July is when the garden finally starts feeling like it’s paying you back.
After weeks of planting, watering, pulling weeds, and wondering if anything is actually going to grow, baskets finally start making their way into the kitchen. The herbs are getting bigger, the peas are ready for snacking, berries start showing up, and the first green beans begin filling bowls instead of fitting in the palm of your hand.
At least… that’s how it usually goes.
Gardens have a way of keeping you humble. Some years things grow like crazy. Other years the weather decides to do whatever it wants, the chickens get somewhere they shouldn’t, or something you were sure would thrive suddenly decides otherwise.
But that’s part of it too.
If you’re gardening in Northern Minnesota, July doesn’t usually mean mountains of peppers, tomatoes, and zucchini yet. Around here, we’re still in that middle season — fresh peas disappearing before they make it inside, herbs begging to be preserved, berries finally ripening, and the first real harvests starting to show up.
If you’re wondering what to harvest in July and looking for simple ways to use it, preserve it, or turn it into meals your family will actually eat, I’ve gathered some of our favorite ideas below.
Quick Look: What You’ll Find in This Post
• Peas — Snack on them fresh, toss them into salads, steam with butter, or freeze extras for later
• Green Beans — Cook them as simple side dishes, preserve them for winter, or turn them into family favorites
• Strawberries — Make jam, bake desserts, or freeze summer sweetness for later
• Blueberries — Bake into muffins and pancakes, make desserts, or freeze for later
Whether your garden gave you a little or a lot this July, you’ll find plenty of simple recipes, preserving ideas, and practical ways to make the most of your harvest.
Peas
Peas are one of the few things that rarely make it all the way to the kitchen around here. They’re best eaten straight from the garden — standing right beside the vines, popping pods open and eating them raw while you’re supposed to be harvesting.
They’re basically garden candy.
I throw fresh peas on salads all summer long, and honestly, that’s the main reason I plant them in the first place. Sweet, crisp, and fresh-picked peas taste nothing like the ones from a can or freezer bag.
We’ve never bothered freezing or canning peas because we’d need a whole lot more plants to make it worthwhile for our family. They disappear way too fast for that. But if you somehow manage to bring a bowl of them inside, here are a few favorite ways to use them.
Buttered Peas
Sometimes simple really is best. Fresh peas are cooked until tender, then tossed with butter, onion, and a little seasoning for an easy side dish that lets the sweetness of the peas do most of the work. This is one of my favorite ways to eat them.
Pea Salad
Creamy, crunchy, and loaded with bacon, cheddar cheese, and red onion, this old-fashioned pea salad feels like one of those recipes that always seems to show up at family gatherings and summer cookouts. Sweet peas get tossed in a tangy, creamy dressing that comes together quickly and can be made ahead, which makes it an easy side dish for busy summer days.
Pea Pasta Salad
Tender pasta, sweet peas, crispy bacon, cheddar cheese, and a creamy dressing come together in this easy summer side dish. It’s the kind of recipe that works well for cookouts, family gatherings, or nights when you need something simple sitting in the refrigerator ready to go. Fresh garden peas would make this even better.
Creamed Peas on Toast
Creamed peas are one of those old-fashioned side dishes that feel like comfort food. Sweet peas are tucked into a creamy sauce with simple pantry ingredients for a warm, hearty dish that pairs well with meat, potatoes, and family suppers. It’s simple food, but sometimes those are the recipes people remember most.
Tuna Noodle Hotdish
Tender noodles, peas, tuna, and a creamy sauce baked together under a buttery topping make this a simple comfort food meal. Peas add a little sweetness and color, and it’s the kind of pantry-friendly recipe that works well on busy nights when you need supper on the table without a lot of fuss.
Fresh Pea Soup
Fresh peas are blended into a creamy, comforting soup that lets their sweet flavor really stand out. It’s a simple way to use a basket of garden peas and makes a lighter meal for summer without feeling heavy. Add a little crusty bread on the side and supper is pretty much taken care of.
