official veggie gardener's thread

[DrPizza]

Just starting to harvest the corn on the cob. MMMMMMMMmmmmm, picked it & tossed it in the steamer a few minutes later. Absolutely delicious.

Paid a visit to one of the local Amish farms for some fresh peaches to have for dessert tonight. Their garden makes my garden look puny. A couple acres dedicated just to sweet corn, with plantings spread out over 2 months & different varieties so that it's not all ready at the same time. He says he has fresh corn ready to harvest for four straight months. The peaches there are incredible though. Well worth the $2.50 for a quart basket. Really neat area; as we were arriving, a young Amish boy, perhaps 8 years old, was leaving with a jug of fresh milk.

 

[BoomerD]

Just starting to harvest the corn on the cob. MMMMMMMMmmmmm, picked it & tossed it in the steamer a few minutes later. Absolutely delicious.

Paid a visit to one of the local Amish farms for some fresh peaches to have for dessert tonight. Their garden makes my garden look puny. A couple acres dedicated just to sweet corn, with plantings spread out over 2 months & different varieties so that it's not all ready at the same time. He says he has fresh corn ready to harvest for four straight months. The peaches there are incredible though. Well worth the $2.50 for a quart basket. Really neat area; as we were arriving, a young Amish boy, perhaps 8 years old, was leaving with a jug of fresh milk.

We have "cousins of the Amish" around here...they call themselves "German Baptists" and don't shun technology like the Amish...but they're just as "uptight" about many things. Still...the few I've gotten to know have been pretty good people who seem to live what they believe.

 

[meltdown75]

this area is really neat too. this morning i was driving by the variety store and i saw a young man walking out with bags of milk....

 

[TraumaRN]

So just a heads up for anyone in the Metro Detroit area.

If you've got a backyard garden, you've probably got fresh veggies/fruits coming out your ears. I know I have more peppers, cucumber and tomatos then I can eat.

Anyways, if you are looking to give back, you can either go to the Wyandotte Farmer's Market from 12 noon to 6pm on Thursdays and donate your food in the pink cart for Project Produce. Or Fridays from 1pm to 8pm at the Dearborn Farmer's Market again in the pink cart. The food is then given away to local food banks and homeless shelters for immediate use.
Both Farmer's Market run til the end of the month of September.

 

[meltdown75]

picked about 20 jaleps last night. diced one up and put it in with some green peppers and onions... made awesome fajitas....

 

[bignateyk]

My tomatoes and peppers are out of control right now. I am getting close to 10 roma tomatoes/day from 2 plants. I only have 1 plant each of jalepeno, sweet pepper, and red bell pepper, but I am getting more than I can use off all of them.

I made some delicious fresh pasta sauce last night. Roma tomatoes, fresh oregano/thyme/basil, and onion all from the garden. The only veggie I used that wasn't from the garden was garlic.

Gonna make some gazpacho tonight with the tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers to go with grilled cheese.

 

[meltdown75]

how awesome is it using all of your own stuff from the garden?!

i love it

my bell peppers need a lot of water... i am usually not home on the weekends so my crops from those have been sporadic.

question: when to pick sweet banana peppers?

i am really impressed by my jalapeno plants. i have 4... the one that got the most sun is massive. i've probably picked 40 jaleps from that sucker and it just keeps right on producing.

my green zebra tomato plant is a monster.

 

[spidey07]

My habeneros and tabasco peppers are too numerous. Easily 100+ of each pepper. Don't really know what to do with them all other than try to make hot sauce.

 

[BoomerD]

I can harvest a dozen jalapenos and serranos every week if I choose. I'm letting some of them go to full maturity for the seeds, so my harvest of those is less than it could be. I get 6-8 of the "mystery peppers" every week. Those have turned into a nice peach habanero like pepper. Nice flavor, outstanding heat. I'm saving seeds from those as well, although, if they're a hybrid, (which they appear to be) there's no telling what I'll get from the seeds next year.

My bell peppers have been doing very well, but I broke 2 main branches off of one this past weekend with the garden hose. That reduced the plant's capacity by 25-30%.

