files/2021-02/Seed%20Saving%20Veggies%20Resources.pdf

UC Agriculture and Natural Resources, Orange County 4-H — Saving Seed from the Three Sisters and Tomatoes (population sizes for home gardens): https://oc4h.ucanr.edu/sites/default/files/2016-09/248080.pdf

NC State Extension, Onslow County — Saving Your Own Seed (hot and sweet pepper crossing): https://onslow.ces.ncsu.edu/2023/01/saving-your-own-seed/

Barchenger, D.W., et al. (2025). Producing High Quality Pepper Seed. World Vegetable Center, Publication No. 25-1099 (pepper outcrossing rates, bee visitation, seed moisture): https://worldveg.tind.io/record/76153/files/25-1099_Producing%20high%20quality%20pepper%20seed.pdf

Harvesting, Cleaning, and Seedborne Disease

Oregon State University Extension — Collecting and Storing Seeds From Your Garden (crop-by-crop harvesting, hand-pollinating squash, bean weevils, longevity groups, germination testing): https://extension.oregonstate.edu/gardening/techniques/collecting-storing-seeds-your-garden

Pradhanang, P.M., & Collier, G. (2009). How effective is hydrochloric acid treatment to control Clavibacter michiganensis michiganensis contamination in tomato seed? Acta Horticulturae 808: 81–86 (overnight fermentation vs. washing): https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2009.808.10

Drying, Storage, and Longevity

Colorado State University Extension — Storing Vegetable and Flower Seeds, Fact Sheet 7.221 (drying temperatures, seed moisture, humidity, hard seed, federal minimum germination and longevity table): https://extension.colostate.edu/resource/storing-vegetable-and-flower-seeds/

University of Delaware Cooperative Extension, Weekly Crop Update — Storing Vegetable Seed (temperature-plus-humidity rule, storage life halving rules, freezing seed): https://sites.udel.edu/weeklycropupdate/?p=2967

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Canning gets most of the attention, but for a lot of what comes out of the garden, it isn't the best way to put food up. In this episode, we're opening up the rest of the preserving toolbox: freezing, drying, fermenting, refrigerator pickles, and good old-fashioned cold storage.

We'll talk about why skipping the blanch (or cutting it short) costs you flavor and color in the freezer, which vegetables you can freeze raw, and why a full freezer rides out a power outage twice as long as a half-empty one. Then we'll get into drying in a humid climate, why vegetables need a blanch before the dehydrator, and what the research does and doesn't say about home freeze dryers.

We'll make a simple, safe batch of sauerkraut, cover the one rule for fridge pickles, and wrap up with the temperature and humidity each storage crop wants, from potatoes and onions to carrots, sweet potatoes, and apples. There's a crop-by-crop quick-reference chart to download, and a fantastic fermenting book to check out.

Let’s dig in!

References and Resources:

Larry's Coffee (affiliate): https://LarrysCoffee.com/JustGrow

Download the preserving guide: https://justgrowsomethingpodcast.com/preserve

Fermented Vegetables by Kristen and Christopher Shockey: https://amzn.to/4zjI2g4

Freezing

National Center for Home Food Preservation — Blanching Vegetables: https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/freeze/freeze-general-information/blanching-vegetables/

National Center for Home Food Preservation — Freezing Tomatoes: https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/freeze/vegetable/freezing-tomatoes/

National Center for Home Food Preservation — Freezing Onions: https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/freeze/vegetable/freezing-onions/

National Center for Home Food Preservation — Freezing Bell or Sweet Peppers: https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/freeze/vegetable/freezing-bell-or-sweet-peppers/

National Center for Home Food Preservation — Freezing Hot Peppers: https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/freeze/vegetable/freezing-hot-peppers/

National Center for Home Food Preservation — Foods That Do Not Freeze Well: https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/freeze/freeze-general-information/foods-that-do-not-freeze-well/

North Dakota State University Extension — Freezing Vegetables (blanching times, freezer loading, storage time): https://www.ndsu.edu/agriculture/extension/publications/freezing-vegetables

