For many households across the nation, summertime means a house full of kids excited to be out of school and ready for adventure.
Wondering what to do with your little ones this summer? Why not try an activity that’s healthful for your family in more ways than one? Try picking your own fruits and vegetables. American farms offer colorful crops of produce that customers can pick for themselves. From cucumbers and tomatoes to watermelon and peaches, there’s plenty of variety.
And there are benefits. For one thing, it’s cheaper than buying fruits and vegetables at a supermarket. For a fraction of grocery store prices, you can tote home produce that hasn’t been bumped around in a freight truck across the continent. These freshly picked beauties will likely taste much better than the far-traveling kind, too.
You and the kids will get a good workout, fresh air and a big dose of sunshine while you select the best specimens. And, chances are your little rascals will be more inclined to eat their green beans if they have a hand in the harvesting.
Increase your kids’ interest in fresh fruits and veggies even more by letting them select and help make recipes for the bounty you take home.
Not excited to eat blueberries or okra for weeks? Share the goods with friends, or consider time-tested home preservation methods, such as canning and pickling. Make jams, jellies, sauces and spreads, then can them so they’ll last for months … maybe longer. Check out the National Center for Home Food Preservation’s website for instructions on safe food preserving. Then you can enjoy the succulent sweetness of strawberries well past summer’s end.