I took out my German Johnson heirloom tomato plant. Some fucking critter has been getting in and eating 1/2 of every ripe tomato I got. (all softball sized...and they were so heavy they hung close to the ground)

I also took out the cucumber plant. It was getting pretty "aphidy" and had stopped producing on a regular basis. (wasn't impressed with the variety anyway...nice flavor, but full of big, tough seeds...gonna try a different variety next year.)

 

[bignateyk]

My jalapenos have actually started turning red. I'm not sure if that makes them spicier or sweeter. There are so many on there that the ones that have been there for 2+ months are turning red.

 

[BoomerD]

My habeneros and tabasco peppers are too numerous. Easily 100+ of each pepper. Don't really know what to do with them all other than try to make hot sauce.

We love hot pepper jelly. GREAT on toast in the morning...

Here's the recipe we're about to try:

Habanero Gold Jelly

1/3 cup finely sliced dried apricots
3/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 up finely diced red onion
1/4 cup finely diced sweet red pepper
1/4 cup finely diced habanero peppers, including seeds
OR 1/4 cup diced, combined jalapeno and Scotch Bonnet peppers
3 cups granulated sugar
1 pouch Certo liquid pectin

Cut apricots into 1/8 inch slices. Measure into a large deep stainless steel saucepan with vinegar; let stand 4 hours. Individually, cut onion and seeded peppers into 1/8 inch slices; cut slices into 1/4 inch dice. Measure each ingredient; add to apricots. Stir in sugar.
Over high heat, bring to a full roiling boil. Stirring constantly, boil hard 1 minute. Remove from heat. Immediately stir in pectin, mixing well. Pour jelly into hot jar, dividing solids equally among jars and filling each jar to within 1/4 inch of top rim. Wipe rims. Apply lids.

Process 10 minutes in BWB. Cool upright, until lids pop down, about 30 minutes. When lids are concave but the jelly is still hot, carefully grasp jar without disturbing lid and invert, twist, or rotate each jar to distribute solids throughout jelly. The jar can be inverted temporarily but do not allow it to stand upside-down for prolonged periods.
Repeat as necessary during the cooling/setting time, until solids remain suspended in the jelly.

Yield: 3 half pints

My jalapenos have actually started turning red. I'm not sure if that makes them spicier or sweeter. There are so many on there that the ones that have been there for 2+ months are turning red.

Most jalapenos and serrano peppers turn red when they mature. They USUALLY get sweeter and "fruitier" as they mature, although mine haven't really lost any of their heat as they do.

 

[Cogman]

Just starting to harvest the corn on the cob. MMMMMMMMmmmmm, picked it & tossed it in the steamer a few minutes later. Absolutely delicious.

Paid a visit to one of the local Amish farms for some fresh peaches to have for dessert tonight. Their garden makes my garden look puny. A couple acres dedicated just to sweet corn, with plantings spread out over 2 months & different varieties so that it's not all ready at the same time. He says he has fresh corn ready to harvest for four straight months. The peaches there are incredible though. Well worth the $2.50 for a quart basket. Really neat area; as we were arriving, a young Amish boy, perhaps 8 years old, was leaving with a jug of fresh milk.

MMMmmmm. Dang it, you are making me home sick. Where I grew up, we would grow a good portion of the food we ate. Carrots, potatoes, beef, Apples, plums, apricots, tomatoes, wheat, radishes, beets, lettuce, onions, cucumbers, (just to name a few of the things we grow) mmmmmmMMMmmm. Nothing beats fresh food. My ideal meal is something along the lines of Baked red potatoes, a pot roast, home made bread and butter, boiled corn, and a side of boiled beets... That is some good stuff.

Once I get my own home, I'm definitely having a garden.

