Garden Harvest

[MiniMe]

The garden has exploded...two hours picking green beans on Sunday and another hour on the rest. Then four hours canning and freezing. I was glad to go to work Monday....I got a break My husband, Civilman1 picked our first eggplant yesterday, the tomatoes are starting to turn , the green beans need picked again and I've got about 50 cucumbers waiting to be pickled.... Another long weekend ahead. Loving it!! Thanks for looking and happy gardening

 

[crazyjarhead]

Re: Garden Gone Wild - Update

Wow, nice harvest Mini I love green beens too. Looks like you'll have enough to feed the whole family for a while. Do you can?

 

[stefen]

Re: Garden Gone Wild - Update

Does anyone make piccalilli today?

That and bread-n-butter pickles are the best.

 

[allen]

Re: Garden Gone Wild - Update

now you have my stomach grumbling for some
good fresh veggies and a big old salad !

 

[packerbacker]

Re: Garden Gone Wild - Update

Nice garden! Our tomatoes are getting ready to explode also. We're gonna have a roma avalanche.

 

[HCW]

Re: Garden Gone Wild - Update

Egg Plant Parm is my wife's favorite meal that I cook. Those look perfect.

 

[mrs.oroblanco]

Re: Garden Gone Wild - Update

Oh - eggplant parm......................................yum. Have you ever tried the Japanese eggplant? I did a trial patch last year - its different, but its good. Its a good variety to make Moussaka with.

I made picalilly for years for my mother - she loved it. Don't make it anymore, though. I make bread and butter pickles every year. Also, a cucumber and pickle combo.

Great harvest!!!!!!!!!!

I've been doing garden salads for a couple of weeks, but, yesterday, I did up cauliflower and snow peas. I don't know why, but the cauliflower came in a little earlier than normal and there was tons of it - usually, its not quite so prolific. Guess it liked the wet cold weather.

Beth

 

[fossis]

Re: Garden Gone Wild - Update

Nice produce.

Fossis...........

 

[MiniMe]

Re: Garden Gone Wild - Update

Wow, nice harvest Mini I love green beens too. Looks like you'll have enough to feed the whole family for a while. Do you can?

Thanks and yes I do can I only have 18 cans of green beans and 8 bread & butter pickles so far, but I've got tons of cucs to do up this weekend. We share with friends what I don't have time to can during the work week.

Does anyone make piccalilli today?

That and bread-n-butter pickles are the best.

Stefen - Never heard of piccalilli - Share please.

now you have my stomach grumbling for some
good fresh veggies and a big old salad !

I like making pasta salad with it all....so good Thanks for looking.

Nice garden! Our tomatoes are getting ready to explode also. We're gonna have a roma avalanche.

Thanks. I'll probably have to take a day off to do up my tomatoes when they come in....it's going to hit all at once, I just know it.

Oh - eggplant parm......................................yum. Have you ever tried the Japanese eggplant? I did a trial patch last year - its different, but its good. Its a good variety to make Moussaka with.

I made picalilly for years for my mother - she loved it. Don't make it anymore, though. I make bread and butter pickles every year. Also, a cucumber and pickle combo.

Great harvest!!!!!!!!!!

I've been doing garden salads for a couple of weeks, but, yesterday, I did up cauliflower and snow peas. I don't know why, but the cauliflower came in a little earlier than normal and there was tons of it - usually, its not quite so prolific. Guess it liked the wet cold weather.

Beth

Thanks Beth. No, never tried the Japanese eggplant. Love to have your bread & butter recipe. Lost mine and have been winging it. They're pretty good. Didn't have any luck with our cauliflower this year, we're going to try for a fall garden.

 

[stefen]

Re: Garden Gone Wild - Update

Piccalilli is a relish also known as chow-chow, which is great with sausages, pork, and ham, or serve it with hot dogs or burgers.

My mother and grandmother brought a recipe from Germany and made this relish each summer...

