RP Listener Forum

Posted: Jul 26, 2009 - 3:51pm

JrzyTmata wrote:

3 minutes in boiling water, then ice water plunge. I never heard of the hot oil/grease method.

I suppose that would be sautéing them.

Sorry.
To cook fresh green beans I usually sauté them and then cook them in the pressure cooker.
I wonder if they would freeze well already cooked?

Posted: Jul 26, 2009 - 3:50pm

JrzyTmata wrote:

3 minutes in boiling water, then ice water plunge. I never heard of the hot oil/grease method.

And do you put a little salt in the water?

Posted: Jul 26, 2009 - 3:43pm

onlylynne wrote:

Jrzy, how do you blanch your greenbeans?
Boiling water or hot oil/grease?

3 minutes in boiling water, then ice water plunge. I never heard of the hot oil/grease method.

Posted: Jul 26, 2009 - 3:41pm

Jrzy, how do you blanch your greenbeans?
Boiling water or hot oil/grease?

Posted: Jul 26, 2009 - 3:41pm

When I was little kid my aunt and unkle planted some Asian variety of okra. The pods were aroung 18 inches long and around 2 inches around...She fried up the best batch of fried okra I've ever had. I've never seen that variety agan.

Posted: Jul 26, 2009 - 3:28pm

Turan and Jrzy, Sounds like you have wonderful gardens!

Ken dug all of onions and we have a pretty decent crop. Should last at least a couple of months.
Ken dug some potatoes. A couple of the plants had already died back. We put some small 'taters in the pressure cooker last night with fresh green beans, and a bit of onion and bacon. That was melt-in-the-mouth good!
We continue to have a steady supply of green beans and jalapeños.
We are starting to get some cucumbers and we dug some of the carrots.
The sweet bell peppers are quite prolific. I've harvested a few and they are already delicious!
We should have some corn ready anytime now.
And we have tomatoes.
Ken thought we might have as much as ten pounds ready to pick! We'll be picking them tonight once the shade reaches the garden.
It's a pretty good garden year. We've had enough rain that we haven't had to water very often.
Life is good. {#Daisy}

Posted: Jul 26, 2009 - 1:17pm

I am getting impatient for ripe tomatos now so I tryed to shock the one with the most and longest held green fruits to ripen. I went at the Early Girl with scissors and cut out all branches and sprouts with out set fruit on them. I think I will trim off all flowers too, but haven't yet. All the plants, heirloom and Early Girl are 5 foot high now, almost to the roof of the greenhouse.

I am getting lots of basil and a bit of rosemary from the greenhouse. There is one eggplant looking big and lovely and lots of flowers. One lil bell pepper growing. The okra just sits there looking healthy but not growing.

I picked a whole bunch of peas yesterday. These are the supposedly edible pod peas that seemingly got mixed with shelling peas in a packet. I think i let the shelling peas get too big before picking, I haven't raised those since edible peas came out in the 70s. I will sort and shell these for tonights dinner.

We are getting lots of brocolli. The beans are blooming. The fava beens are blooming and I see pods thickening. The brussel sprouts are showing signs of little sprouts starting. We have an over abundance of lettuce. I pulled out hte mustard because it was getting too hot for L8, my primary customer

The raab has bolted and is flowering, I hope to collect some seed from that. I am thinking of planting peas for fall picking, never done that before but maybe it would work? Meanwhile the squash is blooming and soon L8 can eat BBQed zuccini to his hearts content.

I made a quiche with our eggs and lots of our basil and rosemary and broccoli for guests last night {#Chef}

Posted: Jul 24, 2009 - 6:49pm

an update on my garden.

the whiteflies might have been well on the way to killing a few plants before we noticed the infestation. one of my zucchini plants just up and died yesterday. the tomatoes are showing signs of some kind of virus. the plants are loaded with tomatoes, but because of the cool night, none are ripe yet .hopefully, they will ripen before I lose the plants and they won't be mealy tasting.
The soapy water spraying did cut way back on the whitefly population. We haven't sprayed with neem yet, it's been either too hot or raining. we might be able to do it tomorrow morning.

The corn is starting to show silks. so I've been out shaking the plants to help pollinate.

