Summer Produce

Keep vegetables stored properly to insure optimum freshness.

Eating Raw – Wash and rinse several times in cold water before eating raw or preparing in any of the following ways.

Microwave – A faster way to cook most vegetables.  Use a small amount of water in a microwave safe dish.  Cook just long enough to reach a tender crisp stage.

Steaming – This method will retain more of the vegetable’s nutritive value compared to cooking the vegetable directly in a pan of water.  Personal preference and type of vegetable will determine cooking time.

Stovetop Cooking- This can be done in a kettle with boiling water.  However, you do lose nutritive value into the water.  Sautéing on the stovetop in olive oil, butter, or other oils also works with most vegetables.

Grilling or Broiling – There are many ideas available for grilling or broiling vegetables on the web.  This works well when you are already grilling your meat on the grill during summer months.

Baking in the Oven – When you already have your oven going with your main course wrap veggies in foil with seasonings or place in a covered baking dish with a little butter or oil and your favorite seasonings.

There is so much more to do with vegetables than simply cooking in boiling water and adding a pat of butter.  The Internet will give you an almost endless supply of recipes for any of the vegetables you can purchase from our farm. See each product below for any specific preparation instructions.

Our Product

Weather providing, the beans we sell are almost always homegrown. We plant our beans about four times each year so that new beans keep ripening throughout the season. Green and yellow beans are different from most other vegetables because the bean plants must be completely dry to pick them. Otherwise, they will "rust," which means the skin will turn brown. Even though they would taste fine, we do not pick them because they do not look very appetizing. So, we always wait for the dew to dry off, and once in a while we will not pick if we get too much rain. Green beans are a healthy addition to any meal with their bounty of nutrients: vitamins A, C, and K, manganese, potassium, foliate, iron, and fiber. 

Selecting from the Shelf

When picking out green beans, look for a good green color. Pods should be fairly firm, and the bean should not droop. Consumer preference can vary with less developed to larger sized beans within the pod, but most will still taste similar. One pound of green beans makes about 4 servings.

Storage and Preparation

Store your beans in the refrigerator loosely covered so condensation does not collect.  Beans are best if used in 1-2 days but can be stored longer.  When ready to use, wash beans in icy cold water to add crispness. Rinse and drain and remove only the stem end with a sharp knife or scissors—the “pointy” end is edible.  Try green beans on a platter of vegetables and dip.  To keep them bright, green, and crunchy, boil for 2 to 3 minutes, then cool in ice water.  Beans can also be cooked in a microwave safe dish with just a small amount of water added to the dish.  Cooking time will vary depending on the amount of beans and personal preference.  Some people like their vegetables still crispy and others prefer them more tender.  Experiment with times, but 5 to 8 minutes in the microwave on high should cook your beans.   Beans can also be cooked on the stove top.  Put enough water in an appropriate size kettle to cover the bottom about ½ in.  Add the beans either whole, cut or French sliced. Reduce water to a simmer and cover.   Again, cooking time will vary but approximately 10 minutes will cook 1 pound of beans.  To retain more nutritional value steam the beans in a steamer over boiling water rather than placing them directly in the boiling water.  Experiment with cooking times to suit your preferences.  Beans like most other vegetables can be used in stir fries cooked on the stove.   Also try wrapping beans in foil with about a tablespoon of water, garlic cloves, onions or seasonings of your choice and putting on your grill or in the oven while cooking your meats.  About 20 minutes on the grill  will give you a tasty meal of beans.   Experiment with mixtures of fresh vegetables and seasonings.

Our Product

Sweet corn is a focal point for our farm. We raise over 70 acres of sweet corn, and all of it is hand-picked fresh everyday. We always grow the corn we sell. While it is rare to find a bad ear of Skelly corn, our baker's dozen of 13 ears makes sure you are satisfied just in case you find an ear that does not meet our high standards. We grow yellow and white varieties that we have personally selected as the best tasting corn around. Our Sugar Enhanced varieties are even better tasting than the Super Sweet varieties that get shipped across the country.

