Preserving Your Harvest

[NanaK]

Varieties that have NOT made me say wow include: Mortgage Lifter (3rd year, won't grow it again), Brandywine, Cherokee Purple.

I've grown these too. I like Brandywine. It's large and tasty to me but too stingy for the disease it gets. Takes too much attention for what it gives. I found the others ok but nothing special. Last few years DH and I really love Black Krim. I start 1-2 extra early so these are usually the first I get. Much shorter days to harvest than most heirlooms. I save these seeds every year. This year I grew 4 Big Beef. First hybrid I've grown in years. Large, tasty and I'm loving it to can. I can my Black Krims too.

I'm giving up on butternut squash for a few years. Maybe I'll grow an acorn type next year.

I've not grown many winter squash. I usually do pumpkins.
Have you tried the bush type butternuts? I would think they were shorter season. Might would work in your area?

I hope the spaghetti squash that is in the freezer is good for something.

I did grow these a couple years ago. They tried to take over the yard. They took quite a while. I cooked them as a pasta sub with a sausage/tomato sauce. We found them ok but not enough to grow again. The chickens thought the were great! They kept pretty good too.

 

[tripletfeb]

I feel your pain. I did 56. My thumbs are sore!

And have more to do tomorrow

Really! I do too.

I'm trying to become as seed self sufficient as I can. I save my own tomato seed from the ones that impress me. I buy a few new varieties, looking for another one that will impress me.

Varieties that have NOT made me say wow include: Mortgage Lifter (3rd year, won't grow it again), Brandywine, Cherokee Purple.

I'm giving up on butternut squash for a few years. Maybe I'll grow an acorn type next year.

I hope the spaghetti squash that is in the freezer is good for something.

I have a 6 foot table with not-quite-ripe tomatoes in the mudroom, covered with a sheet. We'll see if I have enough to can tomorrow. I need to can at least another 25 quarts, and I'd prefer 30. Then it's on to salsa, and hubby wants a lot of that. He's rationing the last of last years to make it through to this season's harvest.

I've started saving my seeds this year too. Never done it before but I plan on saving corn kernels, tomato and pepper seeds, and my beans. How much salsa do you make? I canned 17 pints so far. Tomorrow I will probably do just stew tomatoes. I don't feel like standing in my kitchen all day again for more salsa or paste. Tuesday or Wednesday will be canning peaches. My mom does every year but I've never canned them myself. I might need to go buy more jars. Every year, I think I have enough then I find more things I want to can and preserve

 

[NanaK]

I've been saving tomato, pepper, butterbeans, green beans, cantaloupe, watermelon and pumpkin seeds.
I'm kind of a seed hoarder. Yep, boxes!
I usually do some flower seeds too.

I haven't made any salsa yet this year. I've got probably 1-2 more batches of stewed then I may make some. I have a few tomato plants still making. I have peppers on the table and freezer.
I'm about tired of doing stewed! Ready to do something else!
Also trying to get ready for the fall garden. Always plenty to do!

 

[muddy75]

30 Quart bags of sliced peaches in the freezer so far...
View attachment 3615054

We have a few fruit trees, the peach tree only put on 1 peach though

 

[Sally PB]

How much salsa do you make? I canned 17 pints so far.

Hubby likes lots of his hot salsa, so probably 25-30 pints, if possible. I'll do salsa verde with the leftover no-time-to-ripen tomatoes, and just make however much I can get, so they aren't wasted.

 

[muddy75]

I've been saving tomato, pepper, butterbeans, green beans, cantaloupe, watermelon and pumpkin seeds.
I'm kind of a seed hoarder. Yep, boxes!
I usually do some flower seeds too.

I haven't made any salsa yet this year. I've got probably 1-2 more batches of stewed then I may make some. I have a few tomato plants still making. I have peppers on the table and freezer.
I'm about tired of doing stewed! Ready to do something else!
Also trying to get ready for the fall garden. Always plenty to do!

What are you planting for fall garden?

 

[TooCheep]

We have a few fruit trees, the peach tree only put on 1 peach though

That's one more than I or my neighbor got in Indiana. The weather just wasn't right this spring for it. Early season flowering fruits run that risk.

 

[Sally PB]

We had a late frost/freeze on May 26th. There's a big orchard south of us that must have missed it, or was able to keep their trees warm. A friend went peach picking there and said they are huge this year.

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

Someone somewhere on BYC had this steamer that juiced fruits. I was thinking that's exactly what I've needed!
I have so many apples, grapes, etc. I love the idea of juicing and canning it. I've been very impatiently waiting for it, and it's supposed to come today.

 

[Sally PB]

^^Wow!!!

Please let us know how it works, and what you make with it.

I do not need one. I do not need one. I do not need one.....