Odds and Ends

Things have slowed down some in the garden.  There are tons of things that need to be done but nothing is really pressing right now. We are enjoying the weather and I proclaimed it a putter around day. So many little things I need to get done that sometimes things get lost in the shuffle. I'm just not as organized as I want to be, which might be a good thing since then I'd probably get all OCD. Thank goodness I'm a list maker.

I'm still getting tons of cayenne peppers. I've been drying them as they ripen and probably have at least 4 quart jars full. That sounds like a lot (even to me) but once they are ground to cayenne powder it won't be. 

 I had a couple of  ripe yellow bell peppers and a couple of red ones that found their way into the dehydrater too.  They will add some color and yummy peppers to soups or stews (or whatever) this winter.  I've got all sorts of regular bells dried as well.  Some are cut lengthwise and long, some are diced and some are done in bite size pieces.  I make up all sorts of one dish meals and I love having them on hand.

I was reading somewhere, (I'm sorry I don't remember exactly where)  about saving your vegetable "scraps" and dehydrating them to make vegetable powder.  I have a gallon baggie I keep in the freezer and just add the scraps as I go.  When the bag's full I'll dump it onto the trays and dehydrate it.  Once it's dry I put it in a jar and vacuum seal it for using later. I know you can go ahead and grind it at this point but I'll just grind it as I go.  That way I'm not running the risk of the powder caking up and becoming a vegetable rock! 

I've got one of the dehydrators full and running.  Cayenne, red green and yellow bell peppers and a whole baggie of veggie "scraps" will be ready by tomorrow!  Lately if the dryer isn't running I start feeling like somethings wrong. I can almost always find something that needs to be dehydrated.

I've got almost a quart baggie of jalapeno's that have turned red.  Once we get a few more the plan is to smoke them on the grill.  Once that's done I'll dry them and grind them into Chipotle powder.  Pretty neat huh?  Much of the stuff I'm doing now is helping to add a variety to our diets in the coming months.

I want to thank Sandy from over at Oklahoma Transient for sending me some of her cool pepper seeds.  And guess what else she sent!  Bluebonnet seeds!  I'm hoping they'll grow here and right now is about the time of year to plant them for next year.  Sandy, thank you so much.  Bluebonnets are special to me.  It's a Texas thing I suppose.  I owe you an email girl. (and some seeds)  Ya'll go check out her cool giveaway.  It's a good one!

Oh, I almost forgot!  I know I told you that we've been without our nightly movie for a few days now.  Very different kind of a rythem to things makes it interesting. I've been able to do a little reading.  I've got a crochet project going as well as a project "on the needles".
 I went to town again with a bunch of tomatoes, squash, grape tomatoes, green bell peppers and a variety of hot peppers.  I'm amazed!  All I came home with were three buckets ( think cool whip container) of tomatoes,  Folks around here really do like their tomatoes!  From what I understand many folks didn't have a good tomato crop.  I think it might have been that really late freeze we had.  Shoot, we were out there covering those babies every night and taking the covers back off once it warmed up in the mornings.  Anyway....  I made enough money to order a new DVD player.  We should be back to the Netflix by the first of of next week.  YAY!!! I really do miss our nightly movies, especially now since once again WildBlue Sucks has slowed our internet speed to slower than dial-up. *sigh*  It will probably take a couple of weeks to get to the level they'll speed us back up.  Geesh I miss high speed cable connections.   I've never had anything other than a cable connection to the interwebs until we moved out here.  Call me spoiled but it has been one of the hardest personal challenges to have such a limited internet service.  After 2 1/2 years you would think I could get used Sorry for the lack of pictures but trying to get them to load is pure torture.





 

Dehydrating Instructions For Vegetables

I found a good starting place for those of you who want to learn to dehydrate veggies.  Please note that dehydrators and methods for dehydrating vary. Vegetables may be dehydrated at temperatures starting at 100 degrees ranging up to 140 degrees. The higher the temperature the shorter the dehydration time. Also, with higher temperatures it is possible to cause case hardening of the vegetable. Case hardening occurs when the exterior of the vegetable dries too rapidly creating a seal that retains moisture in the center. When this occurs the food will spoil from the inside out. 