Selecting from the Shelf

While tastes vary, most people like their corn younger, so smaller ears may have less developed kernels that are not so chewy. And while it is alright to open up one or two ears to check them, try to avoid pulling open every ear because keeping it closed will keep it fresh. An ear of corn is ripe when the silk (the hairy stuff at the top of the ear) is brown and crusted together. Corn can withstand some handling, but always handle with some care.

Storage and Preparation

We pick our corn fresh every morning. The second you pick an ear of corn, the sugars in the kernels begin to break down. While you do not need to worry about a noticeable difference before supper, corn is best when eaten the same day. If you cannot eat it the day it was picked, store it in a brown paper bag in the refrigerator with the husk still on it unopened.

For corn cooking and freezing help, check out our online cooking videos.

Microwave: The ears of corn after being husked and washed can either be placed in a covered dish with a sprinkle of water or can be wrapped individually with wax paper with the ends of the paper twisted. Microwave between 1 1/2 to 2 minutes per ear (less time per ear when cooking large amounts). If wrapped in paper, unwrap carefully as the corn will be very steamy!

Boiling: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Do not add any salt. Put husked corn in water and bring water back to a boil for about 5-10 minutes or until corn is steamy.

Grilling: To grill corn, select nice ears that have not had the ends opened.  Soak the ears in a bucket of water for 30 minutes or longer.  Then simply cook over coals or on a gas grill turning occasionally until the husks become slightly charred.  Depending on your grill this could take as little as 10 minutes or as much as 20 minutes.  It takes a little experimenting to determine how long you like your corn cooked.  Once grilled, the ears will stay hot for some time or can be put in a slow cooker or covered container to keep warm until serving. To serve, pull back the husk and enjoy!

Freezing: Husk and wash the corn while you bring a large kettle of water to a boil. Once the water is boiling, blanch (boil) the entire ear of corn (several at one time) for 4 minutes.  Remove the corn and immediately cool down in an ice water bath (we use several changes of water to cool more quickly) since you do not want the corn to still be warm when it enters the freezer. Completely cooling the corn before freezing is important. Drain the ears of corn and then remove the corn from the cob.  A technique we use eliminates much of the mess.  You will need an electric knife and either a bundt or angel food cake pan.  Place the large end of the cob in the top of the tube.  Carefully holding the other end of the cob, slice down each side of the ear.  The kernels will fall into the pan, which keeps your work area much neater.  Approximately 3 ears of corn will give you two cups of corn when removed from the cob.  Place in freezer containers, freeze, and enjoy this winter. Corn can be frozen on the cob if you wish.  Blanch the ears between 7 and 10 minutes and cool in ice water.  Drain well.

Our Product

Whether you are making pickles or slicing a cucumber for a salad, we have great cucumbers. Cucumbers are a vine plant that are related to pumpkins and squash. We grow lots of our own cucumbers, but supplies do vary. Our supplies vary from our own and cucumbers from nearby states. Regardless, we choose great slicing sized cucumbers that will keep you satisfied. Unfortunately, we do not sell small picking size cucumbers.

Selecting from the Shelf

While we would love to sell smaller pickling sized cucumbers, we usually only have slicing sizes available. We do not sell cucumbers by the bushel. If you need just a few, look for firm cucumbers. Cucumbers naturally have a semi-waxy coating for protections, and some that we do not grow may have had a little extra vegetable based wax to help protect during transportation. But do not worry, this wax is safe and helps keep your cucumbers fresh when you take them home. For more information on wax, read this article by the University of Illinois Extension.

Storage and Preparation

Keep cucumbers refrigerated until using for optimum freshness.  Wash under running water to remove any loose dirt.  The waxy coating, if present naturally or added to protect and retain freshness, usually cannot be washed off.  It is perfectly safe to consume this plant based wax, but it is personal preference whether to leave the skin on or peel the cucumber.  However, the peel of the cucumber is a good source of vitamin A and fiber, so for optimum nutritional value leave the peel on.  A cucumber is mostly water, 95%, with only 8 calories in ½ cup of slices.  Cut cucumbers should be kept wrapped up or in an air-tight container and kept in the refrigerator and used within two days.  Cucumbers are traditionally used on veggie trays or in salads but their uses can extend to soups, sauces, and even drinks.

