From Harvest to Table

Use clean tools and containers. Keep harvested produce away from soil-covered gear, animals, and raw meat. Remove damaged or spoiled items and move the sound harvest out of strong sun. Different crops need different conditions, so check reliable food-safety guidance for what you have picked. Homegrown food still needs the same care as anything bought at the store.

Wash your hands and rinse produce under potable running water before preparing or eating it. Use a clean produce brush on firm vegetables when appropriate. Do not use soap, bleach, or household cleaning products on food. Dry with a clean towel. Washing reduces dirt and some contamination; it cannot make visibly spoiled or contaminated produce safe.

Keep perishable produce appropriately refrigerated and refrigerate cut produce promptly. Store potatoes away from light and discard green or badly damaged ones. Onions and other storage crops have their own curing and storage needs; use crop-specific guidance. This is fresh-produce handling, not preservation advice. Canning and fermentation require tested methods and should never be improvised from a general garden article.