In the Garden and Allotment in mid April

The Garden and Allotment in mid April

The weather this week has been glorious. Although foggy in the mornings, the fog has cleared to give mild sunny days.

I guess it is now the start of the main sowing time. As I go to my plot with my bag of seeds and my plan for the day, I am aware of how much I should have planted but, the ground is just not ready for all of it.

My tomato plants also need to be moved to the poly-tunnel as they are becoming a bit leggy but, I am afraid of a late frost which would kill them, even in the protected environment. Perhaps I will pot them on and take some to the poly-tunnel and keep some at home for a little while longer.

Yesterday, I sowed 4 rows of peas [ Hurst Green Shaft]. They have the merit of being particularly good for freezing and mature more-or-less at the same time which means I can pick and freeze over the space of 4 or 5 days and clear the crop ready for brassicas. I still have a few tubs from last year but I’m looking forward to my new crops.

I also sowed some leeks [Musselburgh]. This year I thought I would try seed tape. I’m sure leeks should be easy but my germination rate has been a bit dismal in the last few years.

I see my early potatoes are already showing above the ground so I spend some time ‘earthing or ridging them up’ – heaping more soil over the emerging plants. This process helps to protect the young shoots from frost and encourages more potatoes to develop up the underground stems.

I planted out a row of spring sown broad beans [Imperial Green Longpod] which I had sprouted, potted up and  ‘hardened off’ [set outside for increasing times during the days to allow the plants to be more tolerant of colder conditions]. Spring sown broad beans are more prone to black fly than the autumn sown seeds but I do like them and want to extend the harvesting period.

Over the last couple of years I am increasingly moving my culinary herbs to my back garden so that I can pick them fresh as I need them rather than picking a lot and string in the fridge.

This spring’s sowings of parsley have germinated well and when They are a little bigger I will have to thin them vigorously. Last year’s are starting to grow again so, hopefully I will have a crop until the new plants are ready to harvest.

My chives, rosemary, thyme, mint, tarragon, oregano are all putting on healthy new growth.

As I write this there is none of the usual birdsong around our gardens but a sparrow hawk circling the sky above us.

The bluetit in my nesting box is still busily building her nest.

The Pickling Season

The Pickling Season

Of course, as summer progresses so do the pickling opportunities on our allotments. I find, on my allotment, that little in the way of maintenance – weeding, strimming, composting, tidying, etc is being done [although I do find time to water my poly-tunnel]. I go to my plot early to harvest then, take the crops home to process for winter supplies – jams, jellies, pickles, chutneys, frozen foods.

This has been a bumper year, so far. Especially for soft fruits, peas, broad beans, carrots, beetroot and early potatoes. French and runner beans are looking good for a heavy crop although I see there is a plague of blackfly on my runner beans. I won’t spray them. I have two teepees of them and think I will have more than I can use although I hate to see the destruction the blackfly cause, I am reluctant to use chemicals where I don’t need to.

I have just finished harvesting my pea plot – Hurst Green Shaft – wonderful variety and have the advantage of all maturing at more-or-less the same time. I have taken 4 buckets full from my four ridges from 4 packets of peas. Although it is time-consuming to pod them it is well worth the effort [I don’t blanche them. I just put them into suitable tubs or sealable bags and freeze them]. In previous years this harvest has provided me with peas over the whole winter and spring seasons

From July onwards our crops will mature and will demand that we do something with them. I can’t use all the crops that I produce but my family takes a lot of my produce and are starting now to put in their orders of what they would like. When I still have stuff over and above my needs I put it out on my garden wall inviting neighbours and passersby to help themselves – the stuff always goes.

Last autumn I was somewhat amused when I decided to ‘share’ my very bountiful pumpkin harvest. I don’t

grow gigantic pumpkins or even those suitable for Hallowe’en lanterns. I grow them to eat. However, I thought that many people might not be aware of the possible culinary uses for them and I prepared a recipe sheet of which I printed off several copies and put, in a plastic wallet, on my garden wall along with the pumpkins. An hour later, the recipe sheets had gone but the pumpkins hadn’t ! It took another few hours for all the pumpkins to go ! Whatever!