Our Product

Muskmelons are a great taste of summer. Muskmelon and cantaloupe are essentially the same fruit with a name that is usually used interchangeably. Many people will call a melon a cantaloupe when it is smoother, and they refer to it as a muskmelon when they have deep ridges. We primarily sell the deep ridge types when they become available from Indiana in mid to late July. Most of our early season melons come from Indiana because due to their soil type they can grow very good tasting melons in that region. By August we have a decent supply of Homegrown melons and supplement with other Wisconsin melons. 1 cup of muskmelon has only 53 calories but is loaded with nutrients and fiber, making it a sweet, refreshing, and healthy summer treat.

Selecting from the Shelf

Melons can be hard to select because you cannot actually see the part you will eat. If you want a melon to eat soon, select one with a yellow outside rind. If you will not cut if for a day or two, select a melon that is still a little green. Melons will ripen on the counter and still taste great. Check to make sure there are not any noticeable soft spots, but do not push too hard or bang on the rind as you could damage the inside of the fruit.

Storage and Preparation

Scrub the outside to remove any dirt. Commercial standards say you can even soak it in bleach water. Store in the refrigerator until you are ready to eat it (unless you need it to ripen), and do not cut until eating. Store uneaten pieces in a sealed container such as Tupperware in a refrigerator. Muskmelon can be served either chilled or at room temperature.  It easily stands on its own as a tasty, refreshing slice of summer or can be mixed with other fresh summer fruits.  The natural hollowed bowl of the melon makes a great place to serve yogurt or ice cream for a refreshing summer dessert.  Years ago we received a great tip for freezing muskmelon to enjoy in the winter.  Place bite size chunks or melon balls in freezer containers and simply cover with a lemonade beverage such as Crystal Light leaving about ½ inch head space in the container.  Label and freeze to enjoy during the winter.

Our Product

Since onions are a very labor intensive product that is hard to grow without specialized equipment designed for growing lots of acres, so we get most of our onions from other growers. We offer some great tasting onions, and usually have red, white, and yellow onions available. They are a great addition or side for any summertime meal.

Selecting from the Shelf

Onions are are fairly consistent product. Usually if it looks good on the shelf it will taste good too.

Storage and Preparation

Remove the outer skin and slice as needed. You can store uncut onions for a few months if you keep them in a cool, dark place. Onions can be chopped and frozen without blanching in freezer bags to add to cooked dishes later.

Our Product

While we can grow a lot of produce in Wisconsin, peaches are nearly impossible to grow in Wisconsin. But peaches are one of the best parts of summer, so we work hard to find the good ones. We usually have peaches from Georgia, Southern Illinois, or Michigan. Our family is a huge peach fan, so we set very high standards for selecting our peaches. We taste test every shipment to make sure they taste great.

Selecting from the Shelf

Peaches are probably the most delicate item that we sell. When you handle peaches, pretend you are handling a glass ornament as they can bruise easily. Once peaches fully ripen, they bruise even easier and they will usually become soft very quickly. You will notice that most of the peaches we sell are firm when you buy them. Let them sit for a day or two and they will be perfect to eat. Do not press on the fruit to check for quality as this does not do anything but bruise the fruit.

Storage and Preparation

The fruit can be consumed slightly firm, or you can let it sit on the counter until it is soft and juicy. Wash the outside just before eating. You can either eat it like an apple by eating around the pit or you can slice it. If a fruit gets just a little too ripe, you can always cut it up and eat it in pie, on ice cream, or in yogurt.

Our Product

Peppers have a very long growing season, so you may see southern peppers before we have our own available. We typically only sell green bell peppers. Our peppers usually become available on a limited basis in early August. Peppers are an excellent source of dietary fiber, Vitamin C, A and many other essential nutrients.

Selecting from the Shelf

Choose a pepper based on how much you need. A larger pepper is great for stuffed peppers, and small fruit are good for cutting up in other dishes. Look for a firm outer flesh. Green peppers eventually turn red if left on the plant, so a small spot of red means that is just hung on the plant a little longer and will have a slightly hotter flavor.

Storage and Preparation

Peppers should be stored in a refrigerator until ready to cut or eat. Leftover pieces should be stored in an airtight container. Peppers are one of the few vegetables that can be frozen without blanching. So, if you have more pepper than you can use simply put the extra in a freezer bag to use in a cooked dish at a later date.