University of Minnesota Extension — How to Freeze Fruit Safely: https://extension.umn.edu/food/preparing/cooking-at-home/food-preservation/freezing/freezing-fruit

NC State Extension, Guilford County — Put a Freeze on Foodborne Illness: https://guilford.ces.ncsu.edu/2020/10/put-a-freeze-on-foodborne-illness

University of Illinois Extension — Power Outages: https://extension.illinois.edu/food-safety/power-outages

Li, L., Pegg, R. B., Eitenmiller, R. R., Chun, J. Y., & Kerrihard, A. (2017). Selected nutrient analyses of fresh, fresh-stored, and frozen fruits and vegetables. Journal of Food Composition and Analysis: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfca.2017.02.002

Drying and Freeze-Drying

National Center for Home Food Preservation — Food Dehydrators: https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/dry/drying-general/food-dehydrators/

National Center for Home Food Preservation — Sun Drying: https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/dry/drying-general/sun-drying/

National Center for Home Food Preservation — Packaging and Storing Dried Foods: https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/dry/drying-general/packaging-and-storing-dried-foods/

Penn State Extension — Let's Preserve: Drying Fruits and Vegetables (Dehydration): https://extension.psu.edu/lets-preserve-drying-fruits-and-vegetables-dehydration

Colorado State University Extension — Drying Vegetables, Fact Sheet 9.308: https://extension.colostate.edu/resource/drying-vegetables/

University of Minnesota Extension — Preserving Herbs by Freezing or Drying: https://extension.umn.edu/preserving-and-preparing/preserving-herbs-freezing-or-drying

South Dakota State University Extension — Preserving Herbs: https://extension.sdstate.edu/preserving-herbs

Utah State University Extension — Buying a Home Freeze-Dryer: What to Know Before You Go: https://extension.usu.edu/preserve-the-harvest/research/buying-a-home-freeze-dryer-what-to-know-before-you-go

Utah State University Extension — Can I Freeze-Dry That? A Practical Guide to Safe and Effective Freeze-Drying: https://extension.usu.edu/foodsafety/research/can-i-freeze-dry-that-a-practical-guide-to-safe-and-effective-freeze-drying

Fermenting and Refrigerator Pickles

North Dakota State University Extension — Sauerkraut: From Garden to Table: https://www.ndsu.edu/agriculture/extension/publications/sauerkraut-garden-table

Penn State Extension — Tips for Making Sauerkraut: https://extension.psu.edu/tips-for-making-sauerkraut

UConn Extension — Fermentation: Preservation with Benefits: https://extension.uconn.edu/?p=3394

University of Florida IFAS Extension — Fermented Foods: Sauerkraut, FS474: https://ask.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/FS474

NC State Extension Food Safety — How to Make Quick Refrigerator Pickles: https://foodsafety.ces.ncsu.edu/news/how-to-make-quick-refrigerator-pickles/

Cold Storage

University of Missouri Extension — Home Storage of Fruits and Vegetables in Root Cellars, MP562: https://extension.missouri.edu/publications/mp562

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach — Storing Winter Storage Vegetables: https://yardandgarden.extension.iastate.edu/how-to/storing-winter-storage-vegetables

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach — Growing Carrots and Parsnips: https://yardandgarden.extension.iastate.edu/how-to/growing-carrots-and-parsnips

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A jar that seals is a jar that seals, and that's about all it tells you. In this episode, we're taking on four home canning myths that keep circulating in gardening groups, on food blogs, and in family recipe boxes: oven canning, open-kettle canning (and its cousin, flipping jars upside down), packing tomatoes and garlic in oil, and the idea that a salsa recipe can be tweaked however you like as long as it tastes right.

For each one, we'll look at what the research from the National Center for Home Food Preservation and university extension services shows, why these methods fail, and what to do instead so your harvest stays on the pantry shelf and out of the danger zone.

We'll also look at a study that checked 56 salsa canning recipes from food blogs, and what it found might make you rethink where your recipes come from. Let's dig in!