Apart from all the jams and jellies I have been making – do try the chilli jellies [if you like hot, spicy condiments], I also now have silver skin onions, beetroot, beans, cucumbers/gherkins and coming soon I will have tomatoes.

I do use my own chillies as far as possible[Joes Long] although I will buy in some very hot chillies – Scots Bonnet and Birds Eye to pep up my jellies [these chillies are VERY hot so, if you are not so keen on very hot, use another variety of chilli].

Sweet Pickled Beetroot

Allow approx. 6 – 8 medium beetroots [don’t allow them to become too big as they will become quite woody]

Approx. 1 litre vinegar –malt vinegar is fine though, of course, if you want a more refined and expensive  pickle use a wine vinegar

Pickling spices – a tsp of whole cloves, a stick of cinnamon bark, a dsp.mixed pepper seed – green, black, red, a tsp whole allspice, 2 – 3 dried red chillies[fresh if available]]

90 gm [3oz ] granulated sugar

Method

·         Wash beetroots without breaking the roots or tops as the roots will bleed in the cooking process.

·         Steam or boil until the roots are soft – use a stainless steel knife to check – it will take an hour plus, depending on the size or age of the roots. If you use a steamer it will take much less time but do keep an eye on the time.

·         Prepare the vinegar – white vinegar is good but, not necessary as it is more expensive and can be harder to get hold of. Malt vinegar is fine – I use the cheapest I can get hold of. In a large saucepan add the spices and sugar. Bring to the boil then simmer for a few minutes to allow the spices to infuse

·         When the beetroot is cooked – check with a stainless steel knife or a skewer, take off the  heat, drain and cover with cold water.

·         When the roots are cool, peel them [the skins should shuck off easily], and cut into largish cubes.

·         Pack into sterilised jars and cover with the spiced vinegar – using a skewer, make sure all the air bubbles are released.

·         Cover and store appropriately.

·         Pickled beetroot does not store as well as many other vegetables so do try to use within two to three months.

Pickling onions and shallots

I’ve used this general method for pickling shallots, gherkins/small cucumbers, cauliflower florets, silver-skinned onions or a mixture of these to give mixed pickle. Don’t use vegetables which are stale or have blemishes.

When peeling onions and shallots it is really advisable to wear rubber gloves (onion skins are an excellent dye for wool, etc and will also dye your hands – the stain lasts for days!) Do use stainless steel knives for peeling and cutting as carbon steel knives will leave black marks on the vegetables.

When I have prepared the vegetables I usually soak them in brine (salt and water) – 4 pints – 4oz salt (2 litres – 100gm approx). You will need enough brine to completely cover the vegetables. Leave them to soak for 24 hours in a non-metal container. Drain and rinse well or your pickles may be too salty.

Prepare pickling vinegar:-

It is usually suggested that white vinegar is used for pickling as it gives a much fresher colour. However, as I do a lot of pickling and malt vinegar is so much cheaper that is what I usually use – it makes no difference to the flavour. Buying already prepared pickling vinegar is expensive and does not allow you to introduce the herbs and spices you might prefer. However, it is already prepared and easy to use.

I will usually prepare a litre (2 pints) at a time and use as needed. To the vinegar I will add whole peppercorns, whole allspice, whole green and red peppercorns - when I can get them, a small piece of cinnamon bark, a few red chillies (you can use dried ones if fresh ones are not ready), fennel seed, yellow mustard seed. You can, of course use as much spice as will suit your taste and I like my pickles to be quite spicy and hot but, a tablespoonful of spices is a reasonable amount for this quantity of vinegar.

Do experiment with the spices and add Indian, West Indian or Oriental if that is your preference.

Bring the vinegar and spices to the boil and simmer gently for 5 – 10 minutes to develop the flavours. You can add a couple of teaspoons of sugar if you like your pickles to be less sharp.

Allow the vinegar to cool.

When the vegetable have been well drained, pack them into suitable jars for preserving – lidded jampots, Kilner jars or similar. Pour the cold spiced vinegar over the vegetables until well covered. Seal and label.

Allow your pickles to mature for a few weeks (4 – 5 or so), before eating. Enjoy!