Our Product

We usually just offer smaller red potatoes which are great for slicing or making great dishes for summer. Like onions, potatoes are a very labor intensive product that is hard to grow without specialized equipment designed for growing lots of acres, so we get most of our potatoes from other growers.

Selecting from the Shelf

Most potatoes will be great if they do not have a shriveled fleshed, which is uncommon.

Storage and Preparation

Wash and cook. One of our favorite recipes involves slicing into 1/4 in. slices and baking with butter and seasoning. You can store unsliced potatoes for a few months if you keep them in a cool, dark place.

Our Product

From zucchini bread to fried zucchini, our zucchini do it all. We grow almost all of our zucchini. Zucchini and summer squash are both part of the same family and you will usually see them displayed together at our farm. In fact, it can be very hard to distinguish between the two plants until the fruit starts to form.  Both are a very good source of dietary fiber, Vitamin C, K and other essential nutrients

Selecting from the Shelf

Unlike their winter squash cousins, summer squash and zucchini are more perishable and should be consumed within a week of harvest. The shorter shelf life is still long compared to some other produce and you usually will not notice a decrease in flavor with a zucchini or summer squash after a few days. As long as the skin is tight and not wrinkled it should be good.

Storage and Preparation

Summer squash and zucchini can be stored on the counter for a day or two or in the refrigerator. A large zucchini can be grated for tasty breads, cakes, cookies or muffins. Select smaller zucchini and summer squash for grilling, frying or stir fries.  The Internet has a wealth of enticing zucchini and summer squash recipes.

Our Product

Sweet corn is a focal point for our farm. We raise over 70 acres of sweet corn, and all of it is hand-picked fresh everyday. We always grow the corn we sell. While it is rare to find a bad ear of Skelly corn, our baker's dozen of 13 ears makes sure you are satisfied just in case you find an ear that does not meet our high standards. We grow yellow and white varieties that we have personally selected as the best tasting corn around. Our Sugar Enhanced varieties are even better tasting than the Super Sweet varieties that get shipped across the country.

Selecting from the Shelf

While tastes vary, most people like their corn younger, so smaller ears may have less developed kernels that are not so chewy. And while it is alright to open up one or two ears to check them, try to avoid pulling open every ear because keeping it closed will keep it fresh. An ear of corn is ripe when the silk (the hairy stuff at the top of the ear) is brown and crusted together. Corn can withstand some handling, but always handle with some care.

Storage and Preparation

We pick our corn fresh every morning. The second you pick an ear of corn, the sugars in the kernels begin to break down. While you do not need to worry about a noticeable difference before supper, corn is best when eaten the same day. If you cannot eat it the day it was picked, store it in a brown paper bag in the refrigerator with the husk still on it unopened.

For corn cooking and freezing help, check out our online cooking videos.

Microwave: The ears of corn after being husked and washed can either be placed in a covered dish with a sprinkle of water or can be wrapped individually with wax paper with the ends of the paper twisted. Microwave between 1 1/2 to 2 minutes per ear (less time per ear when cooking large amounts). If wrapped in paper, unwrap carefully as the corn will be very steamy!

Boiling: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Do not add any salt. Put husked corn in water and bring water back to a boil for about 5-10 minutes or until corn is steamy.

Grilling: To grill corn, select nice ears that have not had the ends opened.  Soak the ears in a bucket of water for 30 minutes or longer.  Then simply cook over coals or on a gas grill turning occasionally until the husks become slightly charred.  Depending on your grill this could take as little as 10 minutes or as much as 20 minutes.  It takes a little experimenting to determine how long you like your corn cooked.  Once grilled, the ears will stay hot for some time or can be put in a slow cooker or covered container to keep warm until serving. To serve, pull back the husk and enjoy!

