Gardening for Dummies

 I should probably write a book.  You know, like those that are Raising Bees for Dummies or Blogging for  Dummies.  Only I will call it Gardening for Dummies.  We have been here in Missouri now three years.  Each year we plant a garden and each year we are disappointed when the amount of effort does not equal the amount of production.  Well, my friends.  Not this year.  

Last year we planted 26 tomato plants.  They got tall but leggy.  There were enough tomatoes along with some my neighbor gave me to make a little salsa.  That was okay since I was dealing with a boatload of pears at the time.  We got a few squash, some peppers, and a few potatoes.  This year we increased the tomatoes to 33 plants.  We planted cabbage, onions, potatoes, squash, cucumbers, and green beans.  The garden soon grew to jungle proportions.  The tomatoes are caged, but the plants are so big and so heavy with tomatoes that they are falling over.  I even took some wire and some jute and tied them up to keep them off the ground. Every single plant has produced epic amounts of tomatoes.  I have Romas, cherry, big boys, early boys, and heritage.  

The picture above is a daily picking.  Cucumbers and beans and zucchini, oh my!  

This picture is from July when the garden was first starting to get going.  Our pole beans got so tall and so thick that when we had a heavy rain, the whole trellis fell over.  We used mule tape and heavy wood stakes to hold it up.  (I staked them up myself, thinking they would be like last year's pole beans....wrong!)

I planted two plants of the scallop squash.  Next year it will be one.  We fried it.  We baked bread with it.  We grated it and froze it.  I even breaded it and froze it for use later.  Then I donated 70 to the local food bank and on Monday I have about 25 more to take there.

So I started canning.  I bought a pressure canner this year to take care of all the green beans, but the amount of produce I have gotten has also supplied some family members and neighbors.

Glad we are getting eggs as well since the price of eggs has gone up over 40%!  Yikes!

  

My freezer is full and so is my basement storage.  I guess we are ready for the apocalypse!  So far I have frozen:  

• freezer slaw
• shredded squash
• breaded squash

And canned:

• ground tomatoes
• tomato soup
• corn
• green beans
• dill slices
• bread and butter pickles
• salsa
• pasta sauce
• soup starter
• tomato juice
• chili base 
• dill relish
• sweet zucchini relish 
• dilly beans
• corn relish

I feel tired from just writing all this.  We are still harvesting.  Today I picked beans, cukes, tomatoes, and a watermelon.  We still have pumpkins, potatoes, more cabbage, and some onions.  Though I am tired I feel so blessed to have this produce available.  It has been lots of work, but I feel some pride and enjoyment in seeing the bounty.  

Well, off to do more farm stuff!  Hope your weekend is great and your find happiness wherever you live!

                        

Yes, I can can!

So I may have mentioned in my last post that I bought some veggies and that I was going to can cukes, and maters, and corn....Well, I think I may have had a slight miscalculation in just how much I would end up with........Take a look....

Here is what I did:  dill pickle slices, sweet pickle slices, bread and butter pickles, sweet relish, dill relish, dill spears, sweet spears, ground tomatoes, salsa, rhubarb, pickled beets, corn relish, and one small jar of jalapenos.  I had to freeze 4 small containers of tomatoes since I ran out of jars.  (Even after buying two more cases yesterday!)  I really enjoy doing this, but in smaller batches next time.  I worked all day on Saturday and over half of today.  I am worn out but feel such a sense of accoumplishment.  Over 100 jars! 


Though I am no pro by any means, I have a couple of suggestions for anyone who is doing significant food processing.  First, use a turkey cooker to heat your canner.  It puts the mess and heat outside.  It is great if you are like me and too short to see into a canner on the stove.  Secondly, when sterilizing jars and lids, put them on a cookie sheet and place in your oven at a low temp (I used 200 degrees)  The jars are hot and dry and ready for filling.  And my last tip for anyone cutting corn off the cob:  Use a bundt pan!  The cob fits snugly into the center of the pan and you can run your knife down the side of the ear, and the corn falls into the pan, not all over the place. 


Here is my mom's recipe for corn relish.  It is my first time to try it, but I loved it when she made it: 
3 Pints of corn
1 Pint of finely chopped celery
1 cup of finely chopped onion
1 each finely chopped red and green bell peppers
1 1/2 Cup Sugar
2 Tablespoon Salt
2 Tablespoon Celery Seed
1 Cup Vinegar
Mix all ingredients together and bring to a boil, simmering at low heat for about 20 minutes.  Fill into sterilized, hot jars and adjust 2 pc lids.  Process in a hot water canner for approx 15 min.


(I made a few changes to the recipe:  I added an orange bell pepper and processed for a longer time since we live at 9000 ft. Check with your recipe book or local extension office for processing times at your elevation.) 


Yummy!


Have a great week, everyone!