PICKLE, chutney, jam, preserves – nothing need go to waste with this year’s bumper harvest.

Having been on holiday last week, I returned to the plot with trepidation, even though I had asked a friend to pick as much as she wanted of produce to keep it all growing.

And my reward? The pumpkins have grown plump and are ripening off nicely, the borlotti beans are starting to fill out their pods, tomatoes have turned from green to a lovely, deep orangey-red colour, and looking around me, everything looks lush and plentiful.

But what to do with all this wonderful produce?

Pumpkins and squashes will keep for months thankfully, provided their skins are ‘cured’ (hardened).

Last season, the last pumpkin I made soup with brightened a cold, dark January evening and I am hoping for similar storage time this year, especially as there are so many.

To ensure pumpkins are in the best condition for storage, cut complete with stalk when fully ripe (and before the first frost). I leave mine to ripen on the plot in the sun but if nearly ripe and it looks as though it is going to be very wet, you can harden the skin off on a sunny windowsill, porch or greenhouse. They are ready to store when they sound hard when tapped. As long as they are kept in a dry, shady, and frost-free place, they should keep for months.

Another crop providing fare for the winter months are dried borlotti beans, great for making soups and stews. It is best to leave the pods on the plants for as long as possible before picking, when they should be dry and brittle. The shelled beans should then be left on a tray for a few days to ensure they are completely dry before storing in an airtight container.

Crops not deemed for winter storage are busily being frozen, pureed and bottled etc, with any surplus going to friends and family.