Freezing: Husk and wash the corn while you bring a large kettle of water to a boil. Once the water is boiling, blanch (boil) the entire ear of corn (several at one time) for 4 minutes.  Remove the corn and immediately cool down in an ice water bath (we use several changes of water to cool more quickly) since you do not want the corn to still be warm when it enters the freezer. Completely cooling the corn before freezing is important. Drain the ears of corn and then remove the corn from the cob.  A technique we use eliminates much of the mess.  You will need an electric knife and either a bundt or angel food cake pan.  Place the large end of the cob in the top of the tube.  Carefully holding the other end of the cob, slice down each side of the ear.  The kernels will fall into the pan, which keeps your work area much neater.  Approximately 3 ears of corn will give you two cups of corn when removed from the cob.  Place in freezer containers, freeze, and enjoy this winter. Corn can be frozen on the cob if you wish.  Blanch the ears between 7 and 10 minutes and cool in ice water.  Drain well.

Our Product

Tomatoes are a great taste of summer and are one of our most popular products. We grow our tomatoes in hoop houses to help get early tomatoes. This means that we plant our tomatoes right in the ground just like they would be outside. However, since they are under protection from the frost, we have homegrown tomatoes ready in late June rather than mid August. These are different than hydroponic tomatoes where the plants are grown in pots and fed special nutrient mixtures that some people believe affects flavor. Our tomatoes taste just like those homegrown tomatoes that everyone loves because they are homegrown: just with a little protection. Visit our tomato page to learn more about our hoop houses.

Unfortunately, due to the great popularity of our tomatoes, we do not always have a constant supply of homegrown tomatoes. We try to always have homegrown tomatoes at our farm and at the Janesville Farmer's Market. We supply them to our other stands as much as possible, but we cannot always keep up with demand. Supply can vary day to day and we supplement short supplies with tomatoes from warmer climates.

We typically do not harvest green tomatoes, only red.

Selecting from the Shelf

Look for firm, red tomatoes, but make sure to handle with care. Tomatoes can bruise easily. While some of our giant tomatoes can get expensive, remember, that a few small tomatoes can be great for salads, or you can just put a few slices on your burger.

Storage and Preparation

Never put a tomato in the refrigerator unless it has been sliced. Unsliced tomatoes should be stored around 55 degrees in a relatively humid environment. They can usually sit on the counter for a few days, but keep them out of the sun. Of course we all love fresh tomatoes on our sandwiches, salads, and to eat sliced. Also check out the idea of grilling tomatoes for a different summer treat. You will find numerous recipes for grilled tomatoes on the Internet.

Our Product

Watermelon are a long season crop, so we have Indiana melons early in the season. By early to mid-August we have many Wisconsin and homegrown watermelon. Most of the watermelon we sell are seedless, although we occasionally have seeded melons. These melons are a summertime favorite on our farm, and we enjoy taking a break and enjoying some during a hard day of work in the summer sun. Watermelon are a good source of potassium and very good source of Vitamins A and C.  They are also low in calories.

Selecting from the Shelf

Melons can be hard to select because you cannot actually see the part you will eat. Watermelon are even harder to choose than muskmelons because the outside color does not change. However, watermelon do ripen at a fairly consistent rate and fields are taste tested and harvested as a group to get great melons. As long as the melon does not feel soft, it should be a good choice.

Storage and Preparation

Scrub the outside to remove any dirt. Commercial standards say you can even soak it in bleach water. Watermelon do not need to be refrigerated for a few days if they are left uncut. Once cut, you can store the pieces in an airtight container.

Our Product

From zucchini bread to fried zucchini, our zucchini do it all. We grow almost all of our zucchini. Zucchini and summer squash are both part of the same family and you will usually see them displayed together at our farm. In fact, it can be very hard to distinguish between the two plants until the fruit starts to form.  Both are a very good source of dietary fiber, Vitamin C, K and other essential nutrients

Selecting from the Shelf

Unlike their winter squash cousins, summer squash and zucchini are more perishable and should be consumed within a week of harvest. The shorter shelf life is still long compared to some other produce and you usually will not notice a decrease in flavor with a zucchini or summer squash after a few days. As long as the skin is tight and not wrinkled it should be good.

Storage and Preparation

Summer squash and zucchini can be stored on the counter for a day or two or in the refrigerator. A large zucchini can be grated for tasty breads, cakes, cookies or muffins. Select smaller zucchini and summer squash for grilling, frying or stir fries.  The Internet has a wealth of enticing zucchini and summer squash recipes.