Preparing for Autumn Harvests: Make the Most of the Late Season

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Autumn harvests. This is the big reward, people. The grand finale. Everything you’ve planted, tended, watered, worried about, and sworn at over the spring and summer — it all comes together in autumn. This is peak harvest season. The allotment is absolutely groaning with food and you can barely keep up with it. Tomatoes ripening faster than you can eat them, beans coming in by the bucketful, squash turning gorgeous shades of orange, and root veg just waiting in the soil for you to pull them up whenever you’re ready.

I love autumn at the allotment. There’s a different energy to it. Summer’s frantic — always something that needs doing urgently, always a pest to deal with, always watering. Autumn is more relaxed. The pace slows down. You can actually enjoy the harvesting without feeling like you should be doing ten other things at the same time. Plus the weather’s usually beautiful — those crisp, cool mornings with low golden sunlight? Chef’s kiss. Best time to be on the allotment, hands down.

But — and there’s always a but — you need to be prepared. Because if you don’t have a plan for dealing with all this abundance, you’re going to end up with more food than you can eat fresh, things going to waste, and that horrible guilty feeling when you find a forgotten courgette that’s turned into a weapon-grade marrow behind a leaf. Preparation is key. Storage is key. Knowing what needs harvesting when is key. Let’s get into it.

The Autumn Harvest Calendar

Different crops peak at different times through autumn. Here’s roughly what to expect, though it varies with your location and the year’s weather:

September — the busiest month. Runner beans, French beans, courgettes, tomatoes (outdoor ones really kick in now), sweetcorn, early squash, beetroot, carrots, onions (if not already harvested), apples (early varieties), blackberries, autumn raspberries, and last of the lettuce and salads before they bolt.

October — squash and pumpkins reaching maturity, main crop potatoes coming up, parsnips ready (leave some for after frost), leeks starting, kale starting, late tomatoes (the ones you’re desperately willing to ripen before frost), apples and pears (later varieties), and the last of the beans.

November — roots and brassicas take centre stage. Parsnips, swede, turnips, celeriac if you grow it, Brussels sprouts starting, kale and chard, perpetual spinach, late leeks, and the very last outdoor tomatoes if you’ve been lucky with the weather.

Dealing with a Tomato Glut

Ah, the tomato glut. Every grower’s dilemma. You spend months coaxing them along, and then suddenly you’ve got about five hundred ripe tomatoes in the space of a week. Here’s what I do:

Eat them fresh — obviously. As many as humanly possible. Sliced with salt and basil, in sandwiches, in salads. The glory days of fresh tomatoes should be celebrated properly.

Make sauce — batch cook a massive pan of tomato sauce with garlic, onion, basil, and olive oil. Freeze it in portions. This is my number one use for excess tomatoes. I usually make about twenty portions and it keeps us going all winter. Pasta night sorted without opening a jar.

Oven roast and freeze — halve them, drizzle with olive oil, slow roast at about 140°C for a couple of hours. They go incredibly concentrated and sweet. Freeze on trays and bag up. Add to pasta, pizza, sandwiches all winter. This is the posh option and it’s worth the effort.

Green tomatoes — at the end of the season, you’ll inevitably have loads of unripe green ones. Don’t just leave them. Pick them, bring them inside, and ripen them in a paper bag with a banana. The ethylene from the banana ripens the tomatoes. Takes a week or two but it works. Or make green tomato chutney, which is absolutely delicious. JB’s wife makes the best green tomato chutney I’ve ever tasted. I’ve been trying to get the recipe for years. Still no luck.

Storing Root Veg

Root vegetables are the easiest crops to store because most of them can simply stay in the ground through autumn and into winter. Parsnips, swede, turnips, and leeks are all hardy enough to survive frost — in fact, as I’ve mentioned, some taste better for it. Just leave them where they are and pull them as you need them. Nature provides the perfect storage.

Carrots and beetroot are slightly less hardy. A hard frost can damage the tops and make them harder to find and pull. I either lift them in October and store them in boxes of slightly damp sand (keeps them crisp for months) or cover the row with a thick layer of straw mulch which insulates against frost. Both methods work well.

Onions and garlic should already be harvested and cured by autumn — they’re hanging in the shed or kitchen, slowly getting used through the winter. If they’re not harvested yet, get them out now before the wet weather sets in.

Squash and Pumpkin Storage

Winter squash and pumpkins are incredible storage crops. Properly cured, they can last months — some varieties will keep until the following spring. But curing is essential. After harvest (cut the stem, don’t pull it — you want a good length of stem attached), leave them in a warm, dry place for about ten days. A sunny windowsill, a greenhouse, or even outside on a dry day. This hardens the skin and seals the stem wound.

Once cured, store somewhere cool and dry — about 10-15°C is ideal. Not touching each other, because if one goes bad it’ll spread to the next. I store mine on a shelf in the spare room. They look quite decorative actually — like a little squash gallery. Guests think I’m being artsy. I’m just storing food.

Freezing and Preserving

The freezer is your best friend during autumn harvest. Here’s what freezes well:

Beans — blanch for two minutes in boiling water, plunge into cold water, dry, and bag up. They freeze brilliantly and taste nearly as good as fresh. I freeze about twenty portions of beans every year.

Courgettes — grate and freeze in portions for adding to cakes, fritters, and pasta sauces through winter. You can also make courgette soup and freeze that. Or just give your excess courgettes to everyone you know and some people you don’t.

Soft fruit — open freeze on trays then bag up. Raspberries, blackberries, and currants freeze perfectly. They go a bit soft when thawed but they’re great for cooking, smoothies, and jam.

Herbs — chop and freeze in ice cube trays with a splash of water or olive oil. Pop out a herb cube when you need it for cooking. Works brilliantly for parsley, coriander, chives, and basil.

Enjoying the Season

Don’t get so caught up in harvesting and storing that you forget to actually enjoy autumn on the allotment. This is the best time of year. The light is gorgeous, the air is crisp, and there’s a real sense of satisfaction in seeing the fruits (and veg) of your labour. Take your time. Sit in your chair with a brew. Admire what you’ve grown. Chat to your neighbours about their harvest. Compare notes. Share surplus. That’s what it’s all about, really.

Daisy loves autumn at the allotment too. She lies in the weak sunshine with her nose twitching at all the smells of ripe fruit and turned earth. Occasionally she steals a fallen apple and runs off with it like she’s found treasure. She’s useless as a gardening companion but she’s excellent company.

Look after yourselves. Take good care. 🌱