Using Our Harvests
I think I have been muttering about it now for a
week – at least! But, it struck me very forcefully this morning as I was
leaving my allotment and took a last look around at my favourite place…. how very
autumnal it has become and it is still only the middle of August. Is it my
imagination that autumn is arriving earlier each year or, do I say this every
year?
Already the leaves on some of the trees are turning
yellow; my Jack Edwards and Borlotto Beans are already starting to dry on the
vines and the leaves are beginning to yellow and fall; coriander seeds are
ripening and drying quicker than I am picking them; some of my Brambly Apples [always
a late crop] are ready to pick; squashes and pumpkins are ripening especially, my
Turk’s Turbans.
I have grown winter squashes and pumpkins over
several years and have shared my over-abundance of fruits with family and friends.
Last year, I had some difficulty with ensuring I had enough plants, I ended up
having far too many. And, I have always
found germination a bit tricky,
This year, I introduced a few new varieties and
sowed a few of my own saved seeds. I now find I have about 14 different plants,
many of which are Turk’s Turban. I haven’t grown these before nor, I think,
have I eaten them. They are however, being particularly prolific and a few are
almost ready to harvest. They are very pretty though a bit larger than the
varieties I usually choose. It is recommended that we stop the plants when they
have set and established 3 – 4 fruits. I haven’t done this and haven’t ever yet,
I find, especially for my chosen small varieties that, the plants will happily grow
5 or 6 fruits - and support up to maturity.
I discovered a few years ago, an excellent small
pumpkin – Baby Bear. Since then I have struggled to find the same variety again
[it seems the main seed houses introduce new ‘improved’ varieties each year – ‘Jack
be Little’ and ‘Hooligan’ are other examples but, for me, neither has been so
good]. I did find the seeds again and saved some seeds from my own plants but,
as the plants are very promiscuous you really don’t know what you are likely to
get from saved seeds, especially when you are growing many varieties or are on
an allotment where your neighbours are growing different varieties. An
allotment friend suggested that, from the saved seed we might well get plants
which are most suited to our ground and conditions. I will see in a few weeks
how my crops turn out.
I have now started to harvest my first Sweet-corn – ‘Lark’
planted outdoors from a sowing in my propagator in early March. They are
bearing amazingly large and ‘full’ cobs though each plant is giving one or, at
most, two cobs. I hope my later sowing of Tasty Gold F1 will give as good or a
better crop.
Some of my tomatoes this year have been
disappointing. Stupidly, I bought a packet of ‘Mixed Heritage’ varieties but,
they were not individually named. Germination was good but as I chose to plant
the strongest plants in my poly-tunnel, I find I have an over abundance of
yellow/orange tomatoes and beefsteak varieties – not my favourites. Fortunately
I had saved the seeds of a couple of my favourites. Sultana, an oval shaped
salad tomato is now providing me with a daily harvest of very tasty little
tomatoes – I will definitely grow them again. Broad Ripple Yellow Currant – a heritage
variety was given to be by a neighbour and bears small, salad type yellow
tomatoes that are sooo sweet. I have enthused about this tomato before – it will
grow indoors or outside [indoors it will take over!]. Although it can be
affected by blight like all other varieties, it seems to shake it off and
continue growing and producing. This year, I have given lots of the plants away
to neighbours [the germination rate was amazing] and I planted a couple of these
bush tomatoes outdoors. Already they are covered in trusses of the littler
fruits and I watch daily for them to ripen.
Well, I must use my beefsteak and orange tomatoes
for something which will be enjoyed, especially as they are promising to
produce a heavy crop. My family loves my Homemade Tomato Chutney. Try this:
Home made Tomato Ketchup
2Kg ripe
tomatoes ( 4½ lbs) 2
– 3 fresh bay leaves - crushed
568ml white
vinegar( 1 pt) piece
of cinnamon bark
190g white
granulated sugar ( 6oz) 2 –
3 cloves garlic - crushed
1 Tblsp. salt 2
– 3 red chillies ( dried or fresh)
¼ - ½ tsp ground
allspice ¼
- ½ tsp ground cloves
Large pinch
coarsely ground black pepper
Method
1.
Wash
and roughly cut the tomatoes and put in a preserving pan or large saucepan with
the salt, bay leaves, cinnamon bark, crushed garlic cloves and vinegar (be
fairly sparing with the salt at this stage – add more in the final stages as
necessary).
2.
Add
the chopped chillies. Take care with these, especially if the ketchup is for
children ( I have used dried Joe’s Long,
grown indoors - which are medium heat)
3.
Bring
to the boil then simmer gently until the tomatoes are thoroughly softened.
4.
In
the meantime, sterilise the bottles or jars – keep hot in low oven.
5.
