Garden 2023

[pepperhead212]

I've been eating leftovers, but added a few snow and sugar snap peas, as I would harvest them. Here's a few from a couple days ago, and I got about as many today, but the snow peas are starting to develop more than before, probably due to the hot day friday.
A handful of snowpeas and sugar snap peas, 6-2 I've been eating most of the sugar snap peas as a snack, in the garden. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

 

[blissful]

We put in the last of the gardens today. Tomorrow we'll touch up any bare areas, replace transplants that didn't make it, fill every area for flowers or food to avoid dealing with unwanted weeds. We like plantains, clover and we need to learn what other beneficial and edible weeds we should keep. We are watering since it is dry here.

It looks like a big stretch of empty nothings, but it is something in WI. Everything in that large expanse is planted.

Clematis.

We've never seen so many apples on our two apple trees 30+ years old. We're spraying them. If they harvest the way they are looking, God Willing, we'll be giving to others. We need a list of those needing food. We're making those lists now. The pear tree is just as full of little fruit. We feel blessed already.

 

[Marlingardener]

Blissful, you will have a stunning garden!
If you want an edible weed, how about purslane? It has a fleshy leaf that can be added to salads, but never cooked. It is low growing, eventually flowers, and is a not-so-bad ground cover. This is from WebMD, as a result of a Google search:
Any purslane plant can be harvested and eaten, as the leaves, stems, and flowers are completely edible. When preparing wild purslane, it's important to wash the plant carefully to ensure that no pesticides are on the leaves. Purslane is tart and a little salty, making it a great addition to salads and other dishes.Sep 14, 2022
https://www.webmd.com/diet/health-benefits-purslane
I wish you good fortune with your apples and pears. We have an abundance of pears also, and if we can keep the deer away, we will be giving fresh pears to the local food pantry. We have only two apple trees and can use every apple we get, so the apples will be staying home.

 

[blissful]

@dragnlaw FAVA disease is genetic and the percentage of the population with it is very small, rare.
@Marlingardener thanks! I have cultivated the weed purslane, usually in my more well watered gardens, for me to eat. I like how tart it is. I was able to harvest it for a meal 4 times last year. One of my friends uses it in a mexican dish cooked. I haven't tried that yet. I also have spurge to avoid in those same places. The area I'm allowing weeds is fairly dry and sandy. I'm hoping to branch out in growing and collecting edible weeds and weeds for herbal salves (like plantain).
I'm having a tough time with mr bliss helping weed areas with edible weeds. He sees weeds....I can hardly blame him because he is trying to help!

 

[dragnlaw]

Yeah, bliss, I knew it was rare genetic disease. Had to go back and read it again, thought it did say how rare it was. and of course, now see it didn't, thanks for putting that in - last thing I want to be is a Scare Monger!

 

[taxlady]

I think I started the discussion of fava bean toxicity. That isn't the same thing as the genetic disorder, favism. It's not the same toxin.

From the Wikipedia article on fava beans:

Beans generally contain phytohaemagglutinin, a lectin that occurs naturally in plants, animals, and humans.[19] Most of the relatively low toxin concentrations found in V. faba can be destroyed by boiling the beans for 10 minutes.

And

Sufferers of favism must avoid broad beans, as they contain the alkaloid glycoside vicine which may initiate a hemolytic crisis.

 

[blissful]

Thanks! All beans contain lectins which are destroyed when boiled, or cooked properly. Really, who eats beans dried and raw?
I could see that as a problem in a desperate society, people dying of hunger, eating raw dried beans out of ignorance. Dr Gundry uses this dried raw bean lectin argument to convince people not to eat beans. Maybe he grew up without a mother.

 

[taxlady]

Thanks! All beans contain lectins which are destroyed when boiled, or cooked properly. Really, who eats beans dried and raw?
I could see that as a problem in a desperate society, people dying of hunger, eating raw dried beans out of ignorance. Dr Gundry uses this dried raw bean lectin argument to convince people not to eat beans. Maybe he grew up without a mother.

I can imagine someone eating fresh beans raw, but not the dry ones. OTOH, people have undercooked dry beans and gotten ill. I read that it usually happens in a slow cooker, where the beans didn't reach a high enough temperature, but seemed to be cooked enough because of the longer duration of cooking.

 

[blissful]

I can imagine someone eating fresh beans raw, but not the dry ones. OTOH, people have undercooked dry beans and gotten ill. I read that it usually happens in a slow cooker, where the beans didn't reach a high enough temperature, but seemed to be cooked enough because of the longer duration of cooking.

The slow cooker problem started in more recent history. The old slow cookers had a high and low setting and high was hot enough to boil the beans. The newer slow cookers with all the safety measures, to keep it low and slow are sometimes not hot enough to boil the beans. It's probably a good idea to test out your slow cooker to see what the maximum temperature is for that pot.

