Much Cooler This Week!
Scarecrow's Log: 15:02:2009:
Much cooler this week,so this tiny sunflower,
that has struggled through the heatwave,
has decided to flower!
Temperatures this week:
Lowest Min 7.7C
Highest Max 30C
No Recorded Rainfall
I've been busy harvesting and tidying up the garden this week.Lowest Min 7.7C
Highest Max 30C
No Recorded Rainfall
On Saturday we picked 17.5kgs of Black Sultana Grapes (and there's more out there).
One bucket went to make some cordial and the rest are out the back being dried to make...(you guessed it) sultanas. We've used a modified version of Doc's drying rack because it's been so windy here lately. He had to turn the bottom tray upside down and attach it to the legs.
Doc had claimed the grapes for wine this year as they normally have pips in them (they aren't supposed to) but for some reason this year none of them have seeds in them!So he isn't getting them.
The Golden Nugget Pumpkins gave up in the heat but they had many pumpkins on them so I left them out in the sun this week to cure. This hardens the skin which helps them keep longer. Sunday morning I brought them in and weighed them...over 7kgs worth. These will go into storage with the rest that have already been harvested.Also over 1kg of Tigerella Tomatoes that Doc wants to dry.
We are trying to use as much from the garden as possible this year...storing it away. We usually just pop the (whole) tomatoes into bags to put in the freezer. Then when we want to cook with them we let them thaw out and the skins just fall off. Easy!
Some of the tomatoes that aren't quite ripe I'll leave on the bench in the kitchen to ripen slowly. Just like Peter Cundall said to do in his Patch From Scratch series he made way back in 1996. It's amazing how hints like that stick in your head.
It's helpful here because the tomatoes can easily get sunburnt in the hot sun. That leaves hard white areas on the fruit that we can't eat!
The second crop of Figs is starting to ripen...Doc has plans to dry these as well!
Weekly Harvest Tally:
Doesn't include Greens fed to the chooks or herbs picked for use in the kitchen for cooking or tea making.
Carrot Atomic Red***185g
Corn Baby***20g
Cucumber Lemon***387g
Onion Creamgold***58g
Pumpkin Golden Nugget***7152g
Tomato Ida Gold***348g
Tomato Roma***530
Tomato Sunrise***78g
Tomato Tigerella***1417g
Tomato Tommy Toe Yellow***1171g
Tomato Ponderosa Pink***211g
Zucchini Black***190g
Black Sultana Grapes***17.5Kg
Plus a yummy mix of greens for salads...young Kale, Lettuce, Watercress, Lebanese Watercress, Chives, Parsley, Gotu Kola.
Plus 16 Eggs from the girls.
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7 comments:
Hi, I am sure you are glad to be cooling down.You still got quite alot of produce despite the searing heatwave.A comment on your figs, My sister's late mother in law used to make huge amounts of rhubarb and fig jam every year. It had a lovely tart taste, I used it instead of marmalade for breakfast. We don't have a recipe and have never seen it for sale even at farmer's markets.
Wow Wow Wow what a harvest! Guess you have got to have a super huge fridge for all this storage :)
Do you give a lot of fertiliser to the pumpkins to have them swell this big?
And thanks for the tip on picking tomatoes once they colour. I have been doing that and it helps against being scorched by the sun.
Ha SM
I think we need another freezer! But that's why we want to get this drying thing all worked out.
Those pumpkins were from a wicking bed that had lots of compost added and some old horse manure for the worms to eat!
Next year I shall try to be more specific when I set up the beds. Adjusting what goes in to the beds to build on what is already there.
I'm still learning with these wicking beds.
I will be growing green manure in some of the beds. I'll try some legumes and grassy crops to dig in or slash before they get too big.
Still thinking about which will be best as I don't want to dig too much with the worms living in there. :)
Ooops I clicked post comment before I answered Peggy!
I might have to get Doc to search for a recipe for that jam...
Sounds like he'd like something like that!
Hey lover
Sent Peggy some recipes 8-)
Doc/hubby
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Thanks Scarecrow and Doc did duly send me recipes which I will pass on to my sister.Our rhubarb will be out in a couple of months but figs don't grow naturally in Ireland so they have to be bought and it is trying to get both main ingredients at the same time!I think the second recipe with the lemons is the one to go with. Thank you both for your help.
That's a great tip about freezing tomatoes. I might try it this year, no need for all that fiddly blanching and skinning. It's good to hear all that uncomfortable heat has passed - could you perhaps send a little of it this way please?
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