ARTICHOKES
Instructions for Dehydrating Artichokes:
1. Wash the vegetables
2. Remove the outer leaves.
3. Cut the artichoke hearts into quarters.
4. Steam blanch the vegetables for 4 minutes, then drain well.
5. Dehydrate artichokes at 100 degrees (F) for 18 hours, or until brittle.
6. Store dried artichokes in a clean, dry, airtight container, in a cool dark location. (Light can cause discoloration)  
Use your dried artichoke hearts marinated (for salads, antipasto platters, topping on pizzas, casseroled) or in dips.
To rehydrate: soak in boiling water for about 15 minutes, adding a little lemon juice to help keep the color. 

ASPARAGUS
Instructions for Dehydrating Asparagus:
1. Wash the vegetables
2. Remove any tough ends.
3. Steam blanch for 3 minutes. Drain.
4. Dehydrate asparagus at 100 degrees (F) for 35 hours or until dry and brittle (to avoid them molding in storage).
5. Store dried asparagus in a clean, dry, airtight container, in a cool dark location. (Light can cause discoloration)
Dried asparagus is best used in soups, casseroles, or dishes that require mashed asparagus.
To rehydrate, soak in hot water for 30 minutes and drain.  Stalks will likely remain a little tough.   

GREEN BEANS
Instructions for Dehydrating Green Beans:
1. Wash the vegetables
2. Snip off ends and cut into 1” pieces.
3. Steam blanch for 4 minutes, then soak in iced water for 4 minutes.
4. Drain the vegetables.
5. Place green beans on a cookie sheet in a single layer and freeze for 45 minutes.
6. Dehydrate green beans at 100 degrees (F) for about 30 hours or until crisp.
7. Store dried green beans in a clean, dry, airtight container, in a cool dark location. (Light can cause discoloration)
Dried green beans are best served in hot main dishes like stews, soups, casseroles. You can add dried green beans directly to soups and stews… just add a little extra liquid to the recipe.
To rehydrate, soak in cold water for 2 hours, or in hot water for 1 hour.  

BEETS
Instructions for Dehydrating Beets:
1. Wash the vegetables.
2. Remove tops.
3. Cut beets in half.
4. Steam the vegetables until tender (about 20 minutes).
5. Peel and cut into ½” slices (or shred).
6. Then dehydrate the beets (slices) at 100 degrees (F) for about 12 hours or until brittle. Dehydrate shredded beets for approx. 10 hours.
7. Store dried beets in a clean, dry, airtight container, in a cool dark location. (Light can cause discoloration)
Dried beets can be ground in your food processor and use for color or flavoring.
To rehydrate, soak in cold water for 1 hour and drain, or soak overnight in the fridge and drain.  

BROCCOLI
Instructions for Dehydrating Broccoli:
1. Wash the vegetables
2. Peel the tough skin from the stalks.
3. Separate the florets from the stalks.
4. Cut the stalks into ½” diagonal slices and cut the florets into uniform pieces.
5. dehydrate broccoli at 100 degrees for about 18 hours or until brittle.
6. Store dried broccoli in a clean, dry, airtight container, in a cool dark location. (Light can cause discoloration) Rehydrated broccoli is best used in soups and casseroles.
To rehydrate, soak in hot water for 30 minutes or steam for 15 minutes (until tender).  For fresher looking broccoli, soak in cold water for 5 minutes before cooking.   

BRUSSELS SPROUTS
Instructions for Dehydrating Brussels Sprouts:
1. Wash the vegetables
2. Remove tough outer leaves.
3. Cut sprouts in half.
4. Steam blanch the vegetables for 3 minutes and drain.
5. Dehydrate Brussels sprouts at 100 degrees for 12 hours or until brittle.
6. Store dried Brussels sprouts in a clean, dry, airtight container, in a cool dark location. (Light can cause discoloration)
To rehydrate, soak in hot water with a little lemon juice for about 30 minutes. Drain before using.

CABBAGE (RED OR GREEN)
Instructions for Dehydrating Cabbage:
1. Wash the cabbage heads and trim away the outer leaves.
2. Remove the core
3. Shred/grate the cabbage head.
4. Steam blanch vegetables for 2 minutes. (Optional)
5. Dehydrate cabbage at 100 degrees (F) for 18 hours or until crisp.
6. Store dried cabbage in a clean, dry, airtight container, in a cool dark location. (Light can cause discoloration)
Dried cabbage can be added directly to soups or stews without re-hydrating.   Note:  Red cabbage loses some of its color when re-hydrated.
To rehydrate, soak in cold water with a little lemon juice for 30 minutes and drain. 

