2020 Gardening Thread

[S&W Fan]

first of the Cucamellons Are ready. We each ate probably a heaping handful in a big salad for dinner and pickled the rest.
there will be three times this many soon!

 

[Saltwater60]

first of the Cucamellons Are ready. We each ate probably a heaping handful in a big salad for dinner and pickled the rest.
there will be three times this many soon!
View attachment 85234

Interesting veg. How’s the taste?

 

[S&W Fan]

Interesting veg. How’s the taste?

Definitely different. It tastes like a slightly sour cucumber. The sour being citrus like. I like them. I think that they will pickle nicely. I added some hot pepper flakes to the small jar to see how they come out.

 

[Calculon]

Canned sixteen 16 ounce jars of salsa. Spent Sunday afternoon dicing tomatoes, peppers (including jalapeños, Hungarian Wax, and various others, etc) onions etc. Canned all on Monday. Came out pretty good.

 

[S&W Fan]

Canned sixteen 8 ounce jars of salsa. Spent Sunday afternoon dicing tomatoes, peppers (including jalapeños, Hungarian Wax, and various others, etc) onions etc. Canned all on Monday. Came out pretty good.

You don’t have a food processor , or a blender? They save a ton of time.

 

[Calculon]

You don’t have a food processor , or a blender? They save a ton of time.

I have both but wife and I like it chunky. Food processor makes it too thin.

 

[S&W Fan]

I have both but wife and I like it chunky. Food processor makes it too thin.

I like a good Pico De Gallo Myself. I make salsa in a ninja food processor for the girls because they like it mild. I’ll make Hot Pico de gallo for myself, using the jalapeño and serrano peppers that I grow.

 

[BDinPutnam]

You guys and your salsa are making me realize I can grow some tomatoes next year (we don't like them much in anything else except maybe pasta sauce which we don't eat enough of to make and can).

 

[S&W Fan]

You guys and your salsa are making me realize I can grow some tomatoes next year (we don't like them much in anything else except maybe pasta sauce which we don't eat enough of to make and can).

Really? In addition to how good sun ripened tomatoes taste there are so many health benefits from eating tomatoes that they should be classified as a super food!

 

[Calculon]

Wife also made about 6 trays of sun dried tomatoes. Actually oven dried. Cut plum tomatoes in half and baked them and 200 for 5 to 6 hours. Once cooled we froze them then bagged. We had planned to put them in oil but that gives them a max 6 month shelf life according to stuff I’ve read.

 

[MilesTeg]

The ultimate goal last year when we did our first garden was to make salsa. We made some pico from the garden and didn't really care for it. We tried it 3 times with 3 different recipes. So my question does canning it make it taste more like "normal/store bought" salsa?

 

[S&W Fan]

Wife also made about 6 trays of sun dried tomatoes. Actually oven dried. Cut plum tomatoes in half and baked them and 200 for 5 to 6 hours. Once cooled we froze them then bagged. We had planned to put them in oil but that gives them a max 6 month shelf life according to stuff I’ve read.

It’s better that you did it the way that you did. Just reconstitute them in warm water for an hour or two when you want to eat them. Drain and marinate in good olive oil garlic and fresh basil over night. Mmm mm

 

[Calculon]

The ultimate goal last year when we did our first garden was to make salsa. We made some pico from the garden and didn't really care for it. We tried it 3 times with 3 different recipes. So my question does canning it make it taste more like "normal/store bought" salsa?

I don’t know if canning has anything to do with it but we found our recipe a bit bland and overly “peppery.” We added tomato paste to thicken it and enhance tomato flavor. Also added A LOT more cilantro than the recipe called for. Made a huge difference in flavor.

If you want the recipe I can find the link and let you know how we modified it.

 

[MilesTeg]

That would be great! We have a ton of tomatoes coming in, the next few days. I pulled the onions last night, not much yield. I started them from seed, I think i was a few weeks behind.

 

[Saltwater60]

That would be great! We have a ton of tomatoes coming in, the next few days. I pulled the onions last night, not much yield. I started them from seed, I think i was a few weeks behind.

Very hot and dry. A lot of onion yields are a bit low from what I hear.

 

[Calculon]

That would be great! We have a ton of tomatoes coming in, the next few days. I pulled the onions last night, not much yield. I started them from seed, I think i was a few weeks behind.

Here's the link to recipe. Also gives instructions on canning/water bath which was helpful for me.

Homemade Salsa Recipe For Canning or Freezing

How to make the Homemade Salsa using fresh tomatoes, peppers & onions. . Water bath canning instructions included but are optional!

oldworldgardenfarms.com

Here's the ingredient list and how we kicked it up a notch. We doubled the recipe as well. If you like it spicy I'd do more cups hot pepper and fewer sweet. Ours has a little bite but not too hot as we will give some as gifts and not everyone loves spicy. Oh, you'll need a big pot!

