This week our harvesting has essentially been stripping plants ready to store produce over winter. We have been squirrelling away gathering as much that was ready to store as we could.
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| 29 September |
All the apples have been picked. Any with blemishes will be stewed and frozen and the rest will be stored in an old fridge in the garage. We have found this to be a very effective way to store apples.
We are still picking soft fruit in particular the autumn raspberries.
We picked more sweet peas but these could be the last lot as the plants are beginning to wither.
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| 29 September |
I also picked a posy of dahlias, cosmos and ammi. No doubt with lowering temperatures predicted the dahlias will soon need lifting and the cosmos will disappear.
The remaining kiwi berries have been picked and any that are not yet ripe will continue to ripen off the plant.
I also picked off all the cucamelons. These later picking are a bit more flavoursome but I don't think we will grow them again.
The fresh salad ingredients below came from the garden greenhouse, cold frame and Woodblocx raised bed. The roots - carrots, radish and beetroot just haven't enjoyed the compost so when we move the raised bed we will fill it with something else.
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| 29 September |
We gathered in all the Crown Prince squashes and cleared away the plants. The remaining sweet corn will need harvesting and freezing very soon. The beetroot was cooked with apples and onions using this recipe which I put together as a basis. It gave me the opportunity to use up some of the blemished apples and some onions that didn't look as though they would keep for long. I made enough to freeze.
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| 1 October |
We picked the first of the quince as testers and are pleased to report that these four had no sign of bitter pit and combined with some of the apples to make a lovely crumble as shown here on Martyn's blog.
At present the squash are being stored on the floor of the summerhouse but they may need some additional protection later.
I always cut the squash leaving a piece of the vine attached. Not only does this provide a carrying handle but it is suppose to stop moisture gathering and running down the stem causing the top of the fruit to rot.
All the mature peppers have now been picked and frozen as have all the aubergines and most of the garden greenhouse tomatoes. The peppers, Golden Bell and King of the North have been our best performing peppers yet.
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| 2 October |
A complete list of our September harvests can be found here and October harvests here.
Copyright: Original post from Our Plot at Green Lane Allotments http://glallotments.blogspot.co.uk/ author S Garrett
Posts
You've done well with your peppers this year. I wish I'd got my winter squash brought in now that the rain's here, I shall make sure we bring them in at the next opportunity. I just hope they don't rot in the meantime.
ReplyDeleteWe had the same problem with our onions, Jo. They were drying well and them ir rained and they got wet.
DeleteLovely harvests. And those are pretty squash. I always cure my squash on their side for the first few days so the bottom dries out and the tops don't drip over the squash. I can't cut parts of the vine off though as I still have some small ripening squash on the vine. I don't think they will actually ripen before it gets too cold, but I can hope.
ReplyDeleteI would think you had already picked more than enough squash, Daphne :)
DeleteRe the old fridge in which you store apples: is it still electrically powered, or is it just an empty shell?
ReplyDeleteIt's powered Mark so nice and cool.
DeleteBeautiful harvests, you've got such a diverse assortment of fruits and vegetables!
ReplyDeleteThank you Michelle.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful harvests! We had to pick our quinces a bit early since they started to fall down before getting properly ripe (yellow). But I have made a compote and membrillo (quince cheese) and did not really notice any difference in taste after they were cooked. I am still waiting for our mini-kiwis to ripen.
ReplyDeleteWe just now need the rain ti stop so that we can pick the rest, gtcook
DeleteWow, Sue, I don't know which bit I'm most impressed with. Those red peppers look fantastic, and you have an amazing Crown Prince harvest. I assume you've grown them before? I grew my first one this year (only got one!), but I haven't tried it yet. All of that soft fruit, the flowers and the sweetcorn make me think it's earlier in the year than October. All of your hard work has really paid off. Absolutely brilliant.
ReplyDeleteWe have grown Crown Prince before many times CJ. Our crop was from four plants so two or three fruits per plant.
DeleteThose squash are beautiful - they look like Ghost pumpkins. We grew King of the North as well this year, but our harvest was rather underwhelming from all but one plant so I'm thinking we will go with a different variety next year.
ReplyDeleteIsn't it strange Margaret how different varieties perform in different places. OUrs were in pits on the staging in our unheated greenhouse
DeletePerhaps I should try to find the pepper varieties you grow as they are very successful.
ReplyDeleteMargaret didn't find Kings of the North to be as successful, Alain.
DeleteHere I am as always playing catch up envying you of not only your lovely written and frequent posts but also your delectable and bountiful harvest. I endeavour to be more organised from now on and especially next year so that I will be having a harvest frenzy too. Having said that my apple, ear and raspberry harvest has been pretty impressive this year with the established trees I acquired with the bee plot!!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad I'm not the only one to produce amusing typos, Tanya :) Sorry couldn't resist
DeleteSue they are fantastic harvests, I feel I have so much to learn, I always enjoy seeing what you have picked.
ReplyDeleteRemember, Jo we have the space to plant plenty
DeleteCracking harvest! Good tip on the squash. I think I need to grow Crown Prince they look great.
ReplyDeleteWe like Crown Prince, Damo
DeleteThat's very big squash! Very good harvest of fruits, vegetables and flowers! ;)
ReplyDeleteIt will begin to slow down soon, Malar
DeleteOh goodness....I am in AWE of your continues harvest, and those squash are fantastic!!! I had a look at the recipe, how interesting, at first it looked a little like raw meat!!! Then I put my specs on!!!xxx
ReplyDeleteIt's tasty, Dina and freezes well to reheat later. I just adapted a recipe I used for red cabbage and it worked.
DeleteMy goodness what a haul: and I am sure very well deserved after all your hard work. By the way, the fridge that you store your apples in, is it turned on low, high, or turned off and just acting as a cupboard?
ReplyDeleteIt's just normal fridge temperature, swefling.
DeleteThanks, I may give this a try as our outhouse is not quite cold enough all through the winter months, either that or it fluctuates too much, to store our apples very successfully.
DeleteYour harvest veg and fruit looks amazing. The squash looks lovely; I always think they are quite difficult to grow.
ReplyDeleteWe had one year when they didn't do well Kelli but otherwise have been fairly consistent. Strangely one grown in isolation away from its 'friends' didn't really get growing at all!
DeleteVery jealous of your crown prince, I grew some cp plants but they got eaten when young. I was chatting with Bob Flowerdew about his storage of apples over winter at the Norwich Farmshare open day I went to recently as I'd seen in one of his books he stores them in a old fridge. I dont think he has it powered though, just keeps an even temp and rodent-proof.
ReplyDeleteCrikey, Lou he must have a big fridge
DeleteImpressive harvest, Sue!
ReplyDeleteThanks Aga
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