Other Ways to Use Peas
Fresh peas don’t need much to make them good. Half of ours disappear before they ever make it into a recipe, but if you still have some left in the bowl, here are a few simple ways to use them:
• Toss fresh peas into green salads for a little sweetness and crunch
• Stir peas into pasta salads for summer gatherings and cookouts
• Add them to fried rice or stir fry dishes
• Mix into creamy soups or chowders
• Stir into macaroni and cheese for extra color and flavor
• Sprinkle into scrambled eggs or omelets
• Add to chicken pot pie filling
• Toss into pasta dishes near the end of cooking
• Steam lightly and serve with butter and a little salt
• Snack on them straight from the garden — still my favorite way to eat them
I still say fresh peas are best eaten standing in the garden with a handful of empty pods at your feet, but it never hurts to have a few backup ideas.
Preserve Your Peas
If your garden gives you more peas than you can use fresh, they store well for later too. Freezing is one of the simplest options and helps keep their sweet flavor and bright color. A quick blanch before freezing makes a big difference.
Peas can also be pressure canned if you prefer stocking pantry shelves for soups, casseroles, and side dishes later in the year. Whether you choose the freezer or the pantry, preserving a few jars or bags now makes winter meals a little easier.
How to Freeze Garden Peas
Fresh peas are blanched and frozen so you can enjoy a little summer flavor long after the garden season ends. This guide walks through the process step by step and makes it simple for beginners.
How to Can Peas
Pressure canning peas lets you stock pantry shelves with ready-to-use vegetables for soups, casseroles, and side dishes later in the year. This guide walks through the canning process from start to finish.
Green Beans
Green beans are when the garden finally starts feeling like a real harvest.
Up until this point, it’s mostly been the smaller things — a handful of peas here, a few berries there, some herbs snipped for supper. But green beans feel different. Suddenly you’re bringing in bowls instead of handfuls, and this is usually when we really start eating from the garden.
It’s also the point where preserving season starts kicking into gear. Green beans are usually one of the first things we begin canning, and once those jars start lining the shelves, the season seems to keep rolling right along. We’re often preserving something from green bean season all the way through November, when I’m making cranberry juice.
Here are some favorite ways to use fresh green beans, plus ideas for preserving them for later.
Garlic Butter Green Beans
Fresh green beans get cooked until tender, then tossed with garlic, butter, and simple seasonings for an easy side dish that lets the flavor of the beans shine. Sometimes the simplest recipes end up becoming the regulars, and this feels like one of those recipes that would work just as well for a weeknight supper as it would beside a holiday meal.
Bacon Green Beans
Tender green beans simmered with bacon, onion, and seasonings make this one of those hearty side dishes that feels more like comfort food than vegetables. The bacon adds plenty of flavor, and it’s the kind of recipe that would fit just as easily beside Sunday dinner as it would at a holiday table.
Green Bean Casserole
Green bean casserole shows up on nearly every holiday table at this house. Creamy sauce, tender green beans, and that crispy fried french onion topping somehow manages to disappear every single time. It’s one of those classic recipes that people expect to see sitting beside the turkey, ham, and mashed potatoes — and honestly, the holidays would feel a little weird without it.
Three Bean Salad
Three bean salad is one of those old-fashioned recipes that seems to show up at summer picnics, family gatherings, and church potlucks. Green beans get mixed with other beans and tossed in a sweet and tangy dressing for a make-ahead side dish that only gets better after sitting in the refrigerator for a while.
Pickled Geen Beans
We also use our dill pickle recipe for string beans, and they’re surprisingly good. Fresh green beans soak up all that garlicky, dill pickle flavor while keeping a little crunch. They make a great snack straight from the jar and are really good tucked beside sandwiches, burgers, or a summer supper plate. Sometimes it’s nice having something different on the pantry shelf besides plain canned beans.
Other Ways to Use Green Beans
Fresh green beans don’t really need much to taste good. Some of our favorite ways are also the simplest ones.
• Boil fresh green beans until tender and serve with a little butter, salt, and pepper. Simple and dependable.
• Steam until just tender for a fresher, slightly crisp texture that works well beside almost any meal.
• Cook green beans with a little butter and garlic.
• Add green beans to soups and stews for extra vegetables and flavor
• Toss them into stir fry dishes
• Roast them in the oven with olive oil and seasonings
• Add cooked green beans to pasta salads or cold summer salads
• Mix them into casseroles and one-pan meals
Fresh green beans are one of those vegetables that can be dressed up into a holiday side dish or kept simple enough for an ordinary Tuesday supper.
Preserve Your Green Beans
Green beans are one of the first things that really kick off preserving season for us. Once the jars and canner come out, it feels like summer shifts into a different gear and suddenly there’s always something waiting on the kitchen counter.
You can freeze green beans or can them depending on what works best for your family. Freezing keeps things simple and is a good option if you want to tuck a few bags away quickly.
We always can ours. I’ve never really liked the texture of frozen green beans, and there’s just something satisfying about lining jars up on pantry shelves and knowing meals are already waiting for later.
How to Freeze Green Beans
Fresh green beans are trimmed, blanched, and frozen so you can enjoy garden beans long after the season ends. This guide walks through the process step by step and makes it simple for beginners.
How to Can Green Beans
If you’re filling pantry shelves instead of freezer space, our guide walks you through pressure canning green beans from start to finish. It’s the method we use every year and one of the easiest ways to start canning, if you are a beginner.
Strawberries
Strawberries never seem to last long once they start coming in. One day you’re spotting a few red berries here and there, and then suddenly you’re carrying bowls into the house and trying to decide what gets eaten fresh and what gets saved for later.
Fresh strawberries rarely need much help. Most of them disappear straight from the bowl, but they also turn into some of our favorite summer recipes. From jam and desserts to freezing extras for later baking, strawberries are one of those harvests that never seem to go to waste.
Here are a few favorite ways to use fresh strawberries and save a little summer for later.
Homemade Strawberry Freezer Jam
This strawberry freezer jam is bright, sweet, and tastes like summer in a jar. Fresh strawberries are mixed with sugar and tucked into the freezer, giving you a simple way to enjoy fresh berry flavor long after strawberry season is over. It’s one of our favorite ways to save strawberries because it keeps that fresh-picked taste so well.
Strawberry Rhubarb Jam with Jell-O
Sweet strawberries and tart rhubarb come together in this simple homemade jam with a little help from Jell-O. It has a bright, fresh flavor and just the right balance of sweet and tangy. Spread it on toast, spoon it over biscuits, or tuck a few jars away to enjoy later when summer berries are long gone.
Homemade Strawberry Shortcake
Soft homemade shortcake layered with sweet strawberries and whipped cream is hard to beat during strawberry season. It’s one of those simple desserts that feels special without being complicated, and fresh-picked strawberries really make it shine. Summer desserts don’t get much better than this.
Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler
Sweet strawberries and tart rhubarb baked beneath a soft, golden topping make this one of those desserts that feels like summer in a pan. Strawberry and rhubarb are one of my favorite combinations because the sweetness and tartness balance each other so well. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top and it’s hard to go wrong.
Strawberry Pie
Fresh strawberries piled into a flaky crust make this one of those desserts that feels like summer on a plate. Juicy berries and a sweet filling come together in a simple recipe that lets fresh strawberries be the star. This would be especially good after a summer supper or at a family gathering.
Strawberry Muffins
Soft, lightly sweet muffins filled with fresh strawberries make an easy breakfast, snack, or something to set beside a cup of coffee. Fresh berries add little pockets of sweetness throughout, making these a good way to use strawberries when you somehow end up with more than you can eat fresh.
Baked Strawberries and Cream French Toast
Sweet strawberries tucked into soft French toast with a creamy filling make this feel like one of those breakfasts that disappears fast. My boys love strawberry French toast, and I have my own version I make for them that I’ll get on the blog eventually. But until then, this one looks like a pretty good stand-in.
Other Ways to Use Strawberries
Fresh strawberries don’t usually need much help. A bowl sitting on the counter tends to get picked at all day long, but if you have extra berries waiting to be used, here are a few more simple ideas:
• Slice strawberries over pancakes, waffles, or French toast
• Stir chopped strawberries into yogurt or oatmeal
• Toss fresh strawberries into green salads with spinach, nuts, and feta cheese
• Blend them into smoothies for an easy breakfast or snack
• Add sliced strawberries to lemonade or iced tea
• Spoon them over ice cream or cheesecake
• Layer strawberries into parfaits with whipped cream or yogurt
• Freeze whole berries for future baking or smoothies
• Mix strawberries into homemade popsicles
• Slice and serve them with angel food cake and whipped cream
• Put them in a bowl and pour some cream and sugar over them
Fresh strawberries somehow make almost everything feel a little more like summer.
Preserve Your Strawberries
Fresh strawberries don’t stay fresh very long, which is probably why berry season always feels like a race. One day you’re picking a few bowls, and before you know it you’re trying to decide what to eat now and what to save for later.
Freezing and dehydrating are two simple ways to stretch strawberry season a little longer and enjoy those summer berries long after the plants have stopped producing.
How to Freeze Strawberries
Freezing strawberries is one of the easiest ways to save them for later. Whole or sliced berries can be tucked into freezer bags and used later for smoothies, baking, jams, sauces, or desserts when fresh berries are out of season.
How to Dehydrate Strawberries
Dehydrated strawberries make an easy snack and take up a lot less space than freezer bags. Drying also concentrates their sweetness, making them great for trail mixes, oatmeal, granola, or adding to baked goods later on.
Blueberries
Blueberries always make me think of summer buckets and stained fingers. I’ve never grown blueberries myself, but I used to go blueberry picking at U-pick farms, and Scott grew up picking wild blueberries. My aunt grows them too, so blueberries have always felt like one of those summer foods that just show up every year.
Fresh blueberries are hard to beat straight from the bowl, but they also work in just about everything. They get baked into muffins and pancakes, stirred into desserts, frozen for later, and somehow always disappear faster than you think they should.
Here are a few favorite ways to use fresh blueberries and save some for later.
Blueberry Freezer Jam
Blueberry freezer jam is one of the easiest ways to save fresh berries for later. The berries keep that bright, fresh blueberry flavor, and you can pull out a jar long after summer is over. Spread it on toast, spoon it over biscuits, or tuck it into desserts when you want a little taste of summer in the middle of winter.
Homemade Berry Syrup
This homemade blueberry syrup is a simple way to turn fresh summer berries into something you can pour over almost anything. Drizzle it over pancakes, waffles, French toast, ice cream, or cheesecake. It’s one of those recipes that makes breakfast feel a little more special without much extra work.
Blueberry Pie
Fresh blueberries tucked into a flaky crust make blueberry pie one of those classic summer desserts that never really goes out of style. Sweet berries bake down into a rich filling that feels simple and homemade in the best way. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top and nobody seems to complain.
Blueberry Coffee Cake
Soft coffee cake filled with sweet blueberries and topped with a buttery crumb topping makes this one of those recipes that works for breakfast, brunch, or coffee breaks. Fresh blueberries add little bursts of sweetness throughout, and it feels like the kind of thing you’d set out on the table and watch disappear one slice at a time.
Lemon Blueberry Bread
Sweet blueberries and bright lemon flavor come together in this soft quick bread for a combination that just works. The fresh lemon gives it a little extra brightness, and it feels like one of those recipes that works just as well beside morning coffee as it does for an afternoon treat.
Blueberry Muffins
Soft, bakery-style blueberry muffins loaded with fresh blueberries make an easy breakfast or snack that rarely lasts long on the counter. Blueberries baked into warm muffins just feel like summer, and they pair pretty well with a cup of coffee too.
Blueberry Pancakes
I usually just toss fresh blueberries into my mom’s pancake recipe and call it good, but I’ll get that one on the blog eventually. Until then, this looks like a pretty good option. Soft, fluffy pancakes filled with sweet blueberries make a good excuse to slow down breakfast a little and use up some fresh summer berries.
Other Ways to Use Blueberries
Fresh blueberries disappear pretty quickly, but if you still have a bowl sitting on the counter waiting to be used, here are a few more simple ideas:
• Stir blueberries into oatmeal for an easy breakfast
• Add fresh blueberries to yogurt or parfaits
• Toss blueberries into green salads with spinach, pecans, and feta cheese
• Blend them into smoothies for breakfast or snacks
• Spoon blueberries over waffles, cheesecake, or ice cream
• Freeze a handful and toss them into future smoothies
• Mix blueberries into homemade popsicles
• Add fresh berries to fruit salads
• Bake blueberries into scones, biscuits, or quick breads
• Snack on them straight from the bowl
Blueberries have a way of disappearing before you think they should, which probably says something about how good they are fresh.