CARROTS
Instructions for Dehydrating Carrots:
1. Wash the carrots and trim off the tops.
2. Cut into ¼” slices (or shred).
3. Dehydrate carrots at 100 degrees for about 16 hours (for slices) or 12 hours for shredded carrots (until brittle).
4. Store dried carrots in a clean, dry, airtight container, in a cool dark location. (Light can cause discoloration) Dried carrots can be added directly to stews and soups without re-hydrating.
To rehydrate, soak in cold water for 30 minutes and drain.
 NOTE- Carrots that have been blanched for 3 minutes will keep their color better.

CELERY
Instructions for Dehydrating Celery:
1. Trim away leaves and ends
2. Wash celery stalks and cut into ½” pieces.
3. Soak vegetables for 5 minutes in 6 cups of cold water/1 tbsp baking soda (helps preserve the color).
4. Blanch for 2 minutes and drain.
5. Dehydrate celery at 100 degrees (F) for about 18 hours or until crisp.
6. Store dried celery in a clean, dry, airtight container, in a cool dark location. (Light can cause discoloration)
No need to rehydrate for use in soups or stews.  Make celery flakes by processing dried celery in a blender or food processor.  For celery salt, mix ground dried celery with equal parts of salt.  
To rehydrate, soak in hot water for 1 hour, drain.  

CHARD
Instructions for Dehydrating Chard:
1. Wash chard well
2. Remove stems.
3. Dehydrate chard at 100 degrees (F) for 10 hours or until brittle.
4. Store dried chard in a clean, dry, airtight container, in a cool dark location. (Light can cause discoloration)
 To rehydrate, soak in hot water with a little lemon juice for 15 minutes, drain well.

CORN
Instructions for Dehydrating Corn:
1. Shuck ears and remove silk.
2. Steam blanch ears for 4 minutes, then drain.
3. Cut kernels from ears.
4. Dry kernels at 100 degrees (F) for 18 hours or until crisp.
5. Store dried corn in a clean, dry, airtight container, in a cool dark location. (Light can cause discoloration)
Dried corn works well in casseroles, creamed corn, stews, chowders, soups.  You can even make your own cornmeal, by using a food mill or grinder to grind the dried kernels.
To rehydrate, soak in hot water for about 30 minutes and drain.  
 NOTE- Blanching corn for 3 minutes will help retain the color better.

Cucumber
Instructions for Dehydrating Cucumber:
1. Wash and trim ends.
2. Cut cucumber into 1/4" slices
3. Dehydrate cucumber at 130 degrees (F) for about 8 hours or until slices are rigid.
4. Store dried cucumber in a clean, dry, airtight container, in a cool dark location. (Light can cause discoloration)
To rehydrate, soak in cold water overnight in fridge.

EGGPLANT
Instructions for Dehydrating Eggplant:
1. Wash eggplant
2. Cut the vegetable into ½” slices.
3. Dehydrate eggplant at 100 degrees (F) for about 20 hours or until leathery.
4. Store dried eggplant in a clean, dry, airtight container, in a cool dark location. (Light can cause discoloration)
Dried eggplant works well in casseroles.
To rehydrate, soak in hot water for about 30 minutes and drain.  


GARLIC CLOVES
Instructions for Dehydrating Garlic Cloves:
1. Use firm cloves without bruises.
2. Peel cloves and cut in half.
3. Remove the sprout in the middle.
4. Dehydrate garlic cloves at 100 degrees (F) for about 6 hours or until crisp.
5. Store dried garlic in a clean, dry, airtight container, in a cool dark location. (Light can cause discoloration)
To make garlic powder, grind the dried garlic in a blender or seed grinder.  For garlic salt, mix ground dried garlic with 4 parts salt.
To rehydrate, soak in cold water for about 3 hours in the fridge and drain.  

LEEKS
Instructions for Dehydrating Leeks:
1. Remove the tough top and outer leaves.
2. Wash the vegetables in cold water.
3. Cut the stalks in half, lengthwise.
4. Slice crossways into ¼” slices
5. Dehydrate leeks at 100 degrees (F) for 18 hours or until crisp.
6. Store dried leeks in a clean, dry, airtight container, in a cool dark location. (Light can cause discoloration)
No need to rehydrate if using in soups or stews.
To rehydrate, soak in hot water for 30 minutes and drain.  