Remove
the cinnamon bark and bay leaves then, sieve the tomato mixture through a
coarse sieve – preferable nylon. Return the juice and pulp to a clean saucepan.
6.
Add
sugar then ground allspice, ground cloves and black pepper gradually, tasting
frequently to ensure the flavour is not too strong. Remember, when the ketchup
is cold, the flavour will be somewhat milder. You may also want to add more
salt if needed.
7.
Simmer
the mixture until it starts to thicken. Don’t make it too thick at this stage as
it thickens as it cools.
8.
Put
the heated sterilised bottles/jars on a wooden surface and fill them with the
ketchup while it is still very hot. Seal the jars immediately. This ketchup
should keep safely for several months.
I made my first
batch yesterday.
I am not a big
fan of cucumbers but my family and I do love all sorts of pickles and chutneys
and even cucumbers make a tasty relish or chutney. We enjoy them enough for me
to continue to grow this plant. This year, I have grown a small cucumber
variety – Green Fingers and for interest in something different – Crystal Apple
– a small round yellow variety. I have grown them in a corner of my poly-tunnel
but, although I’m getting a harvest, the plants have been attacked by
red-spider mite. I am spraying every few days with water, Py solution [organic]
and SB plant Invigorator [organic plant food which seems to help the plants to
fight off insect attacks. Interestingly, I set up a cane structure to support the
plants and put a plastic bottle on top of each cane [to avoid poking myself in
the eye with the end of a cane – and I have done this, very dangerous!], I have
found that the red spider mites have established huge ‘cities’ inside the up-turned
plastic bottles – amazing! I now remember to spray thoroughly inside each
bottle when I am treating the plants.
Do try this
recipe, a favourite of my family:
Hot Sweet Cucumber
Relish
Like so many other vegetables in late summer, we
wonder what to do with the glut. It doesn’t take too many cucumber plants to
have too many cucumbers. Try this recipe as a way of using and preserving them.
Ingredients
1 kg cucumbers ( 2 lb) – don’t let them get too big
or they will be full of seeds
1 kg onions ( 2 lb)
1 cooking apple
600ml white vinegar (1 pint)
3–4 red chillies(I have used Joe’s Long, use a
medium hot chilli, but take care if for children)
500gm sugar ( 1 lb) – I used white sugar, but soft
brown sugar will ‘warm’ the colour of the relish
2 tsp salt 1
tsp allspice
½ tsp ground cloves 1
tsp turmeric
¼ tsp mustard powder ¼
tsp ground mixed peppers( black, green, red)
Method
1.
Top and tail the cucumbers and remove
the skin – cut into small cubes - ¼ cm- ish. If necessary, remove the seeds –
if the seeds are still soft, you can leave them in.
2.
Peel the onions and chop finely –
similar size to the cucumber.
3.
Peel and core the cooking apple and cut
into fine slices.
4.
Cut the red chillies into small pieces –
if you don’t want the relish to be too hot, leave the seeds out, or leave some
of the seeds out. For a hotter relish add more chillies.
5.
Put the chopped cucumbers, onions,
apples and chillies into a large pan or preserving pan with the vinegar and
gently simmer until all the vegetables are cooked through – approx. 30 mins.
6.
Prepare the jars/ bottles – wash well
and sterilise – put in a warm oven - 100ºC for 15mins.
7.
Add the sugar and stir until dissolved.
8.
Add the spices and salt to taste, add
more salt if necessary.
9.
Simmer gently until the relish thickens
– remember, when cool it will be thicker. Stir occasionally.
10. Pour
into the hot sterilised jars and seal immediately. Label.
This
year, potatoes have been so much better, especially my Mayan Gold which I just
love. In my efforts to encourage a similar love for them in my neighbours, I
have given away far too many and I now find that my crop has finished. Last
year - cold and wet - was a disaster for many varieties of potato but,
particularly Mayan Gold and my crop was non-existent. This year they have been
excellent. They are an early maincrop and can’t be boiled [they will fall
apart] but, they are amazing steamed, as mash [from steamed potatoes], as
chips, and as roast potatoes. The only downside is that they don’t keep.
I
am always trying out new varieties of vegetables and fruit. Not all of them are
successful but, I was most interested to try Purple Majesty potatoes – purple all
the way through and will stay purple as boiled potatoes, mash, roast or chips.
I first tried these from the supermarket and was not impressed. However, my
home-grown ones have been delicious. They are very dark when dug and it can be
difficult to spot them when digging up [no doubt, resulting in many being left
behind when harvesting]. I have offered these to neighbours who have not been
enthralled with the results – perhaps because of the colour!
That
colour indicates that they are a healthy vegetable, high in anti oxidants. I do
recommend them, find them very tasty and will continue to grow them. I think it
would be a severe loss if they were withdrawn as a seed potato.
