Last things from the garden

Jeff · October 21, 2008, 09:33:45 AM

Today I am putting my garden away for the winter and processing the last of what I grew. I'm dehydrating sage, parsley and oregano. I have the sage done. WOW! the stuff ya buy in the store don't have the aroma and flavor this stuff has!
I'll post some photos when I get things done. I have a bunch of web work to get on today and some other chores from being gone so I have to multi-task. The gardrn stuff makes a very pleasant break

Whats the last that came from your gardens this year?

beenthere · October 21, 2008, 11:02:47 AM

Walnuts, hickory nuts, firewood

Roxie · October 21, 2008, 11:44:10 AM

Brought in the last of the tomato's last night. We're still getting green beans off the pole beans we planted, and tonight I'm gonna harvest the parsley and oregano and freeze it.

Jeff · October 21, 2008, 01:06:44 PM

They are calling for temps in the upper teens here tonight. I have to go out and get the oregano picked yet.

Bro. Noble · October 21, 2008, 01:40:35 PM

Sweet taters ;D

Norm · October 21, 2008, 02:37:03 PM

We brought in the last of the sweet potatoes over the weekend. I've got about all of our regular potatoes dug and in storage. Still some peppers to bring in and store and my late greens are doing really well.

We got our first killing frost last night, pretty late in the month for us. I have some green tomatoes that I'm thinking of bringing in and storing where I keep my potatoes. Sure am going to miss having fresh ones.

ohsoloco · October 21, 2008, 07:49:30 PM

Dug some horseradish a few weeks ago, and cut all of the cabbage on Sunday. That was the best crop of cabbage we've ever had...my dad made sure to spray it frequently this summer. Not a head under ten pounds, and many are bigger than that. Making sauerkraut on Monday

WDH · October 21, 2008, 07:52:40 PM

Just tomatoes.

submarinesailor · October 23, 2008, 09:05:10 AM

Quote from: ohsoloco on October 21, 2008, 07:49:30 PM
Making sauerkraut on Monday

MMMMMMMMMMM - tell us how you do your sauerkraut. I love a good sauerkraut.

Bruce

Weekend_Sawyer · October 23, 2008, 02:03:04 PM

Last thing we picked was lima beans.
Now the gates are open and the wildlife is feasting on plants, tomatos that didn't make the cut and immature limas.

We had about a hundred sunflowers surrounding the garden this year and flocks of goldfinches would fly in and out all day in the late summer.

Jon

ohsoloco · October 23, 2008, 10:24:01 PM

Quote from: submarinesailor on October 23, 2008, 09:05:10 AMMMMMMMMMMMM - tell us how you do your sauerkraut. I love a good sauerkraut. Bruce

Not much to it. We make it in a large plastic food grade drum (used to hold soda pop syrup) that we cut down some. It probably hold 30 gallons cut down. My dad cleans and quarters the cabbage, and I man the slaw cutter. I place it right on the drum, and shred the cabbage right inside. Sprinkle with salt every head or so (I think it's 3 tablespoons to 5 pounds of cabbage) and stomp. I made a hard maple stomper a couple years ago. Cover cabbage and weight down to keep it under the juice. Five or six weeks later ya got the good stuff ;D Also gotta skim the top once in a while.

There's a couple pics in THIS THREAD

bull · October 23, 2008, 10:40:45 PM

No killing frost as of today....Picked 3 dozen corn yesterday, most likely the last I have one more patch that would be ready around Nov 4 if it were to not get frosted (30 degrees as we speak)... still have 3-100' double rows of chard growing, will see !! also still have egg plant and peppers growing... but tonight I think the weather guy may finally be right about a killing frost we will see !!!

beenthere · October 23, 2008, 10:52:37 PM

Bull
Looks like they have you going all the way to 24° tonight. Brrrr. Warmer in WI.

You better go pickin tonight yet. ;D

tlooney · October 24, 2008, 11:14:48 PM

The last thing that comes from my garden is usually my carrots, the longer they are in the ground the sweeter they get so I usually have them up into January.

bull · October 25, 2008, 10:39:53 AM

frost is a strange thing, I picked peppersyesterday plants are in awesome shape, 5 feet away the ground was white with frost, eggplant is also still in good shape, chard has made it 10 feet away is the last batch of sweet corn lost half of two rows the rest still looks fine..
spinach,beet, carrots, lettuce,fennel, dill all still growing.. Neighbor said they had 22 degrees...
must be all the compost in my soil keeping it warm.... I have disked wherever I have cleaned up.

Jeff · October 25, 2008, 10:47:37 AM

Finally got around to posting the photos of my dried herbs.

SAGE

DRIED SAGE

PARSLEY

DRIED PARSLEY

ORGANO

DRIED OREGAN I SAID ITS DRIED OREGANO!

ohsoloco · October 29, 2008, 08:00:50 PM

Got some nice fermentation bubbles sitting on top of that cabbage brine

We only used about half of the cabbage we grew, and that drum was at least 150# when we were done. LOTS of brine on top this time as well. I'm using gallon jugs filled with water for weight (5 of 'em this year) and they're sitting in at least 4 inches of brine.

Didn't stomp the pith out of it this year either. Used to shred, salt, stomp, repeat. This year I was just shredding 5-10 pounds, salt accordingly, mix with my hands, and repeat. Stomped about halfway through to make sure I was going to get enough brine, and then just when I was all done I stomped just until "sloshy". Wanna see if it's going to make a crispier kraut. I like it crispy