Gardening, canning, pickling and everything related
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@dennyo Those are really nice. I need to try & get a photo or two of our Cherokee Purples or German Queens before they get all et up. The beefsteaks we have are nice, but the other two just really taste good & look good too. But, for photos, I will have to work quickly.
calldoctoday I did some digging today for some side dishes
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GWG8541. Man you have 2 nice sized gardens. I like the idea of having vine plants in a separate garden. That would be nice. I might have to till me another spot. My wife loves spaghetti squash but they try to take over my whole garden.
This is mine about a month and a half ago. -
RON PARRISH See if you can find a crock made for fermenting the kraut. They are a good width, and they have a lip you can fill with water for an airlock. I have a 5 liter one that holds around 3 large to huge heads of cabbage, shredded and pounded in with salt. That gets me around 6-7 quarts of finished sauerkraut, and that’s plenty to hold me for a while.
When I started making sauerkraut, I originally used a large rolling pin (without handles) for pounding and shredded just with a knife, but I realized I was making enough of it to justify getting a real stomper and shredder. That made life a good deal better.
I use 2% salt. After coring and shredding the heads, I weigh in grams and just multiply that by 0.02. That’s how much salt to use. Easy peasy. Use salt that is NOT iodized (kosher works just fine).
Just put in a handful or two of the shredded cabbage, a healthy sprinkle of the salt (and seeds–see below) and give it a bit of a pounding. Repeat. After just a little while, the salt will draw out liquid from the cabbage. Before you know it, you’re mixing as much as “pounding.” Just keep that up, tamping the cabbage down, until you only have about 1-2 inches of head space. You need room for the weights. No matter how well you weigh it down, the cabbage will come up some as it ferments and liquid will bubble up. I also find it useful to cover the top of the shredded cabbage with a large leaf or two from the outside of the head. That keeps the small shreds from getting out of hand.
If you get it too full, you’re liable to have a bit of a mess, so put the crock somewhere you don’t mind getting some funky salt water. I actually find it useful to gently tamp it back down every day or two for the first week or so. It tends to calm down after that.
Let it ferment as long as you like. Some like it as little as 2 weeks. Others (like me) like it to ferment for 6 or 7 weeks. You can taste it along the way to find out. When it’s done, I pack it in quart mason jars or large Fido jars. Rather than canning, I prefer to refrigerate it (but I have a lot of refrigerator space from years of brewing).
I do like adding some sort of seed. My favorite is straight caraway, but I’ve also mixed in some dill and even a little fennel to really mix things up. A healthy pinch (or few) of red pepper flakes also is fun. Play around as you like or not at all.
TexLaw I make about 40-50 lbs at a time, I check it at 6 weeks but usually leave it for 7.I have two 20 L crocks with stones and lip for water, they work great. Used to make it in 5 gallon buckets. I use 2 TBSP of salt per 5 lbs of cabbage, for me personally 3 TBSP was too much. Cut a lot of salt out of my diet so don’t use much when I use it. I can it in pint jars and about a third of them I put a sliced (sliced long way) jalapeno in the jar and let those sit another two to three weeks. Wouldn’t have to make so much for just me and my wife but made the mistake of giving some to family and friends!
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@dennyo I have two small plots tilled. The first has my maders, about 30 plants of different varieties. Peppers various tpyes, onions, okra, green beans, cabbage, celery, and a variety of herbs, garlic, parsley, dill, basil, cilantro, horse radish, and mint.
The second plot is anything that vines. Cucumber, zucchini, yellow crookneck squash, watermelon, cantaloupe, and a variety of pumpkins and gourds my lovely wife wants for decorating each year.
I try to start most of mine from seed and save seed every year. Our weather in Ohio was a challenge this year we went from frost to hot in one week. I planted onion sets in early May and spread things out as I think they can tolerate a late frost. The tomatoes and peppers went in about the third week of May. I just planted pumpkin and gourds this week from seed. Now it gets busy.GWG8541 Great Idea! We used to do something like that too a long, long time ago when I would also grow Pumpkins, Watermelons, & Candylopes. Every now & then these days I make a second little small patch, but mostly anymore, it is just the one.