MUSHROOMS
Instructions for Dehydrating Mushrooms:
1. Rinse mushrooms quickly. If they become slippery blot dry with a paper towel.
2. Trim mushrooms and cut into ¼” slices.
3. Dehydrate mushrooms at 100 degrees (F) for 18 hours or until crisp.
4. Store dried mushrooms in a clean, dry, airtight container, in a cool dark location. (Light can cause discoloration)
No need to rehydrate if using in soups or stews.
To rehydrate, soak in cold water for 30 minutes and drain.

OKRA
Instructions for Dehydrating Okra:
1. Select vegetables with tender, firm pods.
2. Trim the ends and wash.
3. Cut okra into 1/4" slices.
4. Dehydrate okra at 100 degrees (F). (until crisp)
5. Store dried okra in a clean, dry, airtight container, in a cool dark location. (Light can cause discoloration)
Dried okra is good for using as a thickener in soups or gumbos.
 NOTE- You can re-hydrate okra and fry it as you would fresh okra.

ONION
NOTE:  Dehydrating onions makes the house smell very strongly of onions.  You may consider dehydrating them outside or in a less used space.
Instructions for Dehydrating Onion:
1. Remove outer layer/skin.
2. Dice onion or else cut into ¼” slices.
3. Dehydrate onion at 100 degrees (F) for 20 hours or until brittle.
4. Store dried onion in a clean, dry, airtight container, in a cool dark location. (Light can cause discoloration)
No need to rehydrate if using in soups or stews.  Make onion flakes and onion powder by grinding in a food mill or blender.  For onion salt, mix onion powder with even parts salt.
To rehydrate, soak in hot water for 15 minutes and drain.  

PARSNIPS
Instructions for Dehydrating Parsnips:
1. Wash and peel (optional) parsnips
2. Slice vegetables into ¼” slices (or shred).
3. Steam blanch for 4 minutes and drain.
4. Dehydrate parsnips at 100 degrees (F) for about 16 hours or until brittle.  Dehydrate shredded parsnips for 10/12 hours.
5. Store dried parsnips in a clean, dry, airtight container, in a cool dark location. (Light can cause discoloration)
Try eating re-hydrated parsnips mashed like you would mashed potatoes!
To rehydrate, soak in hot water for 1 hour, drain. 

PEAS
Instructions for Dehydrating Peas:
1. Remove peas from the pods.
2. Steam blanch vegetables for 3 minutes and drain.
3. Dehydrate peas at 100 degrees (F) for 12 hours or until brittle.
4. Store dried peas in a clean, dry, airtight container, in a cool dark location. (Light can cause discoloration)
No need to rehydrate if using in soups.
To rehydrate dried peas, soak in hot water for 30 minutes and drain. 

PEPPERS
Instructions for Dehydrating Peppers:
1. Wash peppers and remove core.
2. Dice or cut vegetables into 1/4" slices.
3. Dehydrate pepper at 100 degrees (F) for 24 hours or until brittle.
4. Store dried peppers in a clean, dry, airtight container, in a cool dark location. (Light can cause discoloration)No need to rehydrate if using in soups.
For a little crunch in your salad, try adding dried bell pepper pieces.
To rehydrate dried peppers, soak in hot water for 20 minutes and drain. 

POTATO
 Instructions for Dehydrating Potatoes:
1. Scrub, peel (optional) and rinse potatoes.
2. Dice, grate or cut into ¼” slices.
3. Soak vegetables in ascorbic acid or lemon juice solution for 5 minutes and drain.  (to prevent discoloration. If you don't pre-treat potatoes, they will turn black)
4. Blanch or steam potatoes for 3-5 minutes.
4. Dehydrate potatoes at 100 degrees for 8 hours or until crisp.
5. Store dried potatoes in a clean, dry, airtight container, in a cool dark location. (Light can cause discoloration) 
To rehydrate, soak in cold water for 30 minutes, drain and pat dry. 

SPINACH
Instructions for Dehydrating Spinach
1. Wash spinach well
2. Remove stems.
3. Dehydrate spinach at 100 degrees (F) for 10 hours or until brittle.
4. Store dried spinach in a clean, dry, airtight container, in a cool dark location. (Light can cause discoloration)
To rehydrate, soak in hot water with a little lemon juice for 15 minutes, drain well.