Piccalilli – the Queen of pickles

If you like pickles this is definitely the most popular one – and how excellent for using the glut of different vegetables in summer/autumn.  You will need a good selection but, use what you have on the allotment, try to avoid going to the shops for what you feel might be missing.( tender young runner beans and French beans, young marrow or courgettes, green tomatoes ( though I haven’t tried these in piccalilli), small cucumber, cauliflower, small onions or shallots( if the shallots are too large you will need to cut then in ½s or ¼s).

This recipe might seem like a lot of effort, but it is so worth the trouble

You will need a brine (salt and water)solution – allow 50g(2oz) for each 600ml(1 pint) water. Ensure the salt is completely dissolved. You will need sufficient brine to cover the vegetables in a basin.

Increase or decrease the following ingredients in proportion according to what you have available:

900g (2 lb) mixed vegetables   - small onions, cauliflower, beans [ French or runner] , marrows or courgettes, peppers and even cabbage [red would be good] .

Brine – enough to cover the vegetables

Spiced vinegar: - for this quantity allow approx 600ml or 1 pt spiced vinegar

Use preferably white vinegar. Ordinary brown vinegar, although fine for flavour and cheaper, will affect the colour of your pickle. Simmer the vinegar with a selection of spices of your choice ( eg. mixed pepper corns, pimento, whole coriander, dried red chillies, a few bay leaves, mustard seeds, etc). Simmer -  ( gently) the spices in the vinegar for 15 minutes or so, then strain.

Sauce: -

25g/ 1 oz plain flour                            1 tblsp.  Mustard powder

½ tblsp turmeric                                   2 tsp. Ground ginger

Vinegar to mix                                     600ml / 1 pint spiced vinegar ( as above)

1.      Prepare the vegetables ( cut into small pieces, about 1-1.5cm, ½inch size), weigh them – so you know how much sauce to prepare and put into the prepared brine solution – leave for 24 hours.

2.      Prepare the sauce – mix the flour, mustard powder, turmeric and mixing vinegar in a large basin, to make a soft paste. Gradually add the strained spiced vinegar, stirring frequently to ensure there are no lumps.

3.      Return the sauce mix to a large saucepan or preserving pan and simmer over a low heat until it coats the back of a wooden spoon ( reasonably  thickly). Stir frequently to ensure there are no lumps.

4.      Drain the vegetables well, but don’t rinse in cold water.

5.      Add the vegetable to the mustard sauce and gradually bring to the boil

6.      Boil for about 1 -2 minutes ( avoid cooking the vegetables)

7.      Pour/spoon into hot, sterilised jars and seal.

Leave for a few weeks before eating to allow it to mature      

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.

Sweetcorn Relish

6 corncobs – remove the kernels                 1 sweet red pepper – finely chopped

1 large onion – finely chopped                      3 large garlic cloves – finely chopped

1 – 2 fresh hot chilli peppers(keep the seeds in if you like it very hot)

500ml (1pint)white vinegar

250g (9oz) white sugar                                     1 –2 tsp salt ( to taste)

1 dsp. yellow mustard seed                             1 tsp mustard powder

½ tsp ground black pepper                              ½ tsp turmeric

1 Tblsp cornflour – blended with a little water or a little extra vinegar

Method

·         Put the sugar and vinegar into a large pan over a low heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved.

·         Add the onion, sweetcorn kernels, red pepper, chopped chilli and garlic and simmer gently until the vegetables are ‘transparent’ and cooked 10 minutes or so.

·         Add the mustard seed and powder, turmeric, pepper and salt and cook for 10 -15mins.

·         Add the blended cornflour and stir in well.

·         Bring to the boil and boil for 4 – 5 minutes until the mixture starts to thicken.

·         Pot up in hot, sterilised jars. Cover and label.

July on the Allotment 2014

July on the Allotment – 2014

It has been quite dry for most of June and very pleasantly summery. July has started with more showery weather but still warm and sunny in intervals. Wonderful growing weather – especially for the weeds. Having been away a lot lately I find the weeds are getting very far ahead of me. But, really that is a small complaint.