 

[pepperhead212]

I planted my garlic on 10-16-22, and all of it got the scapes, so I cut them today, and I might go out tomorrow and dig up some of the heads, as many are small, and drying up. Last year I dug some of them up earlier than 7-4 (my usual target date), but not much. However, I planted about 3 weeks later then, so the time will probably be about the same. I'll probably stop watering them at all now, since it is best to harvest dryer, than when soaked, and it won't take long to dry out, with that lack of rain! Of course, weather doesn't always cooperate...
6 qt bowl overflowing with garlic scapes, 6-5 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

 

[larry_stewart]

Pepper, I use you as my future. You're always about a week ahead of me. I'll be picking my scapes probably over the weekend . Some are ready now, but the bulk need a little more time. Cauliflower may be ready too. Already picked 3 of the 4 broccoli. Peas right around the corner, just waiting for them to plump up. Only things left to go in the garden are a few melons ( dont know why I keep trying) and a few squash. I did buy 4 extra pepper plants. I pruned two and the others I left as is. Kind of an experiment . Have about 12 extra tomato plants that I just have no room for ( anywhere).

 

[dragnlaw]

Pepper - how you gonna fix those scapes?

Ours are no where near, lol, but maybe I should check more often as last year, one day I suddenly realized they had been there for a while!

 

[taxlady]

Pepper - how you gonna fix those scapes?

Ours are no where near, lol, but maybe I should check more often as last year, one day I suddenly realized they had been there for a while!

At least you noticed before they blossomed, I assume.

 

[bethzaring]

We had what I hope is our last freeze on Friday June 2nd. Tomatoes were my only temperature sensitive plants out in the garden and were well covered. I have started planting out peppers/chiles. The summer squash are too small to plant. Garlic is starting to send out scapes, all 400 of them! May was unusually wet here. We are hoping that does not affect our usual monsoon rains in July

 

[pepperhead212]

I have no plans for those scapes, yet, but I'll just put them in a 2 gal freezer ziploc, and use them as I come up with ideas. I had just under 2 lbs. They literally keep for months. I would put them in some dishes in place of onions and garlic - a different, but delicious flavor.

I went out later, and dug up those stalks that were drying out too early. They were mostly Metechi, and I'm thinking I was given the wrong variety, as almost none had the purple skin, they usually have. Only a half dozen or so of the Estonian red, and Geogian fire stalks combined were stunted, and not a single Music is drying out early! I still have a few heads from last season, and got rid of the last few drying up completely. In a little less than 3 weeks (the time I cure normal sized heads), I'll start using those small things.
Garlic left from last season, mostly Music, a few Metechi. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Some garlic of this season, drying up early, so dug it up, mostly Metechi. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

The plants I brought back outside, have finally started growing. Must have been that 90+ day that came in June, later than usual (which was fine with me!).
New leaf growth on the severely trimmed back Makrut Lime trees by pepperhead212, on Flickr

New leaf growth on the trimmed bay laurel tree. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

 

[larry_stewart]

Last 2 years I had to pull my garlic early, primarily due to a wet bed. I'm still a little paranoid and check daily. At this point, everything appears to be gong well, but sometimes it just sneaks up on you. Glad you were able to salvage the ones that dried up a bit.

I didnt know scapes freeze well. Thats good to know. In the past I've made scape pesto, which is really good and garlicky. Ive also pickled them, but wasn't as thrilled with that. I cut them up and stir fry them as well. They lose a lot of there intensity when cooked.

 

[dragnlaw]

Did you, or do you, leave the flower heads on the scapes? Either while making pesto, stir fry or freezing?

 

[blissful]

Our garlic is looking strong (thick stems lots of greenery) this year. I'm looking at harvesting in July, first, second or third week.
I've pickled the tender parts of scapes. The problem for us is that we've cut back so much on salt/sugar that we just don't use them. If we ran out of pickles, then maybe we would use them.
I don't have much use for the scapes now. I have dehydrated them though, then ground them in the nut grinder/coffee grinder. It makes a nice loose green powder (not a fine powder, more natural texture). I started adding it to dressings and soup and sauces. It works fine, gives a mild garlic flavor. I'm happy with using them that way.

 

[larry_stewart]

Did you, or do you, leave the flower heads on the scapes? Either while making pesto, stir fry or freezing?

No flower heads, just the tender parts from where it separated from the plant to just shy of the flower for both the pesto and stir fry. The pesto freezes well. still have 2 pints from last year. I've never tried freezing them whole. But will likely try aa few to see how they do.

I have no plans for those scapes, yet, but I'll just put them in a 2 gal freezer ziploc, and use them as I come up with ideas. I had just under 2 lbs. They literally keep for months. I would put them in some dishes in place of onions and garlic - a different, but delicious flavor.

Do you blanch before freezing or just put them right im the freezer? How does the consistency hold up ?

 

[pepperhead212]

I didn't freeze the scapes, just kept them refrigerated. And they kept well for months! I think it was around the middle of September that I finished them. I guess they could be blanched briefly, then frozen, but I just kept using fresh, and they looked almost like I had just cut them - just the cut part had dried up, and the points had dried out more, but I just cut the last 2 or 3 inches off, and chop up the scapes, as needed.