Grow enough food for your family, but what about your neighbor? Maybe they can’t grow a garden for whatever reason, it’s always a good idea to think of others.
So, here are my current top 6 vegetables to grow, in no particular order.
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Potatoes
Potatoes are a great additive to your garden. You can raise them in the ground, in raised beds or in containers.
They can put off so much. Say you take 10 potatoes and cut them in half giving you 20 starts. Now let’s say that each start gives you 5 potatoes. That’s 100 potatoes from the 10 you started with. It’s a huge increase and value.
You can freeze, can, dehydrate them or if you’re one of the lucky ones to own a freeze dryer, you can freeze dry them.
Think of the savings! Not to mention no worry about food shortage or supply chain issues.
They are a heavy carb that is healthy for you and help fill hungry bellies. My favorite ways to use potatoes are: in soups, casseroles, salads, baked for a side dish, hashbrowns or diced and fried. I always have cans of potatoes in my house. They are so convenient and taste great!
Green beans and peas
The value of peas and beans allows you to grow a lot off of one plant. They produce an abundance!
You can also freeze, can, dehydrate or freeze them. I personally either can them or dehydrate peas. Freezer space for me is prime real estate in my house, so I have to save that space for other things.
You can grow these in raised beds, they really don’t need a lot of space. Having something for them to grow up, like a trellis or a tomato cage, is ideal.
Corn
Corn is in everything! It is also so versatile. You can eat it and it can feed your animals.
Once you have your harvest, you can freeze, can, dehydrate or freeze dry it. I do all but freeze dry. I prefer either fresh or frozen, but I always have canned corn and dehydrated corn in my house.
Corn requires full sunshine. When planting corn, plant it in blocks of 3-4 rows instead of one long row to help natural pollination.
Herbs
They have such a great value, and they don’t take up a lot of space. You can grow them outdoors or indoors. They can be planted in containers or in the ground.
They will give you great flavor and help balance the palate. If you’re into it, you can even use them for medicinal purposes.
Green drinks are super popular right now. Instead of spending $30+ each month for your single serving of greens, grow your own, dehydrate them and then grind them up into powders. This will show you how I do it.
It’s amazing! You can add those green powders into many different meals and in turn giving your family lots of nutrients without them even knowing they are eating something healthy. Such as brownies, spaghetti, meatloaf, tacos, soups etc.
Tomatoes
Tomatoes are some of my favorites to grow!! Each plant will give you a ton of tomatoes!
I use tomatoes a lot in my cooking, but I don’t tend to eat them fresh. I’m not a huge fan of them however my husband loves them.
You can freeze them to use them later, but they won’t be like they were fresh, they tend to go a little soft after being frozen. I usually make them into salsa, diced tomatoes or pasta sauce and then can it up.
You can dehydrate them and make your own sun-dried tomatoes as well.
Peppers
Another awesome food to grow. I have a harder time with peppers, I’m always wanting to over water them, which they don’t do well with, but man when you get a good harvest of peppers, they are awesome!
You can grow Bell peppers, Jalapenos, Banana, Serrano, Cayenne and so many more.
They freeze well, you can can them, freeze dry them or dehydrate them. You can also make them into your own seasoning powders (after you dehydrate them).
Lots of awesome food to grow.
Depending on where you live, there may be some other awesome foods to grow that you should add to this list. I really wish I could grow citrus! Or bananas! (I know those are fruits but man, I sure would love it.) That would be so amazing!
I talked a lot about canning food. If you’ve never canned before, there are some things to know before you get into it. There’s pressure canning and water bath canning. Each are used for different foods. Here’s some more info on pressure canning.
Here’s the pressure canner I use and LOVE! A few books that are helpful with pressure canning are this one, this one, and this one.
Having a dehydrator in my home is one of the most amazing things ever! I don’t like all foods dehydrated but the ones I do I could never live without anymore! Here’s the dehydrator I use. It’s an affordable one and perfect for a beginner.
Thanks!
Thanks for being here! I love that everyone is wanting to learn new skills to help them provide for their families. Find me on TikTok, YouTube or Instagram and let me know what you’re growing! Let’s be friends!!
What I’m planting in my 2023 garden