This season has, so far, provided me with wonderful fruit – strawberries, raspberries [ from last year’s canes which have now finished and I will cut them back as the new season’s canes are starting to put on their fruits which also look like providing a heavy harvest], redcurrants, gooseberries and blackcurrants. My whitecurrants are also starting to ripen – I haven’t covered my whitecurrants either last year or this. For some reason the birds have not homed in on them and I can pick them at my leisure. Perhaps they don’t recognise the fruit – they are not commonly grown on our allotments or perhaps because they don’t have a lot of flavour – I suspect the former. This year I lost half of my redcurrants as I had assumed that as the fruits were still green I had time to cover them. However, the fruits of the redcurrants and blackcurrants in that area of my plot disappeared very early. Fortunately I have another area which was covered quite early.

I’m not a huge fan of sweet food so I rarely eat jam but, I do love any kind of pickle, relish, chutney or super spicy jelly which I can serve with savoury food. Fortunately, my family can absorb all of the jams and jellies I can make as well as the pickles, chutneys, ketchups, etc, which I can create – the hotter the better.

I have tried in the past to grow silver skin onions for pickling, growing Paris Silver Skin. It has not been particularly successful and although I had salad onions to eat, I didn’t have a usable crop of pickling onions.

This year I have grown Pompeii – a spring onion suitable for pickling as a ‘silver skin’. It has been amazing. If I had known it was going to be so good I would have sown several packets hoping for a good crop for pickling. However, they can be sown from March until mid to end of July. I have now sown another packet in the hope of getting another outstanding crop. I have found that late sowings are never so good but< I will report back on this.

My peas, this year, have been brilliant. I did sow a packet of sugar snap peas this year – Sugar Ann from Dobies. I’m not a great fan of mange-tout peas although I am happy with sugar snap. Unfortunately, I had to be away when they were at their best and I am now harvesting them as mature peas – not a great advertisement for these peas but, not their fault.

As usual, my maincrop [or perhaps my default crop] is Hurst Greenshaft. I have just finished harvesting my last large bucketful which I must spend my evening ‘shucking’ and freezing. My four packets of seeds sown into four rows has given me five buckets full of filled pea pods and a drawer in my freezer filled with packets of peas for the coming winter, as well as some to share with my family.

This has been a useless year for cauliflowers – the ground and the weather were too dry when they were heading-up and I had neither the time nor the energy to give them the water they needed to provide good heads but, as always. Each year gives its successes and its failures.

So far, potatoes this year, have been brilliant. My First Earlies – Epicure [ a variety I have not grown before] has been outstanding and very tasty. Of course my preference is for floury potatoes. Epicure are certainly not waxy but, otherwise have excellent applications.

My Mayan Gold, this year, have been so delicious. The plants provide a crop which is very abundant though doesn’t give huge tubers – wash them and steam, chip or roast. The steaming time is 10 – 15 mins when they will start to fall apart but the flavour is amazing – a plateful of these with butter and black pepper – yum!

Maintenance around the plot and in greenhouses or poly-tunnels –

·         watch for caterpillar attacks on tomato plants – pick off and destroy as you find them – tomato caterpillars, which can be green or beige coloured and really quite chunky will feed on leaves and fruits , destroying the fruits and allowing botrytis [grey mould] into the plants.

·         Watch, also, for red spider mite on indoor plants – they like dry warm conditions and can take over and destroy your indoor aubergines, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and chilli plants. The leaves of affected plants will take on a mottled unhealthy appearance. On closer inspection you will see webs, mostly on the backs of leaves and when the infestation is severe, between leaves and stems [if the infestation reaches this level, it is best to dig up and remove the infected plants – keeping a close eye on nearby plants for similar infection].

·         For me, at any rate, slugs and snails are not a problem indoors but can still be a serious issue on outdoor plants, especially brassicas. Do keep an eye on their activity – slug traps, pellets, etc are useful though, they can be quite a pest underground with root crops and potatoes.

·         Birds are always a problem though, thankfully, not indoors. Netting brassica plants is essential. Berries, especially gooseberries, are especially susceptible to harvesting by blackbirds. They also enjoy redcurrants and whitecurrants. I have found, over the years that blackbirds will take the ripe [red] sides out of ripening strawberries and will harvest the odd raspberry, it is not worth the trouble and expense of covering these fruits though redcurrants, cherries and gooseberries are a whole different ballgame – the birds are not prepared to share but, will take the lot.

