Surplus produce

[rary]

What do you do with any surplus produce that you may grow, looking through some of the photos posted, some Grapes would appear to grow a lot more than you would expect folk to use, as for myself, my family use a lot of my produce, neighbours also use some, I give some young plants away to members of a club that I am in I also use a lot of plants for baskets and tubs in the front garden, some time I pass on plants to older members of a local church, and this year I hope to give some plants (flower) to a local church charity shop, what happens to yours

[Small pumpkin]

Give away, swap, sell.

https://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gr...ing_96120.html

[Lumpy]

Give away and freeze the soft fruit and toms.

[Snoop Puss]

We've given most of our spare plants and surplus produce away so far. Some goes in the compost bin (for example, courgettes that have grown too big to worth eating when there are lots of smaller ones still to go). But this year I have a freezer and a friend brought me a pressure canner back from the States, so I'm hoping to freezer and bottle at least some of the surplus this year. The dogs also help themselves by digging up or taking things straight from the plant (top favourites, potatoes, melons, tomatoes and red peppers), not always surplus either!

[jonahjonah]

I had a good laugh at the idea of managing to grow more than we can eat fresh. At this rate, I'd only end up with a surplus of spindly flower and veggie seedlings...

If we do end up with more than we can eat, I will try to preserve some (in the ways that are least likely to involve death by botulism) and leave the rest out front for neighbors (or, potentially, naughty school children who think tomatoes are footballs). A neighbor leaves out surplus apples and rhubarb and so far it seems to have resulted in a positive experience, so I'd like to contribute as well.

[4Shoes]

Still a work in progress.. planning Freezer in garage.

Last year we dehydrated the apples and strawberries and are still eating them with cereal for breakfast.

Chilli's we thought were going to be a problem, but them we dehydrated them next to the stove and made chilli powder. Some are also frozen

[Small pumpkin]

The dogs also help themselves by digging up or taking things straight from the plant (top favourites, potatoes, melons, tomatoes and red peppers), not always surplus either!

Mine does that too. He picked more soft fruit than I did last year. And he really likes tomatoes.

[Penellype]

I give some to my Mum, and some to friends at the stables - usually runner beans, PSB and courgettes. There may be more now that I have an allotment, but up to now most things have been eaten pretty much as soon as they have grown, or been used for soup or frozen.

[Nannysally99]

Never give runner beans away, we have them every day in the summer
In fact, we don't give anything away. Only have a medium sized garden, so we never grow too much

[Aberdeenplotter]

I met my now best mate by lobbing a 6lb onion over the plot fence to him . I've always taken pleasure from sharing plot produce with other plotters and it fast becomes a two way street with those who have been shared with then sharing things back. To me it's what allotmenteering is about. The crop most difficult to share /get rid of is cauliflower. I grow loads of them as I exhibit them in various shows and I try to have them maturing at various times spread around the dates of these shows. Most folks will know that caulies are notoriously difficult to time and that when they mature, each sowing will all mature at the same time. There's a limit to the amount that can be eaten/stuck in the freezer and that goes not just for us but our plot neighbours

[Chestnut]

Can clamp/bottle/dry/freeze a fair bit for the winter months, then give away to family, neighbours, friends and colleagues. Might start a barrow/honesty box if ever I persuade OH to let me have a second plot

[rary]

caulies are notoriously difficult to time and that when they mature, each sowing will all mature at the same time. There's a limit to the amount that can be eaten/stuck in the freezer and that goes not just for us but our plot neighbours

Reading your post reminded me of some cookery program that I caught once and on it they were using cauliflower in place of rice and I thought that it would be easier to freeze that way and not take up as much room

[Dynamite]

We do it in this order:-

1- when growing/sowing/germinating, surplus plants go to family, friends, work colleagues, fellow growers.
2- eat all we can fresh.
3- freeze it if you can.
4- store it.
5- pickle it.
6- surplus fruit and veg goes to family, friends, work colleagues.
7- still surplus? Then compost it.

Kind Regards.............Rob

[Nicos]

I have 3 chest freezers and a 6 shelves of preserving jars in the cellar , so I try to preserve most excess food so that we hardly have to buy any fruit or veg over the summer/winter.
We'll invite people over to eat more ofen when we have a glut and share it that way.
We do give away some to friends and neighbours too.
Whenever we go back to the UK , the car is also laiden with homemade jams, chutneys and jars of preserved veg for our children too !
Apples, onions, spuds get stored in the barn...
Feels good to share doesn't it?

[ESBkevin]

I swap or give away plants to my siblings so we each raise our specialities, or work collegues as well as leave some on the allotment 'share' bench.
We eat all we can and preserve as much as is practical (given time constraints really) and provide fresh surplus to family friends and neighbours. No 2 Son is now a chef too so will take anything spare thats presentable.