Support the show and get your free gift at https://LarrysCoffee.com/JustGrow

References and Resources:

National Center for Home Food Preservation — Ensuring Safe Canned Foods: https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can/general-information/ensuring-safe-canned-foods/

National Center for Home Food Preservation — Equipment and Methods Not Recommended: https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can/general-information/equipment-and-methods-not-recommended/

National Center for Home Food Preservation — General Information (includes the 1943 history on oven and open-kettle canning): https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can/general-information/

National Center for Home Food Preservation — Identifying and Handling Spoiled Canned Food: https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can/general-information/identifying-and-handling-spoiled-canned-food/

National Center for Home Food Preservation — Tomato Acidification Directions: https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can/how-do-i-can-tomatoes/tomato-acidification-directions/

National Center for Home Food Preservation — Freezing Garlic-in-Oil: https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/freeze/vegetable/freezing-garlic-in-oil/

National Center for Home Food Preservation — Burning Issue: Can I Can My Own Salsa Recipe? (PDF): https://boone.mgcafe.uky.edu/files/nchfp_burning_issue_can_i_can_my_own_salsa_recipe.pdf

D'Sa et al. (2007), Survey of Home Canning Practices and Safety Issues in the U.S.: https://nchfp.uga.edu/papers/2007/canning_survey.html

Nummer et al. (2004), Studies on Safe Acidification of Salsa for Home Boiling Water Canning: https://nchfp.uga.edu/papers/2004/04ift-tomatosalsaPoster_combined.html

Nummer et al. (2011), Current Food Safety Issues of Home-Prepared Vegetables and Herbs Stored in Oil, Food Protection Trends (PDF): https://www.foodprotection.org/files/food-protection-trends/Jun-11-Nummer.pdf

Savoie & Perry (2019), Adherence of Food Blog Salsa Recipes to Home Canning Guidelines, Food Protection Trends: https://www.foodprotection.org/publications/food-protection-trends/archive/2019-09-adherence-of-food-blog-salsa-recipes-to-home-canning-guidelines/

University of Maine Cooperative Extension — The Missing Ingredient: Food Blog Salsa Recipes: https://extension.umaine.edu/food-health/2023/07/20/the-missing-ingredient-adherence-of-food-blog-salsa-recipes-to-home-canning-guidelines/

Penn State Extension — Say No to Oven Canning: https://extension.psu.edu/say-no-to-oven-canning

Penn State Extension — Avoid Open Kettle Canning: Always Process Canned Goods: https://extension.psu.edu/avoid-open-kettle-canning-always-process-canned-goods

Penn State Extension — Caution: Canning with Fats and Oils: https://extension.psu.edu/caution-canning-with-fats-and-oils

Oregon State University Extension Service — Herbs and Vegetables in Oil, SP 50-701: https://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/pub/sp-50-701-herbs-vegetables-oil

Oregon State University Extension Service — Preserving Garlic: https://extension.oregonstate.edu/food/preservation/preserving-garlic

UC Agriculture and Natural Resources — Garlic: Safe Methods to Store, Preserve, and Enjoy, Pub. 8568 (PDF): https://ucanr.edu/sites/default/files/2020-09/335681.pdf

Colorado State University Extension — Botulism, Fact Sheet 9.305: https://extension.colostate.edu/resource/botulism/

Just Grow Something: https://justgrowsomething.com
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Just Grow Something Gardening Friends Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/18YgHveF5P/

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Frost is on the way, and the vines are still loaded with green tomatoes. In this episode, we sort out which green tomatoes will finish ripening on your counter (the mature greens and the blushers) and which ones belong in the skillet, the freezer, or a tested relish recipe.

You'll learn what cold does to a tomato, why a stretch of chilly weather can cost you ripening ability before frost ever shows up, and four ways to ripen fruit indoors, including how to stage a harvest for a steady supply into November.

Then we dig into the canning rule that catches a lot of gardeners off guard. National home-canning guidance says not to can tomatoes from dead or frost-killed vines, and we look at why, what the research does and doesn't show, and what to do with those tomatoes instead.

Grab a notebook and let’s dig in!