 

[meltdown75]

My jalapenos have actually started turning red. I'm not sure if that makes them spicier or sweeter. There are so many on there that the ones that have been there for 2+ months are turning red.

apparently a lot of the heat factor turns into a more flavourful bite as they redden... so far i've picked most of mine when they just begin to "cork" on the outside - showing little cracks that run vertically. there's a few getting red right now though out of 4 plants, i am very happy with my yield so far

last night i diced an entire fresh one up really fine and used it with my fajitas... grilled jalepeno, onion and peppers... :drool:

 

[TraumaRN]

So picked two cantaloupe today that are just outright amazing. Sweet, firm, juicy. Beats the pants off anything I've ever bought in a store.

Also did fried green tomatoes with half cornmeal half panko bread crumb crust. Also very delicious.

 

[DrPizza]

I am sick of tomatoes. Picked tomatoes yesterday. The strategy of using a tarp under the plants & allowing for a 4 foot wide path between every other row didn't work. (to avoid staking the tomatoes) The plants grew every which way & are at least 6-7 foot long vines. Tomatoes everywhere.

From yesterday's picking: Washed 577, mostly Romas. That doesn't include the vegetable flat full that I gave the neighbors, the tomatoes I took to the inlaws, the 50 or so yellow tomatoes on the counter that I'll take into work tomorrow, and the 1 1/2 gallons of cherry tomatoes.

Fortunately, I can wait about 4 days before I pick again. Unfortunately, it looks like there will be more than this time in the next batch.

Back to the kitchen...

 

[meltdown75]

wow!! that is quite the harvest Dr. P.

I have to get the rest of my jaleps off probably tonight. everything that is left in there is getting picked soon.

where's my harvest horn

 

[DrPizza]

Round 3 of picking tomatoes. About 4 more loads into the steamer til the skins loosen up, squeeze them out, and I can go to bed.

More tomatoes to pick tomorrow, ugh.

 

[BoomerD]

We're still getting at least 50 maters every week.

So many that I'm giving them to neighbors rather than let them rot. We've only canned a few quarts of sauce, but my wife doesn't want to do more, so...we give them away.

I have several "strings" of jalapenos, serranos, and my mystery pepper hanging up to dry, and have dozens of each type still on the plants...and blossoms like crazy.

 

[Marinski]

this was the first year for my garden and it sucked. All i got was a lot of tomatoes and a couple peppers. I need to work on my soil to get it better for next year.

 

[DrPizza]

We're still getting at least 50 maters every week.

So many that I'm giving them to neighbors rather than let them rot. We've only canned a few quarts of sauce, but my wife doesn't want to do more, so...we give them away.

I have several "strings" of jalapenos, serranos, and my mystery pepper hanging up to dry, and have dozens of each type still on the plants...and blossoms like crazy.

7-800 each week. Mostly Romas, but about 50 lemon boys, and a gallon or two of cherry tomatoes each week as well.
That doesn't count the dozens upon dozens that slugs are now getting to. Friggin slugs.

I actually tried making sauce out of those yellow tomatoes. It's amazing how much they cook down. Going to try it today... not sure if I'll turn it into pizza sauce or spaghetti sauce.

 

[BoomerD]

7-800 each week. Mostly Romas, but about 50 lemon boys, and a gallon or two of cherry tomatoes each week as well.
That doesn't count the dozens upon dozens that slugs are now getting to. Friggin slugs.

I actually tried making sauce out of those yellow tomatoes. It's amazing how much they cook down. Going to try it today... not sure if I'll turn it into pizza sauce or spaghetti sauce.

Doc, you live on a farm...I'd expect nothing less from you. I live in a subdivision...I barely have room for the 6 tomato plants that I have...and they're crowded as is.

 

[DrPizza]

Doc, you live on a farm...I'd expect nothing less from you. I live in a subdivision...I barely have room for the 6 tomato plants that I have...and they're crowded as is.

The point was you should be busy canning all those tomatoes! Then again, giving away fresh stuff like that generates a lot of good will.

 

[bfdd]

Am I allowed to talk about my indoor hydroponic setup?

 

[eldorado99]

Been eating my Peaches and Cream and Jubilee for a couple weeks now. Damn tasty!

 

[BoomerD]

Am I allowed to talk about my indoor hydroponic setup?

Are you growing vegetables? If so, certainly. If not...no thanks.