Ingredients:

•5 cups coarsely chopped green tomatoes (about 5 tomatoes)
•5 cups coarsely chopped cabbage (about 1 1/2 pounds cabbage)
•1 1/2 cups finely chopped yellow onion or sweet onion
•2 cups coarsely chopped bell pepper, at least 1 red for color (about 4 peppers)
•1/3 cup kosher salt or pickling salt
•2 1/2 cups cider vinegar
•1 cup light brown sugar, packed
•1 tablespoon yellow mustard seeds
•2 cloves garlic, finely minced
•1 teaspoon celery seed
•1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste, optional

Preparation:

1. Combine the chopped vegetables in a large nonreactive kettle or bowl. Add the salt and stir to combine thoroughly. Cover and let stand for 4 hours or refrigerate overnight.
2. Prepare the canner and jars. Add water to a canner with rack and heat to a boil; reduce heat and keep at a simmer. The water should be high enough to be at least 1 inch above the filled jars.
3. Wash jars thoroughly and heat water in a small saucepan; put the lids in the saucepan and bring almost to the boil; lower heat to very low to keep the lids hot.


Drain the vegetables and rinse thoroughly.

In a large nonreactive kettle, bring the vinegar, brown sugar, and seeds and spices to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and continue simmering for 5 minutes. Add the drained vegetables and bring back to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 10 minutes.

With a slotted spoon, pack the vegetables into prepared jars. Cover vegetables with the pickling liquid, leaving about 1/4-inch headspace.

With a clean dampened cloth, wipe the rims of the jars. Place the flat lids on the jars then close caps with screw-on rings tightly, but do not over-tighten. Arrange the filled jars in the canner and add more water, as needed, to be at least 1 inch above the jars. Bring to a full boil. Cover and continue boiling for 10 minutes. Remove the relish to a rack to cool completely.

Check for seals (the middle of the caps should have made a popping sound while cooling and will stay depressed.
Makes about 4 pints.

 

[MiniMe]

Re: Garden Gone Wild - Update

Sounds great Stefan. Thanks, I will try it.

 

[mrs.oroblanco]

Re: Garden Gone Wild - Update

My bread & butter pickles are kind of "basic", but, they come out good, and I think they taste great!

I'm going to have to give you a "guess and by golly", as I don't remember the last time I used a recipe for them.

4-5 pounds of cucumber

1 medium red bell pepper

2 teaspoons mustard seed (a little more if you are on the 5 pound side of 4-5 pounds of cukes)

About 3 cups of vinegar - I like cider vinegar, but some use white vinegar.

About 1-1/2 cups of sugar (if you need to make more, the sugar/vinegar ratio is always 2 to 1)

About 1/2 teaspoon of celery seed

1 large onion (white or yellow)

about 1/3 cup of canning or kosher salt (nothing that is iodized - it will discolor your pickles and make them too soft)

about a teaspoon of turmeric






Cut off the ends of the cukes, cut into 1/8 inch slices, put in large bowl

Slice onion and chop red pepper into small pieces (the pepper is just for a pretty color)

Put the onion, pepper, salt in bowl with cukes, cover with cold water, and refrigerate - make sure they are all mixed up. (I like to let them sit overnight). If you want a crisper pickle, add some alum (pickling lime) to your cold water when you refrigerate over night.

The next day, after you get all your water bath canning stuff ready, take the cukes out of the fridge, drain out the water completely.

It a large pot - preferrably a heavy one, put all the other ingredients in - the vinegar, sugar, mustard seed, celery seed, turmeric - and slowly bring to a boil. As soon as it reaches a rolling boil, put in the cuke,onion,pepper mixture, and bring it back to a boil. As soon as it comes back to a boil, you are ready to spoon the mixture into your canning jars.

Make sure you have a clean towel that is dampened, because the mixture is sticky, especially when it gets on the lips of the jars - and if its on the jars, you will have one heck of a time getting the screw lids back off.

So, spoon it in, wipe the tops and sides, put on your lids, screw them down and put them in your water bath canner (already hot and waiting).

I like to water bath them for about 10 minutes (after the water comes to a boil) - if you leave them in too much longer, they get over done.

If you like a sweeter bread and butter pickle, I change the vinegar/sugar ratio to 1 to 1. (I use this ratio on sweet and sour beets).

I think I got everything.


Beth

 

[MiniMe]

Re: Garden Gone Wild - Update

Thanks Beth, Looks almost identical to the one I had, but I think it had more sugar. I'll adjust when I test taste the syrup. I've got a 6 gallon tupperware container filled with cucs on ice in the fridge. I'll be canning all night tonight. Thanks again.