The Garden Thread

Deer mowed off my sweet taters!:mad:
View attachment 379540
What do we do now? Go ahead and dig them?
View attachment 379541
Are they a waste now?
On another note a few green pepper plants have done well.
View attachment 379542
And a couple Ground Cherries.
View attachment 379543
Little different these are....
View attachment 379539
Steady flow of Jalapenos and Banana peppers too. Maters made a come back. Got 30 lbs or so. They are just getting going good.
I asked @ponykilr several question because I thought they was doomed.
Potato vines are probably toast, I would dig a few and see what you have.

Glad it made a comeback.
 
Think I will make some pepper/cherry jelly.


C8E8BF85-7237-4CFB-A1A1-D56BD49E2D78.jpeg
331E45B1-EF39-45E8-A841-76944985071C.jpeg
 
Been making jelly every spare minute.

Cherry turned out fantastic but it’s a lot of work. Approximately one gallon of raw cherries makes six half pints of jelly.


41F75ADE-58BA-4D19-95DC-2A4FEB54B43D.jpeg





Apple/jalapeño/cayenne

2EFE1A69-7CDD-4F12-AC1D-FA418E2875E5.jpeg




Jalapeño/cranberry

675009A6-2781-41F9-9395-EFF966671199.jpeg
 
Garden has gone through the late summer cycling. Squash, okra and zucchini are done for and I pulled them up. We put a ton of it in the freezer.

Peppers of all types are still putting out like mad.

Tomatoes have been an absolute job and we get a crazy amount just like we have all summer. We have made and canned everything imaginable from tomatoes.

Pulled up the green beans, we had a bumper crop but they’re done.

All in all, the most successful harvest I’ve ever had. That 20 yards of 3 year old cow poop was a fantastic investment. I will put more out this winter and some other organic material plus I’m thinking of having Southern States spray the liquid lime on it.

So, this early spring we will be doing some leafy greens and root veggies. I plan to go heavy on potatoes next summer and do far fewer tomato and pepper plants LOL, they about worked me to death.
 
Garden has gone through the late summer cycling. Squash, okra and zucchini are done for and I pulled them up. We put a ton of it in the freezer.

Peppers of all types are still putting out like mad.

Tomatoes have been an absolute job and we get a crazy amount just like we have all summer. We have made and canned everything imaginable from tomatoes.

Pulled up the green beans, we had a bumper crop but they’re done.

All in all, the most successful harvest I’ve ever had. That 20 yards of 3 year old cow poop was a fantastic investment. I will put more out this winter and some other organic material plus I’m thinking of having Southern States spray the liquid lime on it.

So, this early spring we will be doing some leafy greens and root veggies. I plan to go heavy on potatoes next summer and do far fewer tomato and pepper plants LOL, they about worked me to death.
Ever thought about going big enough to sell?
You seem to have a green thumb for it.
 
Ever thought about going big enough to sell?
You seem to have a green thumb for it.
Well, I’m not sure at the scale we are it would pay off but maybe.…

I could put my daughter and grandson at a stand next year 😅


I’m canning 6 more pints of jalapeño as I type 😎
More jelly tomorrow.
 
If you have a recipe that you’re willing to share I’d greatly appreciate it !!!



Easiest is jalapeño/cranberry.

This is the recipe I followed. It is mildly spicy and sweet. You can spice it up adding some chopped cayenne and letting the mixture steep longer. The recipe is dead on as to what it makes, eight x half pints.

Grape juice can be used but to me the taste is not as nice, apple juice is good.

Don’t try to double jelly recipes, make them as written or the jelly gods will smite you.

Before you begin, put your jars and lids in your filled canner to sterilize and get it hot. Don’t even start the jelly until your jars and lids are boiling. Jelly is about timing and waiting for your jars to be sterilized will ruin it.

I remove, fill and replace in canner; one jar at a time to keep jar temps up. Work quickly. Do not neglect wiping jar rim with a damp paper towel. A mechanic’s glove will help in handling them until you grab them with your jar lifter.

3 cups cranberry juice cocktail
1 cup finely chopped jalapeno peppers (and cayenne or habanero if wanted)
1 cup white vinegar
7 cups white sugar
2 pouches (3oz ea) liquid fruit pectin
10 drops red food coloring if you like, I don’t use it.

  1. Place cranberry juice and peppers in a blender or food processor; cover and process until peppers are fully chopped. Let steep to spice up the jelly, strain immediately for milder jelly. Strain through a double thickness of cheesecloth or an old T-shirt.
  2. Pour the strained juice into at least a 8 qt stainless pot, add vinegar. Stir in sugar. Bring to a full rolling boil (rolling boil means stirring doesn’t stop it) stirring constantly. Stir in pectin; return to a full rolling boil. Boil for 1 minute after rolling, stirring constantly.
  3. Remove from the heat; skim off foam (add a pat of butter when boiling to minimize foaming) Add food coloring if desired. Carefully ladle hot mixture into hot sterilized half-pint jars, leaving 1/4-in. headspace. Wipe rims and adjust lids. Process for 5 minutes in a boiling-water canner.
  4. Remove from canner and sit on towels or a wood cutting board in a draft free area. Let cool completely and check for lids to seal. Wait a few days before gifting or using.
 