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@dennyo I have two small plots tilled. The first has my maders, about 30 plants of different varieties. Peppers various tpyes, onions, okra, green beans, cabbage, celery, and a variety of herbs, garlic, parsley, dill, basil, cilantro, horse radish, and mint.
The second plot is anything that vines. Cucumber, zucchini, yellow crookneck squash, watermelon, cantaloupe, and a variety of pumpkins and gourds my lovely wife wants for decorating each year.
I try to start most of mine from seed and save seed every year. Our weather in Ohio was a challenge this year we went from frost to hot in one week. I planted onion sets in early May and spread things out as I think they can tolerate a late frost. The tomatoes and peppers went in about the third week of May. I just planted pumpkin and gourds this week from seed. Now it gets busy.GWG8541 I harvested my garlic yesterday, 6/16. It’s been really hot here in Colorado and the bottom 1/3 of the leaves were turning brown. I plant it in late September and usually harvest it around Father’s Day but it was starting to lay down from the heat. This year we only planted 9 varieties, in years past we have planted as many as 20+ varieties.
Improvise, Adapt and Overcome! Semper Fi
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GWG8541 I harvested my garlic yesterday, 6/16. It’s been really hot here in Colorado and the bottom 1/3 of the leaves were turning brown. I plant it in late September and usually harvest it around Father’s Day but it was starting to lay down from the heat. This year we only planted 9 varieties, in years past we have planted as many as 20+ varieties.
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GWG8541 I harvested my garlic yesterday, 6/16. It’s been really hot here in Colorado and the bottom 1/3 of the leaves were turning brown. I plant it in late September and usually harvest it around Father’s Day but it was starting to lay down from the heat. This year we only planted 9 varieties, in years past we have planted as many as 20+ varieties.
Bob Stehlik Wow, that is amazing, nine varieties! They all look great. We were happy to just have elephant garlic. We had to harvest the very last of ours several weeks ago as it is just getting too hot & humid for a lot of things.
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Bob Stehlik Wow, that is amazing, nine varieties! They all look great. We were happy to just have elephant garlic. We had to harvest the very last of ours several weeks ago as it is just getting too hot & humid for a lot of things.
calldoctoday My favorites are the Korean Reds and Georgia Fire from the Republic of Georgia. They have a lot of heat and bite to them. Polish White is a good all around garlic and it stores well. There’s actually close to 400 different varieties!
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GWG8541 I harvested my garlic yesterday, 6/16. It’s been really hot here in Colorado and the bottom 1/3 of the leaves were turning brown. I plant it in late September and usually harvest it around Father’s Day but it was starting to lay down from the heat. This year we only planted 9 varieties, in years past we have planted as many as 20+ varieties.
Bob Stehlik that is an awesome looking harvest. What do you do with all that Garlic?
“You never really die until you end up on the wall at a Cracker Barrel”
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Bob Stehlik that is an awesome looking harvest. What do you do with all that Garlic?
GWG8541 I have some buds that grow garlic too so we trade different types. We also use a lot in spaghetti/tomato sauces. The wife has the patience to peel a ton of it and chop/dice it and we freeze it. It will look a little waxy but goes great in green chili. I make a garlic rye bread much like an onion rye. The uses are endless. Of course the neighbors always want some since the only thing they know is store garlic from Mexico or China. Definitely no vampires in the neighborhood!!!
Improvise, Adapt and Overcome! Semper Fi
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GWG8541 I have some buds that grow garlic too so we trade different types. We also use a lot in spaghetti/tomato sauces. The wife has the patience to peel a ton of it and chop/dice it and we freeze it. It will look a little waxy but goes great in green chili. I make a garlic rye bread much like an onion rye. The uses are endless. Of course the neighbors always want some since the only thing they know is store garlic from Mexico or China. Definitely no vampires in the neighborhood!!!
Bob Stehlik I love garlic, but have only been growing my own a few years. Do you vacuum pack to freeze it?
