Archive | Harvesting and Preservation RSS feed for this section

Garlic Anyone?

23 Sep

While shopping at your local farmers market, pick up few extra bulbs of garlic from your favorite organic farmer to plant at your urban farmscape.  Garlic is an easy plant to grow, and not only will you harvest your crop at the end of next summer; you will get a bonus crop of garlic scapes in the spring. 

Assorted Garlic and Scallions

Now is the time of year when I plant my garlic.  It grows best in nutrient poor, sandy-loamy soils.  I have grown it in full sun and this past year I grew it in part shade which did very well.  I harvested about late July, early August and after curing, saved what I thought to be the best to grow for next year. Basically, there are two types of garlic, hardneck varieties, and softneck.  The softneck varieties are used for making garlic braids.  Hardneck varieties will store longer.  You choose what you want to grow.  I grow mostly hardneck varieties.

I learned how to grow garlic when I grew over then varieties at my country farm after reading a book by Ron L. Engeland,  “Growing Great Garlic”.  You can get his book too, but for starters, here are some general steps to get your prepped for planting.

  1. Select firm, hard bulbs.  They should be free of damage or soft spots.  Bigger is not always better.
  2. “Pop” the cloves by holding the stem with one hand, turn while holding the bulb in the other.  If you are good,

    Single clove. Plant with the pointed part pointing upward to the sky.

    this should separate the cloves from the stem.

  3. Plant each clove about 2 inches below the top of the soil.  This year I planted the cloves about 4 inches apart.  The beds they were planted in were two feet by four feet, which was about nine clovers per square foot.  I planted four beds.  That was a little too much, but I do love garlic!
  4. Mulch with straw, about two inches thick. 
  5. Water through freezing temperatures.

In the spring you will begin to see garlic growing, and as soon as the weather warms up, it will grow many leaves.  Soon, a stem will rise from the center, and a pointed flower bud will form at the end of the stem.  This is called the “scape”.  When in curls, you know it is time to remove it.  These scapes are delicious when sautéed in some butter. With their mild garlic flavor, this is a real spring treat.  Allow the garlic to continue to grow until later in the summer.  You should then allow the soil to dry out, and as the leaves begin to turn yellow and dry, you know it will soon be time to harvest.  Ron says in his book to harvest the hardneck varieties when only 5 leaves remain.  The softneck varieties can dry a little more. 

Scapes…YUM!

Follow these general steps for harvesting and storage:

  1. Harvest after about half of the leaves dry out.  Brush off soil, do not wash.
  2. Tie together in bunches and hang in a dry, airy, shaded location, such as a garage or car port. 
  3. Allow to cure for at least two weeks.
  4. Clean garlic by removing dirt and the outer most paper.  Each papers are dry leaves.  If the papers are thin, or few, and the cloves have separated, use these for cooking first as they won’t store very well. 
  5. Cut stem and roots.
  6. Store in a cool dry location.  I have kept garlic in my kitchen cupboards where I keep other herbs and spices. 
  7. Save your best bulbs to plant in the fall.

Beautiful and probably tasty. I’ll save this one for planting.

It’s worth dedicating a little space in your urban farmscape for garlic, or even try other edible bulbs like scallions .  You will find that they are easy to grow, and that the most flavorful garlic will come from the unique varieties that you grow.  One of my favorites was given to me by a friend years ago, and I have been growing it ever since.  I don’t know anything other than it is a hardneck variety, similar to  Chesnok Red or Music.  Deliciososo!  A one-time small investment by you and then shared each year as a gift to friends will provide you with a lifetime of garlic and happy friends.  I am going to pickle some garlic this year for the first time.  Anyone have a good recipe they would be willing to share?

Tags: , , , ,

Garden Preservation

9 Sep

Labor Day has passed and the gardens are producing at their peak.  I’m sure that you have been enjoying cucumbers, peppers, beans, herbs, tomatoes and egg plants from your urban farmscape.  What a healthy time of year!  Food prices are at their lowest at the market.  It is so easy to buy bushels of fresh seasonal veggies and fruits.  I know that you aren’t thinking about winter, but if you want to enjoy some of these summer pleasures this winter, you should think about food preservation now.

 The three main ways to preserve food are by drying, freezing and canning.  Herbs are easiest in that you can just dry them in a dry shady location and then seal in a jar.  Freezing works best for some fruits and veggies, but canning may be the best method for longer preservation.  For high acid foods, like tomatoes and pickles, you would use a Boiling-Water Canner.  For low acid foods you would need to use a Steam-Pressure Canner. 