Resources and References:

Grab your bag of Larry's Coffee, support the show, and get a free gift! https://larryscoffee.com/justgrow

Colorado State University Extension — Ripening Tomatoes Indoors: https://extension.colostate.edu/resource/ripening-tomatoes-indoors/

University of California, Davis, Postharvest Research and Extension Center (Suslow and Cantwell) — Tomato: Recommendations for Maintaining Postharvest Quality: https://postharvest.ucdavis.edu/produce-facts-sheets/tomato

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach — Can I ripen green tomatoes indoors before frost?: https://yardandgarden.extension.iastate.edu/faq/can-i-ripen-green-tomatoes-indoors-frost

National Center for Home Food Preservation (University of Georgia) — Canning Tomatoes: Introduction: https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can/how-do-i-can-tomatoes/canning-tomatoes-introduction/

National Center for Home Food Preservation — Resources for Home Preserving Tomatoes: https://nchfp.uga.edu/resources/entry/resources-for-home-preserving-tomatoes

USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning, Guide 3 (electronic version by Utah State University Extension, 1995) — Selecting, Preparing, and Canning Tomatoes and Tomato Products: https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1600&context=extension_histall

National Center for Home Food Preservation — Freezing Tomatoes: https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/freeze/vegetable/freezing-tomatoes/

National Center for Home Food Preservation — Freezing Green Tomatoes: https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/freeze/vegetable/freezing-green-tomatoes/

Just Grow Something: https://justgrowsomething.com
Gardening Courses: https://justgrowsomething.com/courses
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Every empty bed in your garden is either growing something for you or growing weeds and losing topsoil. Cover crops are how you make sure it's the first one.

In this episode, we get into why cover crops work in both in-ground beds and raised planters, which ones perform best when you sow them in fall, and which ones are worth a spot in your rotation come spring. We'll look at nitrogen-fixing legumes like crimson clover and hairy vetch, soil-building grasses like winter rye and oats, and fast-growing summer options like buckwheat that can turn a bare bed around in a matter of weeks. Then we'll cover how to actually terminate a cover crop, whether that's mowing, crimping, tarping, or letting winter do the work for you, so it feeds your soil instead of becoming a weed problem of its own.

Let's dig in!

References and Resources:

Get your sustainably grown coffee and support the show at LarrysCoffee.com/JustGrow!

University of Maryland Extension — Cover Crops For Gardens: umd.edu/resource/cover-crops-gardens

University of Maryland Extension — Offing Cover Crops for Weed Suppression: Featuring the Roller Crimper and Other Mechanical Contraptions: umd.edu/resource/offing-cover-crops-weed-suppression

University of New Hampshire Extension — Cover Cropping for the Home Garden [fact sheet]: unh.edu/resource/cover-cropping-home-garden-fact-sheet

University of Missouri Integrated Pest Management, Missouri Environment & Garden — Cover Crops Improve Garden Soil: missouri.edu/meg/2014/9/Cover-Crops-Improve-Garden-Soil

Oregon State University Extension — Buckwheat Makes a Good Summer Cover Crop for Gardens: oregonstate.edu/news/buckwheat-makes-good-summer-cover-crop-gardens

Cornell Cooperative Extension Vegetable Program, Cover Crop Guide for NY Growers — Buckwheat as a Summer Cover Crop for Weed Suppression: org/blog/buckwheat-as-a-summer-cover-crop-for-weed-suppression

UF/IFAS Extension Duval County — Cover Crop Termination: What Do I Do When It's Over?: ifas.ufl.edu/duvalco/2025/09/15/cover-crop-termination-what-do-i-do-when-its-over

Purdue University Center for New Crops and Plants Products — Hairy Vetch: purdue.edu/newcrop/afcm/vetch.html

USDA Agricultural Research Service — Crimson Clover Cover Crop Fact Sheet (PDF): usda.gov/ARSUserFiles/60100500/FactSheets/FS04e.pdf

Just Grow Something: https://justgrowsomething.com
Gardening Courses: https://justgrowsomething.com/courses
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Check out how you can become a patron on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/JustGrowSomething
Feed my coffee habit: https://buymeacoffee.com/justgrowsomething
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