Preserve Your Blueberries
Blueberries are one of the easier summer harvests to save for later. They freeze well, dehydrate well, and tuck nicely into all kinds of recipes long after berry season is over.
It always feels a little strange putting fresh summer berries away while it’s hot outside, but pulling blueberries out in the middle of winter for muffins, pancakes, or baked treats makes it worth the effort.
How to Freeze Blueberries
Freezing blueberries is simple and keeps them ready for smoothies, muffins, pancakes, and future baking projects. A freezer full of berries also makes it a lot easier to add a little summer flavor to meals later in the year.
How to Dehydrate Blueberries
Dehydrated blueberries take up less storage space and make an easy snack or addition to oatmeal, granola, trail mix, and baked goods. Drying them also concentrates their sweetness, which makes them taste a little different than fresh berries but really good in their own way.
Still Going Strong From June
Not everything from June disappears once July shows up. A few garden favorites keep producing and are still worth picking, eating, and putting to use.
Peas are still hanging on early in the month if the weather cooperates, though hot days usually start slowing them down.
Lettuce and green onions often keep producing too, especially if you planted in succession or harvest a little at a time.
Radishes can still be coming in if you planted later crops or tucked in another row.
And rhubarb keeps right on producing. By July we’re usually moving beyond spring recipes and freezing extra for future crisps, breads, jams, and desserts.
If you’re looking for more ideas for using and preserving those harvests, take a look at our June Harvest Guide, where I shared favorite recipes, preserving methods, and simple ways to use them before summer moves on to the next season.
Keep Garden Meals Simple
Fresh garden food sounds wonderful until you’re standing in the kitchen with green beans, strawberries, blueberries, and a whole basket of produce wondering what supper is supposed to be.
That’s exactly why I started planning meals ahead. It keeps me from wasting food, helps me use what we already have, and saves me from staring into the refrigerator at 5:00 wondering what I forgot to thaw.
If you’d like a simple system that helps you organize meals without over-complicating life, grab my free meal planner below.
Slow Down and Savor It
July is busy, but there’s still a little breathing room in it. The garden is finally producing real food now. Supper starts coming from baskets on the counter instead of grocery bags, and there’s still time to enjoy the process.
Slow down a little this month.
Eat peas straight from the garden. Pick strawberries with your kids. Stand outside and snack on blueberries while you’re picking them. Sit on the porch after supper for a few minutes instead of rushing off to the next thing.
Because once August shows up, things change fast.
The tomatoes start coming in, the canner barely cools off, school starts creeping closer, and suddenly it feels like you’re trying to keep up with everything at once. July still gives you a chance to pause before harvest season shifts into high gear.
The work will still be there tomorrow. Summer doesn’t always wait. 🍻
More Ways to Use Your July Harvest
If the garden is starting to fill your kitchen counters and preserving season is getting underway, here are a few more ideas to help you make the most of what summer is giving you:
How to Dry Chives – One of the easiest herbs to preserve, and a simple way to keep fresh garden flavor available long after summer is gone.
Pantry Staples to Make at Home (What’s Worth Making — and What I Buy Instead) – A practical look at which homemade pantry foods actually save time and money and which ones I skip.
What to Harvest in June and How to Use It – June brings asparagus, rhubarb, radishes, lettuce, spinach, green onions, and fresh herbs to northern gardens. Find seasonal recipes, preserving ideas, and practical tips for making the most of these early harvests.
What to Harvest in August – Wondering what’s next? August is when the garden really hits its stride with tomatoes, peppers, sweet corn, cucumbers, zucchini, raspberries, and more. See what’s ready to harvest, along with recipes, preserving ideas, and practical tips for making the most of your biggest harvest of the year.
What to Harvest in September and How to Use It – September brings root vegetables, potatoes, cabbage, apples, winter squash, pumpkins, and the last of the summer crops. Find recipes, preserving ideas, and practical tips for using your fall harvest before frost arrives.
Summer has a way of picking up speed fast, and once the preserving starts, it seems like there’s always another basket waiting on the counter.
