Hannah Stephenson gives some pointers on how to keep the fruit and veg fresh long after the harvest is over.

KEEN fruit and vegetable gardeners will now be reaping the rewards of their hard work as they harvest everything from potatoes and green beans to tomatoes, courgettes, apples and pears.

But unless you have a bunch of ravenous neighbours and friends who are happy to take in some of your home produce, you need to know how to store fruit and veg to enjoy throughout the winter months as well.

This year, I've had bumper crops of cherry tomatoes far too many for my family to consume but after some research I've found you can freeze them for future use in sauces, casseroles and other cooked dishes.

All you do is immerse the tomatoes in boiling water, peel off the skins, let them cool and then store them in batches in freezer bags. Just remember they will be soft when they are defrosted, so won't be suitable for salads.

Many vegetables can easily be frozen, by preparing and blanching them first (plunging in boiling water for a couple of minutes and then cooling them in iced water for a few minutes so they don't continue cooking), then transferring to freezer bags.

Green beans, asparagus, sweetcorn, carrots, Brussels sprouts and courgettes can all be frozen in this way.

Virtually every fruit can be frozen, but be warned that when it is defrosted it's likely to be soggy and sitting in juice. However, its flavour will not be impaired and such fruits are ideally used in sauces, compotes, pies and tarts. You need to de-stone stone fruits before freezing, as the stone will give off an almond taint.

Other home produce requires dry storage, including potatoes, onions, garlic, pumpkins and winter cabbages. Potatoes should be left to dry off for several hours before storing in a wooden box in a dark, frost-free shed. They should keep until spring.

Parsnips, cabbages, cauliflowers, beets and other roots keep fresh in the ground if covered in loose straw and plastic before everything freezes solid.

Alternatively they can be kept in a cellar, or a dead chest-freezer in a shed, where the temperature and humidity are constant. If the vegetables are put in when cold, they will stay fresh for months, although you would need to perforate part of the lid seal to allow ventilation.

Onions, garlic and shallots keep easily for up to six months if they are well dried in a hot, airy place and then kept cool and dry, hanging in the roof of a dry shed or garage.

Don't store any apples ripening before the end of September, as few of these will keep for long. You're better off turning them into puree, juice or dried apple rings.

The best keeping varieties hang on the trees through October and are only gathered when hard frost hits them.

Prepare them for storage by placing them in a cool, airy place for a couple of days to sweat out any excess moisture and then to put them out on a chilly evening without frost and then put them in store first thing in the morning before they have warmed.

Lay the apples in trays on a bed of crumpled or shredded newspaper in a frost-free, cool, dark place, such as a garage or shed. Pears can be stored in a similar environment but should not be wrapped.

There's no reason you shouldn't enjoy the fruits of your labour well into the winter months.