The jalepenos are going gangbusters. I've never had them this prolific and early. I'm usually scrounging for peppers to make the first 2 batches of salsa at the end of july. I'll make poppers and freeze them for the winter.

The eggplant is doing well. We've been picking the long thin variety for a few weeks now. the regular Black Beauty variety are almost ready.

Green beans are doing great. hopefully the whiteflies won't kill them too. I need to start processing them for the freezer.

Cukes have perked up from all the rain. already made one batch of relish. might get another one before they die off. I never seem to keep them through an entire season.

There's a voluteer unknown squash type plant growing. I'm waiting for the femaie flower so I can tell what it is. it could be a cantaloupe or butternut squash. both were frequent scrap additions to our compost. I also planted some butternut squash that is growing well so far.

I have an empty 4x12 bed that I need to plant with something. hmmm. I am never good at this mid-season planting thing. I don't have any transplants started. and buzz doesn't want lettuces. maybe I'll do broc or cabbages. now I have to find the seeds I bought. I don't remember where they are.

I hope everyone's garden is doing well!

Posted: Jul 17, 2009 - 6:30pm

then i hope your diet is victorious ... my 'battle of the bulge' is at a stalemate ... hmmm is stalemate the right word here? ... have to look it up

Posted: Jul 17, 2009 - 6:28pm

JrzyTmata wrote:

I am helping with the pollination this year, so I have to pay attention to when the bits are ready. Last year, we had half ears from incomplete pollination.

We've been calling it the 100 ft. Diet Garden. it's the new Victory Garden.

Speaking of pollination....

Most of my flowers look like someone took pinking shears to them! The cutter wasps are driving me nuts....I know they are pollinators, so I hate to kills them, but I don't know what will keep them off my flowers... {#Daisy}

Posted: Jul 17, 2009 - 6:24pm

schtan wrote:

i asked mom what tasseling is ... led to stories of her 'victory garden' during 'the war years 1942-3-4' , in the back yard here ..
all i know about corn is 'knee high by the fourth of july' and goes good with butter ... yummm

I am helping with the pollination this year, so I have to pay attention to when the bits are ready. Last year, we had half ears from incomplete pollination.

We've been calling it the 100 ft. Diet Garden. it's the new Victory Garden.

Posted: Jul 17, 2009 - 5:43pm

JrzyTmata wrote:

THE CORN IS TASSELING!!!

i asked mom what tasseling is ... led to stories of her 'victory garden' during 'the war years 1942-3-4' , in the back yard here ..
all i know about corn is 'knee high by the fourth of july' and goes good with butter ... yummm

Posted: Jul 17, 2009 - 5:32pm

Coaxial wrote:

Did your plants make it ok?

knocked a few tomatoes off the vines and bent up 4 cages, but the plants are all fine.

Posted: Jul 17, 2009 - 4:54pm

My wonderful green beans were attacked by a bean beetle or two who managed to make beautiful lace of the leaves while taking lots of bites out of my beans - dang the little buggers work fast!

Posted: Jul 17, 2009 - 4:46pm

JrzyTmata wrote:

not the same neighbor. in fact, a big branch fell on the fence

it didn't break anything though.

Did your plants make it ok?

Posted: Jul 17, 2009 - 4:41pm

Coaxial wrote:

So it was the same neighbor that put up the fence that had the tree that dropped the branch? He is high on the sh*t list now...

not the same neighbor. in fact, a big branch fell on the fence

it didn't break anything though.

Posted: Jul 17, 2009 - 4:37pm

JrzyTmata wrote:

THE CORN IS TASSELING!!!

So it was the same neighbor that put up the fence that had the tree that dropped the branch? He is high on the sh*t list now...

Posted: Jul 17, 2009 - 4:30pm

THE CORN IS TASSELING!!!

Posted: Jul 17, 2009 - 8:47am

buzz wrote:

silly man is up at like 6 in the am

it's true. and makes me cawfee.

Posted: Jul 17, 2009 - 8:46am

Xeric wrote:

He said "Jesus, Buzz, it's a little early in the damned morning, isn't it?" {#Lol}

silly man is up at like 6 in the am