TOMATILLOS
Instructions for Dehydrating Tomatillos:
1. Remove papery husk and wash tomatillos. Remove stems.
2. Cut in half.
3. Dehydrate tomatillos at 100 degrees (F) until leathery (can take a couple of days, depending upon size).
4. Store dried tomatillos in a clean, dry, airtight container, in a cool dark location. (Light can cause discoloration)
These make a delicious, sweet snack, if dehydrated once the fruit has ripened. Use rehydrated in salsas.
To rehydrate, soak for 15 to 30 minutes in hot water and drain.

TOMATOES
Instructions for Dehydrating Tomatoes:
1. Wash tomatoes and remove stems.
2. Cut into ½” slices. If smaller tomatoes (like cherry or small plum tomatoes), then you can cut them in half.)
3. Remove seeds (optional).
4. Dehydrate tomatoes at 100 degrees (F) until crisp (slices – take 24 hours (avg) and halved plums take about 3 days).
5. Store dried tomatoes in a clean, dry, airtight container, in a cool dark location. (Light can cause discoloration)
Use in stews, sauces or marinades.
To rehydrate, soak for 15 to 30 minutes in cold water. 

ZUCCHINI
Instructions for Dehydrating Zucchini:
1. Wash zucchini
2. Trim and cut into ¼ “ slices (or grate).
3. Dry zucchini at 100 degrees (F) for 12 hours or until brittle.
4. Store dried zucchini in a clean, dry, airtight container, in a cool dark location. (Light can cause discoloration)
Grated zucchini works well in bakery like zucchini bread.  Slices work well in casseroles, or use seasoned dried chips as snacks. 
To rehydrate, soak in hot water for 30 minutes and rain.

Originally adapted from http://www.howtogardenadvice.com/harvesting/how_to_dehydrate_dry_vegetables.html and amended with additional information.

Would I Do It All Over Again?

When all is said and done here I've got to say that all in all we've had a pretty successful garden this spring. The biggest fail?  My beans. They just didn't produce well this year. I'll have to do the unspeakable and actually buy some over the winter I suppose.  It happens.  We've already got new plans for next years beans.

I'm just now starting to get the hang of this whole gardening thing.  It reminds me time and time again that those of you who have those seeds tucked away for an emergency don't have much of a chance in a SHTF situation.  I'm not saying that I do either, but I've got a much better shot at it than the "uninitiated". And lets be honest here, the fact that we've got the drip line irrigation is a huge factor in our success.

And speaking of gardening ...  Call me crazy but I want to get out there  in the garden to trim up and cut back the tomatoes.  There's a bunch of dead stuff on them and I want to try and get them healthy enough to make tomatoes for fall.  YES you read that right! I'm going to try for some Fall tomatoes. Since I've found there's a market for them around here it seems I'm not as tired of tomatoes as I thought I was!  With the cool front bringing us some lows at night cool enough to set fruit I'm hoping to get another round of tomatoes.  We'll see how that goes. I've been putting it off for almost a week now.  As soon as it dries out I'll get started on it.

I planted a little over half a row of Dixie Peas this year.  We both really love the flavor and even the texture of these peas/beans.  The thing is that they've got smallish pods with 3-4 peas in them that tend to grow toward the bottom of the compact plant.  They are kind of hard for me to pick at just the right time to get fresh ones.  They will/do dry on the vine.  That's fine by me but they have to be watched because once they dry you only have a small window of opportunity to pick them before they split their shells and the dry beans will fall to the ground.  All in all they're a pain in the a$$ but dang they are good!  I'm still pondering growing them again next year.

 The squash is still doing well.  I hold my breath and cross my fingers that the %$#& squash bugs don't show up.  I'd really love to be able to can some.  I know, I know.  Folks say you shouldn't can squash.  I say why not?  We don't mind if it gets soft during the canning process, it's still yummy! 

The grasshoppers won't allow new beans to get started.  It seems they think that bean sprouts are pretty tasty.  We've replanted them three times so far.  I don't know how much longer we have before it just gets to cold but once the garden dries up some, I'll stick some more in the ground. I've also got to get my garlic planted soon.  At least around here I've got a pretty good size window of opportunity to plant it.  It's on my "list".

Sue, from over at The Little Acre That Could asked if I would do  all this over again next year.  Absolutely!  As much as I fuss I just love doing this. (mostly) I really do love it.  It's a different way of life and I'm trying to embrace every last bit of it. This place is something I've dreamed about having for years and years.  Of course I didn't know we would end up in Oklahoma but I've grown ok with that! lol I honestly believe that we were meant to be here on this little piece of land.  Besides, it sure beats living in a R.V. park smack up next to the freeway! It's quiet and I get to dig in the dirt and there is close to NO traffic out here.  I can even see the stars at night. What's not to love about that?