Easiest is jalapeño/cranberry.

This is the recipe I followed. It is mildly spicy and sweet. You can spice it up adding some chopped cayenne and letting the mixture steep longer. The recipe is dead on as to what it makes, eight x half pints.

Grape juice can be used but to me the taste is not as nice, apple juice is good.

Don’t try to double jelly recipes, make them as written or the jelly gods will smite you.

Before you begin, put your jars and lids in your filled canner to sterilize and get it hot. Don’t even start the jelly until your jars and lids are boiling. Jelly is about timing and waiting for your jars to be sterilized will ruin it.

I remove, fill and replace in canner; one jar at a time to keep jar temps up. Work quickly. Do not neglect wiping jar rim with a damp paper towel. A mechanic’s glove will help in handling them until you grab them with your jar lifter.

3 cups cranberry juice cocktail
1 cup finely chopped jalapeno peppers (and cayenne or habanero if wanted)
1 cup white vinegar
7 cups white sugar
2 pouches (3oz ea) liquid fruit pectin
10 drops red food coloring if you like, I don’t use it.

  1. Place cranberry juice and peppers in a blender or food processor; cover and process until peppers are fully chopped. Let steep to spice up the jelly, strain immediately for milder jelly. Strain through a double thickness of cheesecloth or an old T-shirt.
  2. Pour the strained juice into at least a 8 qt stainless pot, add vinegar. Stir in sugar. Bring to a full rolling boil (rolling boil means stirring doesn’t stop it) stirring constantly. Stir in pectin; return to a full rolling boil. Boil for 1 minute after rolling, stirring constantly.
  3. Remove from the heat; skim off foam (add a pat of butter when boiling to minimize foaming) Add food coloring if desired. Carefully ladle hot mixture into hot sterilized half-pint jars, leaving 1/4-in. headspace. Wipe rims and adjust lids. Process for 5 minutes in a boiling-water canner.
  4. Remove from canner and sit on towels or a wood cutting board in a draft free area. Let cool completely and check for lids to seal. Wait a few days before gifting or using.
reading this out loud to the wife she repeated 'Liquid fruit pectin," I think you struck a nerve.......lol! now she's digging through the kitchen


she does canning but has not heard the term
 
reading this out loud to the wife she repeated 'Liquid fruit pectin," I think you struck a nerve.......lol! now she's digging through the kitchen


she does canning but has not heard the term
The cherry jelly I make uses powder, of course you reverse pectin and sugar order.

Liquid is easier to mix IMO.
 
IMG_20220906_195144729.jpg
Our little raised bed harvest tonight. And one egg. Our new birds are just now hitting laying age.
 
@ponykilr the jelly gods smiled upon us!
IMG_20220912_193225174.jpg

Second batch too. This stuff is tasty! My wife says many thanks and that liquid pectin is the "bomb" according to her. You have a new fan!
 
@ponykilr the jelly gods smiled upon us!
View attachment 380683
Second batch too. This stuff is tasty! My wife says many thanks and that liquid pectin is the "bomb" according to her. You have a new fan!
Fantastic! I hope y’all enjoy 😊

Liquid is easier to deal with overall but the powder sets harder and quicker (I can barely get the cherry jelly in the jars).

I swap apple juice for the cranberry without any trouble.
 
Peppers and tomatoes really not slowing. I’m giving away what I can except the jalapeño.

Watermelon has been very slow to fully mature, almost there I hope.

Muscadine grapes getting dark.

Apples all picked.
 
Started pulling T posts and bean netting. Still have tomatoes coming every day and jalapeños are slowly ripening. Will give them a couple more weeks and then plow it all under.
 
We got fall stuff going. Made a batch of greens the other night. Garlic getting planted soon. We'll have to see if this pea variety we planted does much.
 
We "1st time" gardened this year here in the Commonwealth...
On advice gleaned here, used a combo of bird netting (inner perimeter) and masonry twine (outer perimeter) to enclose the garden... ZERO wildlife damage or loss, which is amazing given the deer pressure here. The rest was a combo of cliver & horse shat last fall, *very heavy* mulching and large numbers of bright flowers to draw the pollinators. We setup a sprinkler early on, but we averaged 1/2" of rain PER DAY from late June-Aug, so didn't use it much. Too much heat and rain delayed EVERYTHING by months.

We've canned GALLONS of tomatoes (sauce, paste, whole, pickled) and dozens of quarts of pickles (mostly zesty B&B).
We've frozen (an entire upright) full of green beans, squash, zucchini, sweet peppers and "several dozen" loafs of zucchini bread ("plain"/blueberry/chocolate).
The dehydrator go a healthy workout for countless piles of herbs (basil, oregano, rosemary, etc.) and a zillion cherry tomatoes (general snacking/powdered for flavor &thickening)

Have a few things left for fall, but silly weather has only left some snow peas alive. Will drop garlic (if/when it arrives) and call it it good.

All in all, we're happy with the outcome and already tweaking next years layout (where it goes within the space, adjusting quantity/varieties, and potentially clearing more space)...
20220628_195358.jpg20220715_214014.jpg20220725_215950.jpg20220726_195555.jpg
 
Now is the time to get your poop mulch fertilizer and lime out and Disk it or till it in.
 
Back
Top