Edit -makes approximately 16-18 16 oz jars.

Ingredients 10 cups peeled cored diced paste tomatoes (about 30-35) 6 cups diced peppers mixture of mild and hot about 5 large green peppers and 6-8 hot peppers 4 cups chopped onions about 6 medium onions 3 cloves garlic peeled 2 Tablespoons finely chopped cilantro 1 Tablespoon salt ½ teaspoon black pepper 1 cup distilled white vinegar

Ingredients 20 cups peeled cored diced paste tomatoes (romas, early girls, etc) 8 cups sweet peppers diced, 4 cups hot peppers diced 8 cups chopped onions 14 cloves garlic peeled 3 - 4 cups finely chopped cilantro 2 Tablespoon salt 1 teaspoon black pepper 1 cup distilled white vinegar, 1 cup apple cider vinegar 3 6-ounce cans tomato paste

 

[BDinPutnam]

Really? In addition to how good sun ripened tomatoes taste there are so many health benefits from eating tomatoes that they should be classified as a super food!

I hear you!

My wife has to keep consumption low (health issues / rx interactions). Given that we had limited space this year we didn't want to use up too much of it on stuff we would intentionally want low yields on. I'm hoping to spend some time building at least a few raised beds this fall so we have more options next year.

 

[S&W Fan]

I hear you!

My wife has to keep consumption low (health issues / rx interactions). Given that we had limited space this year we didn't want to use up too much of it on stuff we would intentionally want low yields on. I'm hoping to spend some time building at least a few raised beds this fall so we have more options next year.

aah, Gotchya . Rx interactions Suck! I absolutely love red grapefruit. But due to Rx interaction I can’t eat it anymore.

 

[BDinPutnam]

aah, Gotchya . Rx interactions Suck! I absolutely love red grapefruit. But due to Rx interaction I can’t eat it anymore.

Yeah same reason I didn't bother doing any peppers this year, we had both got to the point where green bells bothered us but other colors were fine... until they weren't. Which sucks because I am well known for my gumbo.

 

[phatfarmerbob]

We were forced to pick all of these today. Roma, early girl, cherry, grape, plum and beefsteak. Tomorrow is gonna be a big canning day - tomatoes, tomato sauce and salsa.
View attachment 84886

Ohhh boy ... you’d be in trouble with grandpa.

Stems Off before they go in the basket

 

[S&W Fan]

Making First batch of chili sauce Tonight. This is about 10lbs. Of san Marzano tomatters .

 

[MilesTeg]

I got some picking in yesterday when I was waiting for my oldest first day of school.

 

[S&W Fan]

I picked a few more to make a quick fresh batch of Bruschetta.

 

[Calculon]

Looks delish.

 

[S&W Fan]

Looks delish.

Fresh Bruschetta Is my all time favorite way to eat san marzano or plumb tomatoes. All that good imported olive oil, fresh Minced garlic, Fresh basil and good balsamic vinegar ! Mmmm mmm I only make it in small batches for best results. Just enough to last for one extra day. After that it starts to get mushy.

 

[Doc8404]

Thai chili peppers are amazing this year.
Going to move the one container of those and another with jalapeños, each with three plants, into the sun porch.

the Mad Hatter plant went from one lonely pepper to about thirty.

the tomato plants are killing the grass and we are missing much of the harvest. Damn things broke the stakes. Too much miracle grow.

 

[Saltwater60]

A bit of a sad day for gardening today. I ripped out my dead apricot tree and made another garden out front. Mostly be perennials for beauty not eating. The cherry tree looked super out of place since the two trees were on the front lawn equidistant so I ripped out the cherry tree too. Tree was doing great but bloomed too early anyway so I never really got much fruit off it.
I may get another cherry tree that blooms later and center it In the new garden. I’ll toss some hardy hibiscus in there and likely some hydrangeas and a few others. I love hibiscus and hydrangeas.

renting a bobcat on Saturday’s and I’m moving 20 yards of dirt and 4 yards of stone. Leveling out a friends rear yard, doing an 11x18 patio for her and making two new gardens and filling in a low spot at my house. Should be a good satisfying day.

 

[Calculon]

Wifey made an eggplant, tomato (both from garden) and mozzarella stack for dinner tonight. She likes to stage and photograph what she makes.

 

[Saltwater60]

Wifey made an eggplant, tomato (both from garden) and mozzarella stack for dinner tonight. She likes to stage and photograph what she makes.
View attachment 87095

Who knew you were so fancy!!

 

[BDinPutnam]

Wifey made an eggplant, tomato (both from garden) and mozzarella stack for dinner tonight. She likes to stage and photograph what she makes.
View attachment 87095

That looks great and I dont even like eggplant that much.

But where's the main?