Peppers Peppers Everywhere

 I got everything done I wanted to accomplish  this weekend.  Said no gardener ever.  There's always that one more thing I could have/should have done.

One of the things on my list was to get all those tomatilloes out of the freezer and fridge and conjure up some Salsa Verde.  I made a big batch. Total 16 pints and two of those tall 1 1/2 pint jars of Salsa Verde. We both grew up eating Tex-mex and Mexican food.  Shoot if you are raised in Texas it's second nature.  I'll write up the recipe as soon as I have time.  I can see good food in my future now though!!  Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas anyone? Oh my.

I was lucky to have found enough pint jars to get this stuff done.  After scrounging around in every nook and cranny I realized that all of those cases of jars still empty are quarts. I wonder if I could find someone on Craigslist that would like to do a little trading...

 I've got so many peppers still coming on that I feel like I really need to do something besides dry them.  One of the things I had on my list was making some pepper jelly. Maybe this week.... 

Aren't these Bell Peppers pretty!!!

 The Cayenne Peppers are still going like they will never stop.  I'm picking the red ones every day and drying them for using later. 

See how the cantaloupe vines are starting to die back?  Almost finished for the year.  Check out that  plant behind it.  That is one HUGE pepper plant.  I know you can't see it but it's blooming again. All the peppers in the garden are as a matter of fact.
 

 There are some interesting peppers in the garden this year though.  My mom sent several different varieties of hot  pepper seed to Mars.  Just looking at them makes my mouth burn. 

 I'll make some jelly from those just for him this year.  I doubt it will be tolerable for me. I'll probably be afraid to even try them!   Shoot I can cry over a jalapeno, I can't imagine trying to eat one of those harbingers of death.   With so many pepper plants doing so well I've decided to start letting the Jalapeno's and Serrano's turn to red.  I'm hoping I can get enough of them at one time (which you guys who garden know can be hard to do sometimes) to make Chipoltle Powder.

Check out this pretty squash.  Carolyn, Don't Look! This is the yellow squash.  So far so good and I've been picking squash most every day for a few days now.

And not to be outdone.... The Acorn and Butternut Squash!!!

In other news...

Those of you who've been reading awhile already know that we don't watch T.V.  It's by choice just so ya know.  It wouldn't matter anyway since without sattellite TV there is no reception out here.  Our old 13" TV has been residing in the barn for the past couple of years.  We gave away the big one when we moved. For entertainment we rent dvd's from Netflix and we'll watch one movie a night on Mars' computer. Mine doesn't have a working dvd player.  (that's a whole other story)  Anyway, his dvd player finally bit the dust. So he brought the tv in from the barn and hooked up this old dvd player we've had for years to it.  Nothing.  We also have an old dvd player that he dug out. This player is old enough that of course it doesn't have a USB port in it.  I know they are pretty cheap these days so if we can wiggle the bills around come the first I'll order an external player.  Until then it's  radio for us in the evenings.  Funny how you get used to doing something every day...  part of the rythem , then all the sudden you aren't and you feel a bit "out of kilter".  Or is that just me? 

This year I've felt like I've been swallowed up whole by the garden and have been desperately trying to fight my way out.  I'm seeing the beginning of the end of the summer season and it's been a wild ride.  We've been blessed with a great garden this year. It had kept me busy and every single year I'm learning more and more.  Please understand I'm not complaining.  I'm just very happy that I was able to do it, albeit slowly, and I'm still upright!  We'll have some good food this winter.  And if I'm lyin' folks.... Then grits ain't groceries!!!

Come on Fall

Anyone else around here ready for Fall?  I think I need a couple of days off to tell you the truth.  I've been so focused on the garden and trying to get as much as possible put up before it all up and quits.  This weekend I'm going to make a big canning push.  I've got probably two 5 gallon buckets of tomatilloes that need to be turned into something yummy.  They are taking up precious room in the fridge and the freezer and there are more ripening even as we speak.  I swear this time of year another fridge would come in handy. I've never raised tomatilloes before.  They are kind of cool.  They are putting out a ton of fruit.  It's a good thing we love Salsa Verde.  I'm still trying to find some other recipes for them so if you have any suggestions please leave a comment.