·         A couple of years ago I also noticed that my rows of carrots were diminishing daily. One early morning I saw a plump pigeon eating off the lush green tops of my developing carrot plants – and I thought the only problems were poor germination and carrot root fly. Carrot Root Fly – an ongoing problem in the UK for carrot crops. I have tried many methods of beating this pest, including planting above 30cm or in raised beds. I have sown in a carrot box – made for me by a kind neighbour – about 1 metre off the ground. It seems the carrot fly on my allotment field have not read the instructions. Last year I grew an excellent crop in deep tubs in my back garden – as no-one locally was growing carrots, root fly were not a problem. However, as my crop was nearing the first thinning stage I was astounded to see that my crop had disappeared. There was no indication of slugs so I assume pigeons were the culprits. I do have a bird feeding station in my garden and feel somewhat miffed that they were not satisfied with the food I was putting out daily but, next year I will try again with netting!

·         Aphids - particularly on all beans, whitefly [on brassicas], caterpillars can all weaken or eat you precious young plants. Watch out, also, for ants [especially red ants which seem to be more destructive and quicker to bite than their black ant cousins] – while they don’t, in themselves, damage the plants, they encourage aphids and will build their nests under plants undermining them. Broad beans are particularly susceptible to black aphids. Remove the top growing points as soon as the plants have set pods at lower levels. While this does not eliminate the aphids it should discourage and hopefully encourage them to move elsewhere.

·         Continue to pinch out the side shoots of cordon tomato plants as they appear [not from bush tomatoes], on plants already growing on in green houses and poly-tunnels. Stake or tie up tomato and cucumber plants as they develop to keep them upright. By now the plants should be setting the young fruits;

·         Peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, courgettes and squashes are greedy feeders and are thirsty. They will require regular feeding and watering especially in warm dry weather;

·         Pick courgettes regularly to prevent them from becoming too large and to encourage the plants to produce more;

·         Strawberries will now be sending out lots of new runners. Peg these into the ground near the ‘mother’ plants or into pots of compost, to create new plants. They will need to be watered regularly especially if in pots.

·         Keep the plot tidy - cut grass on paths regularly to prevent weeds and grass from encroaching on your plot and to reduce slugs and snails.

- Weeding – keep seed beds, particularly, free from weeds. Hoeing is useful but take care to not damage young plants [hoeing is not very effective in wet weather as the hoed weeds will often re-root].

·         Preparation and planning - re-dig beds as soon as crops are harvested, to create a good workable tilth - ready for planting out.

Although it is early for ‘autumn’ digging, I will start to dig ground where crops have been harvested which will give me a chance to do the necessary digging [I have a large area to cover and opportunities for digging can easily be missed]. Areas such as pea beds and those for early brassicas can now be turned over.

Don’t forget that strawberry beds which are three years plus old should now be cleared – the ground re-dug and a new area set up for the young runners when rooted.

·         Sowing and planting

-      Of course, carrots can be sown until the end of August, if you have suitable conditions although, I have found that I have had more success with earlier sown carrots;

-      Florence Fennel – a wonderful vegetable whose fresh aniseed flavour is such a wonderful addition to salads – sow from May until July outdoors;

-      Leeks can be transplanted as soon as the ground can be prepared. If it is very dry, water it well beforehand;

-      Spinach and Swiss Chard can still be sown;

-      Salad crops – lettuce, radishes, rocket, spring onions, can all be sown outdoors;

-      Turnips can be sown until the end of August for harvesting into winter.

-      See Pompeii Onions above

·         Harvesting –

Second-Early and Early-Maincrop potatoes are now be ready for harvesting.

Lettuces and spring onions [see above]. The lettuces won’t sit too long in the bed – eat them quickly or give them away and replant with new seedlings. [ I am really bad at harvesting my lettuces and waste so many of them in-spite of offering them to others- I should rethink the varieties I grow and the quantities

Globe artichokes are still harvestable although watch out for greenfly and black fly – they are quite a nuisance now coming into their main harvesting season.

Soft fruit - redcurrants, blackcurrants and white currants as well as gooseberries, Keep them protected from birds – they do seem to love redcurrants and gooseberries particularly. If you have lots of fruit, make sure you have containers for freezing and lots of jam-pots ready for preserving. If you still have produce in your freezer from last year, now is the time to use it up so that you have space for the new crops.