“You never really die until you end up on the wall at a Cracker Barrel”
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Bob Stehlik I love garlic, but have only been growing my own a few years. Do you vacuum pack to freeze it?
GWG8541 we vac pac some but mainly put the chopped in condiment cups with plastic wrap to prevent freezer burn. The wife has tons of patience and will slice and dehydrate into dry garlic chips the you can grind or crush for use with salads/pasta or to make compound butters that can then be frozen.
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Making the most of my space in suburbia. Few type of tomatoes, cukes, melons, and peppers including Carolina reapers🥵. Got some herbs and then some random plants like garlic, naranjilla, ground cherries (aka cape gooseberries), blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, huckleberry, fig tree, hardy kiwi vine, and a grape vine. Last three haven’t produced yet. Also First season growing asparagus in container (we’ll see how it goes) couldn’t commit a spot in my yard yet.
“A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor.”
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Making the most of my space in suburbia. Few type of tomatoes, cukes, melons, and peppers including Carolina reapers🥵. Got some herbs and then some random plants like garlic, naranjilla, ground cherries (aka cape gooseberries), blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, huckleberry, fig tree, hardy kiwi vine, and a grape vine. Last three haven’t produced yet. Also First season growing asparagus in container (we’ll see how it goes) couldn’t commit a spot in my yard yet.
Surg Wow with sod looking like yours, I’d hate to rip it up for garden space too!
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GWG8541 I harvested my garlic yesterday, 6/16. It’s been really hot here in Colorado and the bottom 1/3 of the leaves were turning brown. I plant it in late September and usually harvest it around Father’s Day but it was starting to lay down from the heat. This year we only planted 9 varieties, in years past we have planted as many as 20+ varieties.
Bob Stehlik said in Gardening, canning, pickling and everything related:
GWG8541 I harvested my garlic yesterday, 6/16. It’s been really hot here in Colorado and the bottom 1/3 of the leaves were turning brown. I plant it in late September and usually harvest it around Father’s Day but it was starting to lay down from the heat. This year we only planted 9 varieties, in years past we have planted as many as 20+ varieties.
I wonder how well garlic would grow here in the capital of the Hawkeye State?
Denny O’s-Smokey Bones
I’d rather be sit’in in a boat and thinking about God,
Than sit’n in church and thinking about fish’in! -
Bob Stehlik said in Gardening, canning, pickling and everything related:
GWG8541 I harvested my garlic yesterday, 6/16. It’s been really hot here in Colorado and the bottom 1/3 of the leaves were turning brown. I plant it in late September and usually harvest it around Father’s Day but it was starting to lay down from the heat. This year we only planted 9 varieties, in years past we have planted as many as 20+ varieties.
I wonder how well garlic would grow here in the capital of the Hawkeye State?
@dennyo It should do just fine. I get some of my planting stock from Keene Garlic in the Madison, Wisconsin area. I’ve gotten their garlic for about 10 years and it always has been good. Another good source is The Garlic Store in Fort Collins, Colorado. You can start checking out their planting stock about July 1st. They will then ship in September. I’m at the point I save some of my larger bulbs from this year and use them for my planting stock in the fall. We plant about the third week of September but you can plant up to about Halloween. Both websites will educate in how to plant and when to harvest and how to dry and cure. Give it a shot. It’s fun to try the different types.
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Anyone have any idea what could have done this to my yard? I have a picture of the scat it left behind. I love my yard, I feel like I’ve been invaded by a foreign country and war has been declared.
Isaiah 5:22 Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine and champions at mixing drinks
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Anyone have any idea what could have done this to my yard? I have a picture of the scat it left behind. I love my yard, I feel like I’ve been invaded by a foreign country and war has been declared.
Tex_77 armadillo? Not sure the size of the scat, but looks like familiar damage and scat
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Tex_77 armadillo? Not sure the size of the scat, but looks like familiar damage and scat
YooperDog i think you may be correct.
Isaiah 5:22 Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine and champions at mixing drinks
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Tex_77 Armadillo; Jonathon: “Will it BBQ?” Tex, time to set the traps!
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