It was a veritable alphabet around here over the weekend and beyond. The Annual Blueberry Picking Day was Saturday - this time Melanie, Madison and I were joined by my DS Connie. We actually fight over who gets Madison on their team - that girl can pick a bush clean, no stems or leaves, in minutes! I did nab her towards the end, which pumped up my picking to an all-time best - 14.26 pounds! Woot!
Then it was back to peaches - two full loads in the dehydrator, a peach crisp, eating peaches, and frozen sliced peaches. In between the blueberries and peaches were the raspberries - over one gallon frozen. I am going to be a happy camper this winter. I continue to get zucchini from neighbors - my homegrown is up to two small squash. Pfft. BUT the beans are coming in hot and heavy. I have my favorite wax beans and new to me this year, purple podded pole beans from my friend Jane in PA. I was not prepared for the beauty of these beans! The photograph does not do them justice. They are the most gorgeous shade of purple! Pity they cook green. I have a peck in the fridge for freezing and canning when I can squeeze it in.
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| Lots of lovely yellow beans! |
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Continuing the theme with
purple jalapenos. |
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The most beautiful beans EVER!
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This morning I steamed about a quart and a half of blueberry concentrate after freezing three gallon bags of blues. Opening my freezer makes me almost giddy. Almost - until I note that it needs defrosting...it's on the list.
I made a trip to a local farmers market on Sunday and took the Pepperoni along for the ride. He was quite the hit. There was another dachshund there and I thought he was going to fall over from excitement - another dog of his short stature and size! Unfortunately, "Frank" was rather aloof and not all goofy like my boy. Pep was very disappointed. This disappointment was short-lived, however, when my friend who raises Randall cattle for beef 'discovered' a marrow bone. Pepper soon forgot the snub and gnawed on that with his five teeth for an hour.
Sunday I swaddled myself in damp cloth and misted a cloud of eucalyptus water over my head and attacked the weeds in three of the raised beds. It was a humiliating battle - my weed control this years has been abysmal. So is the onion crop. I will not be getting any yellow onions. I will be getting possibly four red onions. Out of 50 planted. Sad. I did, however, harvest quite a bumper crop of weeds!
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| Pitiful red onion crop. |
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| Three beds-worth of weeds! |
19 comments:
i am having a weird garden year. i got 1 stupid garlic from all that i planted. my garlic is always abundant but not this year. my pepper plants are huge and just making peppers now. the leaves on my tomatoes have all shriveled up and are turning brown. it's in the 90's here so i might do the same.
I hope your chickens enjoy the weeds! Free food! :)
I just love this time of year---squirreling away all those fruits for the dark days of winter. Nothing tastes better than a bowl of peaches mid January. Summer from the depths of the freezer.
I wish I lived nearby. I love to weed. Yes. I said that. You knew I was odd.........
What a great haul!! Except for the weeds. That's not good. Our garden has been so so. Cucumbers done already which is odd. tomatoes are being cheeky and providing but the leaves keep curling even with fertilizer and water. But my pumpkins have flowers and this makes me happy!
Susan,
Blueberries, peaches, raspberries OMG, I'm coming to your house and raiding your freezer :-) and your crisp!!!! I've been trying to get my hands on some peaches from our local farmers, I'll have to hit up the farmers market again. Last time I went, someone bought up all the baskets.
I so hear you on the squash, I'm still babying mine.....don't think they will produce a darn thing!!! I'm better off buying some!!!
Your wax beans look really nice, and those purple ones OMG, love the color!!! You say they turn green when you cook them. On the purple beans can you eat the entire bean, or do you have to pull out the seeds in order to eat them. I'm going to have to look for these purple beans when I get my catalogs.
I'm sorry to hear about your onions, only a few red ones, no yellow or white ones to harvest. Where did you get your slips from if you don't mind me asking?
Would you post your blueberry concentrate recipe? It's been a crazy year for blueberries here. Nearly 30 pounds in the freezer.
Okay, it's evident gardens in the whole country are ahead of us up here. What a bounty you are in the midst of! But I have finally been getting some zucchini (!) so maybe there's still hope for the rest! Those purple beans are so much easier to pick than the green ones that pretend to be one with the leaves and/or plant stems. Do you ever plan to take time off your day job during harvesting/preserving time so you don't have to burn the midnight oil?
Jaz - You have been really broiled this year! My garlic is pitiful, too. Never mind my chard and beets. It's an odd garden this year.
Nancy - My chickens have been getting so much wonderful stuff from my neighbor (who over-gardens) that they tend to turn their beaks up at my weed offerings.
Sue - WHAT?? Well come on down! There are still many, many more weeds to go!
Mrs DM - My cucumbers are perking along. This is a new type and it's more of a pickling cuke. I think I will try a slicing cuke next time. My tomatoes are taking their good time turning red. You have pumpkins?! Envy!
Sandy - I will save some purple bean seeds for you. You eat the entire bean - it's very tender and nice. I had ordered my slips from a new place this year - Dixondale (?) But not next year! I am going back to my tried and true Burpee Big Daddys.
Hi, Erika. I don't have a recipe - I just use a steam juicer. The blueberry farm where we pick sells concentrate and I love it - I asked how they made it and I was off! A nice side product is all the blueberry pulp left from steaming. I am going to whip up some blueberry jam with it.
Mama Pea - Yes, but, later this summer, when we're wringing our hands and whining that our bounty is over, you'll be ramping up! I thought the purple beans would be easier - especially since they are trellised - but the plants have dark green leaves and the vines are purple! I am back to the hunt! I am saving my vacation days for a special trip..... :)
Wow your doing some awesome work....on your days off! I firmly told Ralph we are not visiting the Amish produce auction until we are actually moved!
I did find out though for the hotter, more humid climate at our dear "Cubrub" that black Raspberries will do better and I also found out we have wild Blackberries in the back field along with......black racer snakes! Your purple jalapeño's are gorgeous.
I normally pick a boatload of peaches in the summer at a local orchard and make a ton of cobbler. This year I only made a small one but my clothes still fit. What an untasty trade off. Purple bean are pure amazingness!
The weeds here are just crazy :-(.
Susan,
Thank you so very much, I would love a few bean seeds.
I used Dixondale too, and didn't have problems with my onions. If you've tried Burpee Big Daddy's and know they come out great, then yes stick with them!!! If you need my address, just let me know thanks again.
Hugs,
Sandy
Sandy - Send me your address via email - swomersley at gmail dot com and I will get some in the mail to you!
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