Our summer has been incredibly mild, with only one week that was so hot we could hardly stand it. The last week or so has just been amazing. As a matter of fact, we've had our windows open since Sunday--and it is gorgeous. The down fall here is, my peppers don't like that! My hot peppers are not hot, and my green peppers are just not progressing as fast as they should. I've only picked one--from 23 plants!
For one reason or another I am unable to find all of the pictures I took of our harvests. I can only find this one:
But I can assure you that there as been way more than that!! All in all this is what the garden has produced:
- (7) Half Pints Jalapeno Jelly (I've had tons of jalapenos, but not enough tomatoes to make salsa..yet so I had to get creative!)
- 3 batches Blackberry Jelly (I can't remember exactly how much that produced, but I think it was close to 9 pints)
- (13) Quarts and (1) Pint of green/purple beans and enough that we ate a mess for dinner one night. In addition to these, the boys picked another ice cream bucket full this evening, which should get us about 3-4 more quarts. This may sound like a large amount, but our goal was 100 quarts. Having this much will grant us about 2 quarts a week from now until harvest next year. We still have a long way to go!
- (6) Quarts Sweet Pickles. I toyed with the spices in a recipe last year, which produced our favorite pickle ever. But, because it was an experiment I had no idea how much we would like it and we ran out quickly. My Mom-In-Law has requested tons of these, and so has my husband, which leaves us in the same boat as the green beans--I need TONS more. Guess I can put that 5 gallon bucket worth of cucumbers to good use. ;)
- (3) Pints Pickled Banana Peppers.
- (5) Pints of Jalapenos--although not from the garden.
- And..we're trying something new this year and brining a 5 gallon bucket of Dill Pickles. We are on week 3 and it just doesn't seem to be progressing like it should. We'll see...
- Shredded 12 cups worth of Zucchini and fried one up for company Monday night. The squash borers got far more than I did. :( We may not have an organic garden next year. :)
With our picking this evening, we also got a big batch of tomatoes. I see a big canning day in my near future.
This post is linked to: How Does Your Garden Grow?
How is your garden coming along? Are you preserving any??
8 comments:
Looks like your garden is doing really well! I'm also lamenting the cool weather. Things are just growing so very slowly.
I was wondering what the purple things were, I thought it was vanilla at first! I have never grown them.
My peppers are suffering the same fate. I am hoping for some sun and heat but it has been a mild summer here too. Which is nice (no a/c needed) but not for the garden!
I got the same problems with my peppers this year too =(
there's always next year!
Alrighty -- what do your squash borers look like? I've got some gray bugs swarming my squash plants. :(
As a beginner gardener I think that your garden has done great!!
I had meant to plant bell peppers this year but forgot to buy any. =( I do not think that they will grow up here outside a green house but hubby did build me one and has plans for a bigger and better one for next year.
The beginning of our summer up here was great and my plants did fantastic. However we seem to be on a cooling tread though I am praying it ends soon as our growing season is short enough as it is - 100 days.
I have not learned how to can but will do so next year from hubby's aunt if she is willing to teach me or I'll find someone else who can.
Elaine H
To answer Amy's question about the squash bugs--here is a picture of some that I found. Man alive are they vicious. Unfortunately I finally resorted to dusting all our melon/squash family plants with Sevin. I hated to do it, but we are dying for some From Scratch Pumpkin Pie--and that is too much work to just let go to the bugs!
Phoebe,
Would you mind posting your Pepper Jelly recipe? I would love to make some for Christmas gifts and do not have a recipe.
Thanks!
Robin
Hi Phoebe, could you post your sweet pickle recipe? I planted pickle cucumbers for the first time and I've been looking for a good sweet pickle recipe. Also, when making pickles and the recipe calls for vinegar do they mean the white distilled vinegar? Thanks!
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