2020 How does your garden grow

[Gun Tramp]

Drying them whole isn't recommended. But. I've had good results if after the stem is removed they are halved lengthwise, dried cut side up overnight in a dehydrator, then finished in the oven for a half hour with the oven door open. The flesh curls around and retains the seeds and pith so we can jump up and down when using them later. The standing "winter" peppers (when it works) make a killer hot sauce.

 

[Tom A Hawk]

Prepping the seeding the jalepenos for pickling is a bit of work. I have to do this while the wife is away as the fumes irritate her asthma. I learned early on to wear gloves while slicing and seeding. Else one has be be verrry careful about touching sensitive appendages ...OMG

 

[Sean Gadhar]

Well the dill got covered by Kale in the snow we had. . . but that saved the dill from the freeze. So with the new chickens laying regular and fresh green dill in November

I made 3 kinds of Pickled eggs

From left to right
1) Clove and whole pepper corn added (with dill)
2) Traditional colored with beet (with Dill)
3) With pepper flaks and Crystal Hot Sauce (Without Dill)


The pickle is basic 3 parts Vinegar 1 part water + pickling spice
Each quart jar got 1 1/2 Teaspoons salt, 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar and 1 heaping teaspoon chopped garlic

These are all new to me. . . so I'll try them out on the guys at work 1st

 

[Carbon 6]

I love pickled eggs, and beer

 

[Cobra6]

The pickle is basic 3 parts Vinegar 1 part water + pickling spice

Sean . . . .How much pickling spice do you use?


Cobra 6

 

[Sean Gadhar]

Sean . . . .How much pickling spice do you use?


Cobra 6

I went a little light, not wanting to over power the eggs. I think I made just a bit more than 1qt. of Pickling liquid and used one heaping tablespoon of this blend Pickling Spices

If it had been for pickles I would have used maybe twice that amount. The quart+ (maybe 4 1/2 cups) was just enough to do all three quart jars of eggs. I pulled about a cup out into a small pan and added the beet (maybe a tablespoon of chopped up fresh beet) and let that simmer an extra few minutes to get the red.

 

[Cobra6]

Thanks Sean...Can't wait to try it.


Cobra 6

 

[Eutycus]

Bermuda grass has taken over part of my garden plot. So I moved part of it over 5 or 6 feet. I suppose it will take a while for the "new" piece of ground that I recently tilled up to become as mellow as the older part. I have been putting leaves and other organic matter into the older portion of the garden for years. It's in pretty good shape. But I am cutting down on the size of the garden some, I'm getting too old for a big garden.

 

[Carbon 6]

I'm getting too old for a big garden.

How about container gardening ? Less bending over, little or no weeds.

 

[Eutycus]

Probably will someday. I have been keeping a tomato plant or two in big pots for a couple of years. I just bought a new tiller several years ago and to go "container" I'd have to retire it.

 

[Sean Gadhar]

Tried Winter Squash Fritters today. Going to try freezing the grated squash and make them again to see if they are as good with frozen Squash as they are with fresh.

 

[Cobra6]

How about container gardening ? Less bending over, little or no weeds.

Here's what I had last year. Nov 2019 thu to Mar 2020. Always had fresh veggies.

Going to do it again ....in about a week.


Cobra 6

 

[Gun Tramp]

Going to try freezing the grated squash

Squash and Pumpkins should be precooked before freezing. From Putting Food By, Greene, Hertzberg, Vaughan.

 

[Eric Krewson]

I plant a comunal greens patch every fall and encourage my friends to come pick. I plant turnips, kale and collards plus a little spinach. This is in N/W Alabama, most of the greens will make it through the winter, the turnip greens will frost out if the temps get below 20F, the rest will be OK. The electric fence keeps the deer out, they don't jump it. The can't see the thin strand at night and walk into it, after they hit it a couple of times, often tearing the fence down making their getaway they get trained to give it a wide berth and they do. When the charger is clicking they know to stay away.

I had a good crop of pickers yesterday.

 

[Eutycus]

Neighborhood dogs never seem to learn, well some do learn to stay away. Some animals back up instinctively when shocked, dumb dogs seem to leap forward and tear the fence up.

 

[Gun Tramp]

Squash and Pumpkins should be precooked before freezing. From Putting Food By, Greene, Hertzberg, Vaughan.

That was dry as dust; I can do better. The text I refer to explains much of the science of home food preservation in addition to the how-to for each. Mashing the cooked squash into freezer containers excludes air and the result is excellent; even better if after the contents are frozen solid they are removed and vacuum sealed. If one tires of mashed squash it makes a pie superior to pumpkin. According to the ladies, blanching or cooking halts the enzymatic process, a part of decomposition and what gives un-blanched vegetables an off flavor.. Peppers are supposedly the only vegetable (fruit) that doesn't require blanching but I've found they benefit tremendously from doing so.

 

[Sean Gadhar]

Squash and Pumpkins should be precooked before freezing. From Putting Food By, Greene, Hertzberg, Vaughan.

I have read that Squash should be at least Blanched, but most have also said something like (If you intend to keep the squash more than 4 months) As I understand it, it is the flavor stability that cooking prolongs, The Squash freeze fine either way but the flavor lasts MUCH longer if they are cooked/blanched prior to freezing.

 

[Gun Tramp]

Is everyone getting their vegetable seeds lined up for 2021? My source had most of my first choices but for the first time for me they were out of some. Prices about the same as last season.
No canning lids locally yet; a neighbor reports she ordered name-brand ones from Amazon but received off-brand that did seal but were slightly oversize for her bands and difficult to use. I'll keep looking, those I saw online were almost a buck a lid, too.

 

[Tom A Hawk]

Is everyone getting their vegetable seeds lined up for 2021? My source had most of my first choices but for the first time for me they were out of some. Prices about the same as last season.
No canning lids locally yet; a neighbor reports she ordered name-brand ones from Amazon but received off-brand that did seal but were slightly oversize for her bands and difficult to use. I'll keep looking, those I saw online were almost a buck a lid, too.

I'm a seed saver so pretty much everything I need is ready and waiting. Except that I like to plant a few new and unusual things each year while avoiding hybrids. I discovered a dandy plumb tomato last year. Its very meaty and at least twice the size of ordinary plumbs and has almost no seeds. Great for sauce, salsa and slicing.

 

[Eterry]

Well the dill got covered by Kale in the snow we had. . . but that saved the dill from the freeze. So with the new chickens laying regular and fresh green dill in November

I made 3 kinds of Pickled eggs

View attachment 49255

From left to right
1) Clove and whole pepper corn added (with dill)
2) Traditional colored with beet (with Dill)
3) With pepper flaks and Crystal Hot Sauce (Without Dill)


The pickle is basic 3 parts Vinegar 1 part water + pickling spice
Each quart jar got 1 1/2 Teaspoons salt, 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar and 1 heaping teaspoon chopped garlic

These are all new to me. . . so I'll try them out on the guys at work 1st

We raised chickens by the 100s, so pickled eggs were a constant.
Dad liked to use to left over pickle juice from a gallon of store bought pickles to pickle his eggs.

I do as well, adding some garlic and crushed red pepper.
They take on a yellow color and are tasty.