Yesterdays Harvest

[Quillback]

Things are coming in strong now, except for the cantalope. I am concerned that the high temps that are forecast for the forseeable future are going to slow things down.

[eric1978]

Looks good. How are your peppers doing? I can't get mine to grow. At all. I started them from seed this year, though, and I'd never done that before...maybe that's the problem. They're still an inch tall.

[jdmidwest]

Looks like you waited too long on the greenbeans, they turned purple....

Mine garden is doing ok, canned 2 gallons of cucumbers, froze several quarts of green beans. Zucchini and small tomatoes are producing well.

Replanted a lettuce bed this week as the other bolted in the heat. Peppers are about as tall as they were when I planted them but have a few peppers on them. Corn was a waste of time and okra is getting plowed under an replanted today. Planted okra at first of May and it is still only 5" tall. Marigolds and sunflowers are petering out in the dry heat.

[eric1978]

canned 2 gallons of cucumbers

Meaning pickled? I gotta figure out how to pickle cucumbers...they just grow too fast to eat them. Got any good recipes?

[patfish]

Meaning pickled? I gotta figure out how to pickle cucumbers...they just grow too fast to eat them. Got any good recipes?

Yep.

[Quillback]

Looks good. How are your peppers doing? I can't get mine to grow. At all. I started them from seed this year, though, and I'd never done that before...maybe that's the problem. They're still an inch tall.

I didn't do peppers this year, last year they didn't do too well, so I said the heck with them. Here's a link to a canning blog, lots of good recipes for canning cukes. I'm going to try and pickle some beans, but first I gotta go out and buy all the stuff.

[Quillback]

Forgot to add link.

www.punkdomestics.com

[ness]

Here's a recipe for refrigerator pickles that I really like. They taste a lot like Claussen dills:

12 4-inch pickling cucumbers cut into quarters

6 teaspoons minced garlic

1-1/2 teaspoons mustard seed

1 tablespoon dill seed

6 cups water

2 cups cider vinegar

1/2 cup kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon allspice

5 pint jars

Add cucumbers to clean jars. Bring remaining ingredients to a boil and then let cool slightly. Strain liquid and divide spices equally among the jars. Pour on hot liquid, wipe jar rims and seal. Leave on counter for three days then refrigerate for 1 week before opening.

They'll keep for several months in the fridge -- and they do need to be in the fridge since they're not heat processed.

[eric1978]

Sounds easy enough. Thanks.

pickling cucumbers

Is this a particular breed of cuke, or do you just pick them early and it doesn't matter what kind they are? Can you cut mature cukes into slices and do the same thing?

[ness]

I've been having pretty good luck with most stuff this year. Peppers and maters looking very good. Picked a couple banana peppers yesterday, and there are some Anaheims about ready. Maters any day now. Beans have been so-so. Pole better than bush, but neither great. Cukes are coming on -- gonna be making pickles later. Just pickled a few beets, but they're done. Succession planted some more beans and carrots last weekend. Everything got a good watering today -- looks like a hot week ahead.