Sometimes I really struggle with getting the timing right for my harvests. With things like tomato it’s easy peasy – it’s red, it’s ready. Lettuce is good to go when it is all leafy and it’s really easy to pop a leaf in your mouth to taste it just to make sure it hasn’t gone bitter. Zucchini is simple – it’s got to be bigger than a finger and smaller than a marrow. Although I have to say that I have more than my fair share of marrows to get through because I missed a zuke or two. Having said that, the kids actually prefer marrow – cut into rings and roasted. I don’t think they know marrow is just a big zuke, so please don’t tell them!
Corn is tricky because it has to have those dark brown tassels, but just how dark do those tassels have to be? I think I may take the risk and have some for tea tomorrow, so if they need longer there should be another 56 cobs that can have a harvest reprieve.
I left the Brussels sprouts a little bit long, but I’ve never grown them successfully before so wasn’t exactly sure when the end point was. Now I know… it is earlier than when I harvested them this time. But the goats enjoyed the mountain of trimmings which was significantly more than what was actually edible.
Gherkins always blind side me. One day they are too little and then next they are way too big. I think I have only managed one jar this season of petite whole gherkins, the rest are mostly sliced into stick shapes to fit in the largest jars I own.
Don’t even get me started on the ones that grow underground. How can you even begin to see how they are doing? Well with spuds the only way to really know is to count the days, I planted four varieties and duly marked the harvest dates on the calendar. The Jersey Bennys were dug up after 100 days on Christmas day to complement a wonderful festive meal. The Heather variety was revealed thirty days later and on the whole were large and tasty. Today was the turn of the 150 day varieties, and yes it has been 50 days since Christmas. Where does the time go? I dug up 12.5 kg of Summer Delight which were also big fat spuds and 12.5 kg of Red Rascal that was odd because there were just as many big fat ones as there were teeny tiny ones that will be cool to roast and use instead of popcorn for a winter movie night. I can’t wait!
I still have loads of other things in the garden waiting to be harvested, but I seem to be suffering from a bottle neck. As soon as I harvest something then I need to act immediately or the quality deteriorates and I might as well buy my veggies from up the road at the fruit and veggie store. But things are coming ripe together. I have beetroot and chillies both vying for my urgent attention. I guess tomorrow while be another kitchen gardening day and the gherkins may even get a look in.
Come again soon – there is one thing that is better than harvesting – eating!
Sarah the Gardener : o )
Will have to try roasted marrow slices 🙂
Hi Mel. Do you need a marrow – I’ve got loads!
Cheers S : o )
How exciting and how busy Sarah! We are harvesting in trickles and tried to stagger the corn etc. so that we would extend the harvest and minimise the need to harvest all at once. Some of our production has had to be changed mid sentance thanks to predation by possums but we are going to use the remaining beans to grow next years crop in our soon to be enormous everything proof veggie garden (totally enclosed 🙂 ). Your vegetables all look amazing! It would seem that your drought has given them wings :). I found a great recipe for using marrows and turning them into a type of lemon curd where the melon acts as a carrier and so far I haven’t had enough to try it but lots of people have sworn by it as a way to use up marrows. Love the colour, texture and life in your garden 🙂
Hi Fran. We have been blessed with some rain yesterday and again overnight so the garden somehow looks more alive than ever before. My greatest weakness is procrastination, so if I intended to stagger my corn sowing we would probably only end up with one row! So I pop the lot in, in one go and then put the whole harvest straight into the freezer so fast it doesn’t realise it is even off the plant!
I have to say your garden looks amazing!
Cheers Sarah : o )
I love harvest time, but also understand the pressure! Hope you have a fun kitchen day.
Hi there, I had a lovely time in the kitchen, the cupboards and freezer are starting to fill up. It’s almost the same feeling as when you get everything planted out in the garden, and at the end of the day, I guess that’s why we do it – to feed our families with good food for as long as possible.
Cheers Sarah : o )
Cheers for following us at Serendipitiy Farm Sarah…I am both humbled and honoured because I admire you and your own property and this blog so much! I don’t have Anywhere NEAR as many veggies that you have but we are working on it. As a vegan, veggies are my biggest food source and I figured that if I want to eat something exotic, the best way for a penniless student hippy to avail herself of these items is to grow them herself! Problem solved :). I love dialogue and sharing and the great unwashed information highway that blogs provide us with and I love to find out as much as I can for free and share what I learn with everyone. This blog is a wealth of information and I love each and every post. Cheers, again for following our humble little blog and I hope that we can keep you interested enough to stay! 😉
Hi Fran Thank you so much for your kind words. I thought I had been following you, but all that is fixed. Your veggie garden is going so well. It’s so green and lush! There is loads on your blog to be inspired about, and I may steal your idea of freezing cubes of fruit for smoothies, they just look so good for you! Looking forward to loads more interesting adventures.
Cheers Sarah : o )
Glad you found me Sarah and the green veggie garden is about the ONLY green lush thing on Serendipity Farm at the moment.The rest is arid, dry, curling up at the edges and parched. I got 4 trailer loads of free mulch that I managed to put on the poor long suffering survivors of last years potted plant unleashing event and not a moment too soon as most of them were threatening to give up the ghost. I can’t WAIT for the rainy season…bring it on winter…I am ready for you! I might even do a little rain dance when it comes and get Steve to film it for the blog 😉
I’m glad I’m not the only one! This past year was my first attemt at anything underground…the waiting was almost more than I could bare! I lucked out in that DH accidentally tore the stem off a sweet potato vine at the ground, and went digging to save the (possible) sweet potato that had been attached. There was a nice fat one a few inches down, and I took that to mean it was about time to harvest! (And then waiting until it froze the next week to dig up the rest.)
Hi there. Sometimes it better to keep the well meaning blokes out of our gardens.Hubby the Un-Gardener knows well enough he’s not allowed in there except when asked to help or to dig. There have been “incidents” in the past involving a lawn mower and a cucumber or pumpkin etc.
This year I have my sweet potato in containers as when it is time to dig it up my ground is too boggy.
Have a great season.
Cheers Sarah : o )
I, unfortunately, have been travelling so frequently and for such lengths (for work) that the time has come (and passed) for me to plant my tomato seedlings. DH is doing so today. The mild anxiety I feel in entrusting the transplant and nurture during these critical days/weeks to someone else…feels both silly and fitting.