The tomatoes have finally stopped producing a bucket a day. Some of the plants still look pretty good.  They'll probably start blooming again soon.  The heirloom tomatoes are finaaly making a showing.  They are sure late to the Tomato Party this year.  I've had one heck of a banner year for tomatoes for sure.  I've put up whole tomatoes, quartered, and chopped.  There's the Salsa, Rotel tomatoes, Italian tomatoes,  tomato juice and the spaghetti sauce.  I dried every single one of the skins from all those for tomato powder.  I'll be using it to make tomato paste and sauce this winter.

It's too  bad I found out so late I could have sold a bunch of tomatoes.  I'm actually thinking that next year I might be able to sell a little produce. It's not much but the money could be used for some other projects we are wanting to get done.  We need to run water down to the second garden and get it hooked up semi-permanently to the drip irrigation lines.  We need a faucet down there anyway.  It sure will be handy for watering critters.  Anyway... It's something to think about.

Can you see the squash at the bottom of the picture??  SQUASH!!!!  So far they are doing well and I've not seen ANY stinkin *&% squash bugs yet.  We finally resorted to trying a new product on the market.  It's called Eight. It's got 0.02% Permethrin   You have to be careful with it and not get it on any of the blooms.  It's not "bee friendly". We try not to use anything harmful but being careful to use as directed care this one can be used.  So we use it right around the base of the plants.  I've got a bunch ready to hit the canner tomorrow.  I'm so excited!  WE HAVE SQUASH!!!!!   Can you believe it?   lol  maybe I've finally beaten those stinking bugs.  Time will tell.

 Those little grape tomatoes there in the box are something else new I tried growing this year.  They are super sweet and delicious.  I can eat an entire container of them in one sitting if I'm not careful!  Those are another thing that will definitely go on next years list of plants. 

All the melons are about to quit on us.  I've picked three cantaloupes, the one lonely watermelon, and a small Juan Canary melon this week.  Mars doesn't really eat a lot of melons so I best get busy!  lol  There are a few more out there but the vines are starting to die off and things are starting to look a little sad.  

Another lesson I learned this gardening season is that there is NO way I'm going to plant more than one or two of the hot peppers.  They are still going crazy. They sure do love the high temperatures. I've been drying the cayenne peppers and have Serrano, hot banana and the jalapenos dried as well.  I want to plant more bell peppers next year and back down on the hot stuff.  The thing is though that they are so fun to grow.  I've got three pepper plants I started from some seed my mom sent Mars.  They are starting to produce and I have NO idea what I'm going to do with them. They are supposed to be some super duper hot peppers.   There's one called a Red Savanna Pepper.  Some sort of super habenero and another one I can't remember the name of.  They have taken so long to grow that the markers on them are all but faded to white. (Note to self- You MUST start keeping a garden journal)

I never was able to get my broccoli and cabbage started.  My fault really, I should have tried to baby it more but at the time I was covered in tomatoes.  Another lesson learned.  I have to make the time to take care of them because we just love broccoli!

I know I've not been around much here lately.  Many of you are in the same place right now. It's a busy time of year.  It's hot and there is lots to be done and to tell ya the truth I'm getting flat wore out.  I've been making a half-hearted attempt at a fall garden.  There are peas, spinach and lettuce sown. The garlic needs to go in this month and I still need to get their new home ready for them!!  Maybe I can find a spot to plant leeks too.  That would be cool.  Anyway.... That's what I've been up to for what seems like eons. Come on Fall.  I'm hot, sweaty and tired of Summer.

Another Week in the Books

It's been a long and busy start to September.  Time is spent trying to process and put up all the goodies from the garden.  The heat's still with us and I can hardly wait until it cools down some. 

I never mentioned the onions we grew this past year.  We got a good crop and I have them stored in the barn.  Not a good idea in the long run as now they are starting to go bad.  It's my own fault because what I SHOULD have done was store them in old panty hose. I don't wear them so instead of just picking some up anyway what I did was to braid them and hang them.  Since I don't want to loose them I've started drying them.  We use a lot of dried onions so it's really not a huge problem but I've learned a good lesson.  Chalk it up to the learning curve and add it to my big list.

Last week I had a doctors appointment for a procedure on my back.  More to come on that.  I might have found a doctor that can give me some relief.  He's got a plan of action and I feel pretty good about the whole thing.  Only time will tell.

