The Leafy Green You Should Harvest After The First Frost For Better Flavor

As autumn deepens, gardeners worry about their tender crops, which could suffer damage or even die from the season's first frost. These ice crystals form when air temperatures dip to around 33 to 36 degrees Fahrenheit, signaling the end of the growing season for cold-sensitive crops, such as from your summer garden. Don't worry — you don't have to pack up your gardening gear for the year just yet; the effects of the cold aren't all negative. 

Remarkably, it can make bok choy (Brassica rapa), a biennial Asian green typically grown as an annual, even more delicious by enhancing its sweetness and crispness. Similarly, the reason why your garden veggies taste so much sweeter in the winter is because being forced to acclimate to the cold prompts plants to convert their starches into sugars, a natural antifreeze. Because bok choy reacts the same way to chilly conditions, this popular type of Chinese cabbage is among the vegetables you should wait to harvest after a big frost for an even tastier reward.

As one of the most versatile vegetables you're likely to grow, you'll want to learn how to successfully grow bok choy from seed. Harvest your mature crop after the first frost of the cold season to get the best taste. The head should feel dense and firm to the touch when you press down on it. No need to be delicate; go ahead and pull the entire plant up. Anything you leave behind will likely die off as temperatures continue to drop into winter. 

Since bok choy is hardier than many other cool-season vegetables — and because the first frost can enhance its flavor, making that icy covering you see on your crops something to love and not fear— it may quickly become one of your favorite crops to grow. And while it can outlast many other veggies in your fall garden, be sure to enjoy it soon after harvesting. Although it will keep for a week or two in the refrigerator and you can freeze it for longer storage, it tastes its very best when used right away.