I <3 My Garden

[AngelMomma]

A post from my garden blog.....

Mega TON Cabbage
I purchased assorted seeds from Gurneys early this spring. Amongst them was the Mega Ton Cabbage I had chosen. Growing anything unusual, spectacular in color or form is especially enthralling to me. When I sowed some of the seed, in the bed I deemed suitably prepared, not all of them came up. Due I am sure, to the fact that I have way too many little varmits running around.......wild and domestic. After I could tell what was taking off, and what was non-existent, I reseeded the empty spaces. I did indeed insist that I curb my constant desire to overcrowd the bed, where spacing was concerned.......still even so, I am not sure that I gave them enough elbow room! They sure have spread their first leaves out to give each other high-5s, hugs and pats on the shoulder. I can just imagine them muttering to each other, "Good Job, good job! Spread a little farther there Eustace, good job!" (This must be said in a deep, slightly muttery tone of voice to get the effect) LOL Anyway.....right now they are looking pretty, lets hope they stay that way and get nice FAT heavy heads. My Superman wants me to try making some Saukraut. YUM! These cabbages really aren't even that old......thats another reason why I am pleased with their progress.

And By the Way.......I do NOT actually hear the cabbages talking

With out the six-pack of broccoli in the picture the cabbages actually look quite like the regular size.



Read more: angelsgarden2's Blog | Gardening Community http://my.gardenguides.com/members/ange ... z2AjnMntbI

 

[Seifenblasen]

Great looking cabbage; and I love your garden blog!

The frog sleeping bag is SO cute!

 

[AngelMomma]

Thanks

 

[thefarmerdaughter]

Amazing! I have never been able to get cabbage, broccoli or colliflower to grow in our fickle Tennessee weather.

 

[AngelMomma]

Amazing! I have never been able to get cabbage, broccoli or colliflower to grow in our fickle Tennessee weather.

I understand what you mean. I don't know what zone Tennessee is. There are some kinds of plants (like orchids) that no matter how much I like them, they just don't like me and always die. I am periodically inspired to try again at something I have failed at.

 

[thefarmerdaughter]

Yes despite my failed attempts to grow members of the brassica family, I continue to try. I've been planting in spring, maybe fall would be better? Although both spring and fall are very unpredictable around here...

 

[AngelMomma]

I do only a few cold weather crops in the spring. I have always had much better luck with the brassicas in the fall. They have a good chance to get settled in and start growing before colder weather sets in. If the temps don't go too low they will just keep on trucking right on through the winter. I seem to have less trouble with insects this way also. And they don't have the desire to bolt either. Brussels Sprouts in particular may even be sweeter when touched by frost. Try things out and talking to people that garden close to your area. I have gleaned tons of info from locals! What varieties they like to plant, why and when. Of course sometimes I just go out on a limb and throw seeds of some sort in and try something out.

 

[ClaraSuds]

Ooh! Another gardening blog for me to live my green thumb vicariously through. I only have 2sqm of concrete, not actual dirt. :cry:

 

[AngelMomma]

More posts to my Garden Blog. Seed saving with our Cowhorn Okra and Lots of HOT Peppers to deal with. I am trying to decide today what recipe to use for making some Hot Pepper Jelly this morning. And Superman wants to make more Hot Sauce.........Not sure what recipe we will use for that either. The last Hot Sauce we made was Habanero for the Hot, combined with peaches and mango to give it some sweet to balance all that heat. Hubby really likes that one, but wants to try something new. And all the veggies in the garden are doing pretty good Cabbage heads are getting some good size on them! BUT!!!!! Plenty more work to do and actually I still have space to plant.......more greens and more peas please 8)


http://my.gardenguides.com/members/angelsgarden2/blog

 

[thefarmerdaughter]

I think your Habanero hot sauce sounds awesome! I tried to make a tabasco type (my favorite) over the summer. It molded before it fermented. :cry:

 

[AngelMomma]

I think your Habanero hot sauce sounds awesome! I tried to make a tabasco type (my favorite) over the summer. It molded before it fermented. :cry:

I have been wanting to make a fermented style sauce. With the last one we made the sauce, cooked together the ingredients and got it to where we like the taste. Strained and then canned it. I don't eat much straight hot sauce. But apparently it has turned some people into Hot Sauce thieves. One friend we gave it to shares house keys with family. Her sauce started mysteriously dissapearing She says she is mad now because we have ruined her on hot sauces and pickled okra. She just can't find any she likes now.

Since I need to make this sauce I have been reading up on it (the fermented style). I found this page that is good. I have always LOVED JOY of cooking, cook books. It seems that if you are having a bit of mold on top you can just skim it off daily. All my fermented pickle recipes say the same thing. I did make fermented cucumber pickles this last summer and we didn't have any mold form. Good thing too as I think I would have freaked out!

http://www.thejoykitchen.com/recipe/fer ... -hot-sauce

 

[thefarmerdaughter]

It seems that if you are having a bit of mold on top you can just skim it off daily. All my fermented pickle recipes say the same thing. I did make fermented cucumber pickles this last summer and we didn't have any mold form. Good thing too as I think I would have freaked out!

http://www.thejoykitchen.com/recipe/fer ... -hot-sauce


:shock: I wish I had known! :cry: I could have saved it! It was a whole summers worth of Serrano's.
Oohh well. The link is wonderful, Ive saved it. Better luck next year? I suppose.

 

[AngelMomma]

Yes. Better luck next year. Alot of Canning Cookbooks have plenty of recipes for Fermented foods. One of mine has Sweet or Sour Cucumber Pickles in many varieties and also Saurkraut........but no Kimchi or Hot Sauce

 

[AngelMomma]

Probably half the peppers Superman had brought home from the farm were bad 2 days later when I got them I guess they got more frost then he thought. So I cleaned and trimmed the ones that I had already and the ones that were still good. The picture shows what I am using for the fermented Hot Sauce. The green has a mixture of Sea Salt, Cider Vinegar and water. The Orange mixture has Sea Salt and White Wine. And now we wait and watch..................

 

[AngelMomma]

More updates on some of the garden happenings.....

http://my.gardenguides.com/members/angelsgarden2/blog

 

[AngelMomma]

My Christmas Eve Jam........I Call it Peach Ambrosia, we love it! Here is a link to the recipe.....the secret ingredient is Cantaloupe


http://my.gardenguides.com/forums/topic/88718

 

[Relle]

Love the jam, thats a lot of fruit and sugar in the recipe.

 

[AngelMomma]

YUP! Sweet tooth.....or teeth, as the case may be

 

[AngelMomma]

A couple of updates/posts to my garden blog. I made and canned up some Sauerkraut and have had some great weather for being outdoors the past 2 days. We have been doing some garden up keep and prep. There is SO much to do! The next few days will be spent helping in the church kitchen for a ministers conference. That might actually be giving my back a break!!! Haha!

 

[AngelMomma]

And all the while doing cooking, cleaning, gardening, seeding, raking, weeding...........I am trying to decide which soap I will make next. I don't think I will ever run out of 'soaps' I would like to try making!