Harvests are steadying up a bit now as most of our crops being collected for storage are now in.
Now I know technically I harvested the cobnuts a while ago but for want of knowing any better I laid out the clusters of nuts to dry.
It's all been a case of trial and error as to what to do with them. I started to wait for the nuts to fall out of the husks naturally but now I go through them and remove any nuts that part easily from the casing.
Amazingly we are still managing a few posies of sweet peas. The plants have grown so tall that Martyn has to cut the highest flowers for me. The stems are quite short now but what can we expect in October. We've tried to pinpoint whether we have done anything differently this year and all we can think of is that we have picked the flower more regularly and efficiently. Not having to spend lots of time weeding has meant that we have had time to look after plants better.
The cauliflowers are continuing to produce but the remaining sweet corn was past its best and the plants have now been removed.
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| 14 October |
The tomato, pepper and aubergine plants were stripped of any remaining fruit and then removed. The remnants will have to ripen off the plant.
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| 15 October |
The last lot of potatoes - from the topless plants - have been dug. We are still picking Joan J raspberries but yellow All Gold fruit just doesn't thrive in damp and windy conditions. It is a plant that need the weather to pamper it. Most of the fruit is spoiled.
The alpine strawberries are still flowering and fruit production is slowing down and will stop completely once fruits attack the flowers. Usually we pick the last fruits at the beginning of November.
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| 17 October |
Unfortunately a few years ago we decided to throw away our old nutcrackers as we just hadn't used them for as long as we could remember. Whilst we only had a smattering of nuts, Martyn was carefully breaking into them with a hammer but as our bowl filled up we decided that we had better replace the nutcrackers.
I was going to look for a recipe in which to use the nuts but we are enjoying them as snacks instead and they really are tasty. I hope this year isn't just a one off harvest.
A complete list of our October harvests here.
Once again I am linking to Harvest Monday over at Daphne's Dandelions.
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Those Sweet Peas have been amazing. Mine only had a rather brief flowering season, but then mine were grown in pots, so perhaps they didn't get enough of the right nutrients. Re the Cobnuts: why not try making some "Cobnut Brittle"?
ReplyDeleteWe like the cobnuts so much just as they are, Mark. The brittle would be too sweet and mask the flavour if the nuts,
DeleteYum, I'm a nut lover, they'd go down very well.
ReplyDeleteJust had a handful, Jo and they went down really well.
DeleteYour harvests have been consistently diverse and beautiful. Thank you for sharing. It is encouraging.
ReplyDeleteGlad it is encouraging Amy and Rob
DeleteWhen we have harvest of nuts (picked in the woods) I often use pliers instead of nutcrackers, that I have no in my summer cottage. Love your tomatoes I see you have planted different varieties.
ReplyDeleteWe grow different varieties in the hope that one will grow well, Nadezda
DeleteI love cobnuts. My friend also loves cobnut oil, but it is very expensive.
ReplyDeleteJean
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They are so sweet tasting, Jean, I bet loads are needed to produce oil so I', not surprised that it is expensive
DeleteStill amazing harvests, how wonderful to have little strawberries in November, and sweet peas. I've noted what you say about having more time for the plants now you don't have to do much weeding. I shall buy some more weed control fabric I think, weeds are the bane of my life. There were thousands of thistles this year, probably because of the adjacent plot being left to go to seed for a while. The cobnuts look excellent. I've never tried them, but I'm a generally a big fan of nuts, especially when I was a vegan.
ReplyDeleteIt's really worked for us, CJ
DeleteEverything looks wonderful. The cauliflower looks fab. Some good eating ahead of you.
ReplyDeleteAnd by now some good eating behind us, Kelli
DeleteWhat lovely looking produce:) When we moved here, many moons ago, I planted a cobnut, a hazelnut and a filbert, along with two walnuts. But we never get the harvest, some creature/s always beat us to it.
ReplyDeleteWe thought that the squirrels would beat us to the harvest sweffling but so far they haven't. No doubt its only a matter of time
DeleteI so love nuts. I wish I had some that grew here and were small. The few that do seem to be massive trees that wouldn't fit in the yard. And you are still getting strawberries. I haven't seen any on my alpines in a while.
ReplyDeleteEverything is winding down, Daphne just a few stragglers now
DeleteLucky you can still pick sweet peas. The nuts look delicious!
ReplyDeleteThe sweet peas have been wonderful for some reason this year, Alain. The nuts are lovely no wonder squirrels like them.
DeleteWhen I saw that bin of unripe tomatoes & peppers, it brought back memories of September - seems like so long ago now. And isn't that the way it always is - you haven't used something for years so you FINALLY get rid of it (with much umming and ahhing, of course) only to find that you need it after all.
ReplyDeleteIt always seems to be the way Margaret, I'm always looking for something and realising that I've thrown stuff away
DeleteThose cauliflower look perfect! I've never been able to grow cauliflower here. And all the nuts look fabulous. I only have at least 9 more years to wait on my pecan trees!
ReplyDeleteWe have had cauliflower problems in the past, Julie but this variety Clapton does well and it is also supposed to be club root resistant
DeleteWow, Sue... seriously impressive! Enjoy your harvesting :-)
ReplyDeleteThank you Shirley
DeleteI just love your caulies, hopefully you will be making cauliflower cheese? One of my favourite meals. Those nuts do look lovely, it's the perfect season to be eating them, especially around a coal fire!xxx
ReplyDeleteSome have ended up as cauliflower cheese, Dina, No real coal fire nut we have a gas one that pretends to be,
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