The only reason that I even bring up the doctors appointment is because of the garden.  Knowing I'd probably be out of commission for a couple of days I picked all I could of the beans, peas, peppers, squash (Yep, I've actually got some squash coming ) melons and tomatoes.  On Friday after I was up and moving again and the tomatoes had gone nuts again.  I harvested two 5 gallon buckets full.  Now what in the world was I going to do with all these dang tomatoes? Saturday morning I decided I was going to try to go sit out by the road heading into town.   I spent about 4 hours out there and sold all but a few.  $60 was made.   I was amazed!  Why have I not been doing this all season? 

Oh, speaking of tomatoes.... I talked with the Rabbit Lady and we struck a deal!  She will take back my "defective" rabbit and trade me for another.  I'll also pick up two new does for two buckets of homegrown tomatoes.  She raises her rabbits in a controlled environment. The barn is cooled and well insulated.  Since the weather is still so hot I'm going to wait to pick up the 3 new does once the daytime temps are a bit cooler.  No sense in stressing them out by sticking them out under the tree here just yet.

Things are getting very interesting both here in America and around the world The next few weeks should be quite interesting. I've been keeping my ear to the ground (so to speak) about all the news around the world.  While all this drama over Syria is keeping many folks nervous about a world war there are other big things going on as well.  Ol' Bernanke is getting ready to step down and we'll have a new Fed Chairman soon.  Obamacare starts to kick in come October and we need a new budget.  Congress has about 9 days to get all that taken care of.  I'm not seeing it happen.  You might want to check your preps and fill as many "holes" as you can.  Keep an eye on things folks.  We are living in interesting times.

Rabbits Anyone?

I'm still running in high gear here but I sure am looking forward to things slowing down just a bit.  Fall is around the corner even if we did have 102 temps today.  The tomatoes have slowed down some thankfully, since the beans are starting to come in.   I've given the neighbor tons of tomatoes and peppers as well this year. I get the feeling she's tired of tomatoes too! LOL   Someone mentioned checking with the food bank in our little town to see if they could use some tomatoes.  I've taken them a couple of 5 gallon buckets of them so far. I'm DONE with canning them for the year.  I just can't stand to see them go to waste and the chickens aren't nearly impressed with them as they were at first either.

I was out feeding the rabbits today and once again I started thinking about what was supposed to be happening with them.  A little background for you guys that haven't heard my rabbit tales.  (And no talk of "that guy" either)  One of the very first things we wanted to do out here was to be able to raise rabbits to supplement some of our meat.  I've made some rookie mistakes that ended up costing me two does.  I learn from my mistakes most of the time.  (Stop calling me "Rabbit Killer" !!!)   Anyway... here it is over two years now and I haven't had a single litter (do rabbits have litters?)  Last spring I found a lady who raises rabbits on a large scale not far from here.  I bought a 5 month old doe from her.  Once she was 6-7 months old I tried to breed her with one of my bucks.  Nothing.  So I tried her with the other buck. Still no babies.  I called the woman I bought her from and she was just so sweet.  She told me to bring my girl over and she would breed her with one of her "stud stars". If, for some reason she didn't get knocked up , she would take her back and give me another doe.    I waited the 30ish days... still nothing. I tried breeding her with my buck .... nothing.   And then things around here got busy. So the whole rabbit thing kind of got put on a back burner.  And that brings us up to today.

I got to thinking how I have been feeding and watering these guys twice a day every single day for over two years and have nothing but feed bills to show for it.  I remembered what the Rabbit Lady had said last year.  So I dug around till I found her card and gave her a call.  She remembered me.  Or she remembered the weirdness of bunnies not making bunny babies.  She told me I could bring her my doe and she would trade her out for a "proven" doe.  Cool. We can do that.  Then, out of the blue, I asked her if she ever did any bartering.  Much to my delight she said yes.  Now some of you will think the next part is funny.  I asked her if they liked tomatoes and would she be interested in doing some bartering for a second doe. I just happen to have a 5 gallon bucket full of them at the moment.  She immediately said we could strike a deal.  So I'll take her some tomatoes next time I have to go into Little Big Town and we'll work out the logistics. To say I'm happy is an understatement. Get rid of some of my tomato overflow and maybe... just maybe this time we'll have some luck.  It's kind of embarrassing not to have had baby bunnies after all this time.
Just so you know, I just cringed a little when I wrote that!  I can just hear some of you laughing already!!!