 I learned how to can tomatoes by watching my mom.  As the youngest in a family of three, and living in the country, I was usually a helper in the kitchen.  I remember my mom filling the stainless steel sink with fresh picked tomatoes and pouring boiling water over them.  The steam would rise above the bright red orbs and mom would carefully pluck them from the water and while using her paring knife she would remove the core and peel off the skin, quarter the tomato, then drop the pieces into a glass quart jar.  Once full, she would place the long handle of a wooden spoon into the jar of flesh and seeds, moving it around the edges to release the tiny bubbles locked in the bottom of the jar.  She would wipe the rim of the jar and then it was time for my job.  I would carefully measure salt into the worn metal measuring spoon and pour it on top of the tomatoes, watching the crystal substance disappear into the liquid.  Mom would remove the gold lids from a shallow pan of boiling water and after placing them on top of the jar she would  tighten them with a gold metal band.  After placing them into the metal rack lining the inside of the big blue pot, she would lower them into the boiling water and set the timer by pushing in and turning the small black knob that was next to the clock on the stove.  After processing, my mother would lift them out of the boiling pot and place them on a wooden cutting board.  We would begin to hear the lids “pop” as the suction forced them inward to seal.  Mom would say “there goes another one!”  When cooled, we would stock the jars in the cupboard in the basement.  The shelves would be filled with not only tomatoes, but pickles, applesauce, peaches and pears.

If you have never canned before, I would recommend starting with tomatoes.  It is really simple to do.  And in January when the snow is flying, the best meal to make is from your tomatoes.  Those along with using some fresh dried herbs will bring you back to this summer as you harvested and preserved the veggies from your garden, or maybe your visit to the farmers market.  It’s fun when you turn it into a family event, or invite some friends over.   Once you learn the process, you may be on the way to creating your own family secret recipes that you share at the holidays or sell at the market!

To learn more about canning, you just need a book.  I recommend any of these.  Click on them to go right to Amazon.

Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving

The Big Book of Preserving the Harvest: 150 Recipes for Freezing, Canning, Drying and Pickling Fruits and Vegetables

Canning and Preserving For Dummies

Tags: , ,

Pepper Harvesting and Preservation

12 Aug

One of my favorite crops to grow in My Urban Farmscape is peppers. You can get a lot of bang for your buck out of these compact plants.   Historically, peppers have been used throughout the world to flavor some of our favorite dishes with their crisp, tangy, sweetness or their hot, spicy, heat.  Think about it.  What would chili be without the pepper?  How boring would your veggie trays look at the summer picnic without a bright orange, yellow or green bell pepper?  Would tacos or fajitas exist?

Sweet Peppers

I have started to pick sweet peppers and I’m sure that you will soon if you haven’t started already.  As I begin to get an overabundance, I will share some, but I will also freeze or grill them.  For bell peppers, you harvest them when they are ripe, which is when they reach their mature size.  They will feel heavier and may start to turn color.  As you gently pull, twist the stem.  Or use scissors or pruners and cut the stem about 1/2” from the fruit.  For the colored bell peppers, wait until they turn their color (yellow, orange or red). 

Freezing Bell Peppers

It’s simple.  Slice the pepper in half, stem to blossom end.  Remove the stem and seeds inside.  Wash, and dry.  Place in a freezer bag or freezer container and toss into the freezer.  Use for cooked dishes.  They get soft once frozen so they won’t work well for fresh eating.

Roasting Sweet Peppers

Also easy.  These larger red sweet peppers give just the right flavor to some otherwise boring soups or stews.  Cook these directly on the grill or over an open flame on your gas stove.  You could also use the broiler in your oven. As they cook they will get soft and their skin will char, that is when you know they are done.  Remove from the grill and allow to cool some making it easier to handle when you remove the skin.  After the stems and skin are removed, chop and place in a freezer container what ever you don’t use. Yum!

 Hot Peppers

For hot peppers, most of them can be harvested in the green stages up to their colored stage.  These will be ready for harvest later in the season as they LOVE the heat.  Of course you can use any of the hot peppers fresh however you like.  

Freezing or Jam

You can freeze jalapeno peppers like bell peppers, removing the seeds.  WEAR GLOVES!  One of my favorite things to do with jalapeno peppers is to make pepper jelly.  The recipe I have used is on the Sure-jell box.  I like to spread this over some cream cheese and serve with crackers.  Secret: Want to give it a little more bite?  Leave in the seeds.  Watch out though if you take some for a holiday gathering and grandma tries some.  She might scream out some words you have never heard from her before.  Most grandma’s don’t  like hot spicy foods!

Drying Peppers

You can dry all chili types.  I like these to turn red on the vine.  You can spread them out over a screen, string up on fishing line or heavy thread, or use a dehydrator.  It’s fun to make decorative gifts or ristras.  Once you know they are dry, you can grind them in a coffee grinder, not used for coffee of course, but just for your peppers, and then store in a glass container.  These make nice gifts, and who knows, maybe you could come up with your very own famous chili spice mix!  I love peppers.  How about you?  What is your favorite way to preserve peppers?

Tags: , , , , , , , ,

%d bloggers like this: