2024 gardens

[Dotch]

You get all the early apples roony. 🍎

Found this guy or gal yesterday when scouting a soybean field. Wondered what the problem was with the upper trifloiate & discovered it was actually an insect, an ambush bug, & one of the good guys at that. Their camo helps them go undetected.

https://entomology.umn.edu/jagged-ambush-bugs

[glenn57]

wanna go thru the garden..........might need to put my sh1t kickers on.... might be A tad muddy!!!!

[Cooperman]

Do you guys blanch your corn of the cob before freezing?

[glenn57]

Do you guys blanch your corn of the cob before freezing?

what i do is husk the corn.....bring it to a boil.......for maybe 5 minutes.......dump it in ice cold water..........cut it off the cub and bag it up in meal portions. ......put it in the frig overnight so its 100% cold.......then freeze it. 

for us the pint size zip lock bags are just the right size..........tastes just like off the cob when there's snow on the ground!!!!!

[KEN W]

Mine is a little different.

I cut it off first when raw.

Put in a big bowl and cover with water and drain a couple times to get the corn starch and whatever silks and leaves are still on it out.

Then put in Microwave for 4 minutes to blanch.

Put on a cookie sheet and freeze overnight.

I have a Food Vac and vacuum seal it in portions and back in the freezer. I am still eating a little left from last year. No frost on it.

I just did 2 dozen cobs yesterday.

[Gunner55]

Had our 2nd tomato out of the garden on Monday.

[Cooperman]

How do you guys get the kernel off the cob? Last time I used a thing you push on over the cob and twist it through. This time I used a knife to cut them off, worked much better. I read that an electric knife is supposed to work good?

[glenn57]

How do you guys get the kernel off the cob? Last time I used a thing you push on over the cob and twist it through. This time I used a knife to cut them off, worked much better. I read that an electric knife is supposed to work good?

i tried something similar......had some teeth on it. i threw it out and when back to the knife.

[KEN W]

Knife in a cake pan.

[LPS]

Had two cukes to make two salads with last night.  Went out to pick them this morning and there was only 1.  This is in a horse tank so, let's say Jake had to stand up on the tank and then lean forward to get the cuke.  Was a nice one too.  Now we remember how last year as a pup he loved the cukes.  Oh well.  He is Jakes dogs cousin.  ??? Same father different mother.   Brothers??? 

[glenn57]

  when i see cukes ready to pick.....i pick them and put them in the frig. 

[mike89]

Knife in a cake pan.

angel food cake pan!! 

[glenn57]

i just let it fall on the table.........i dont let it worry me none about any hitting the floor. i got me a shadow!!!!!!1

[HD]

Picked some apples, cukes and tomatoes today.

I should have enough tomatoes soon to make salsa. I need 20 cups of diced.

[HD]

I still have too many cukes..

So I tried a creamy cucumber recipe

(Calls for 2 pounds of cukes, but I have no idea, so I guessed)

[mike89]

cherry tomatoes in there are good too!!!  that is good eats!!! 

[KEN W]

How long do you have to let them sit before they are ready to eat??

[HD]

We let them sit for around 4 hours before eating.

I like them, they have good flavor. But a little watery. I think next time, I'll sprinkle the salt on and let it draw some of the water out of the cukes before mixing up the other ingredients.

[glenn57]

Good idea. I have a recipe of moms that's a creamy cuke but with 1/2 & 1/2. And it requires letting sit in salt

Wife makes a creamy cuke to but not sure of the ingredients 

[KEN W]

OK.....Looks like they are peeled.

[HD]

Yup, I peeled them.
I didn't get a direction list with this one, so I guessed.

I'll document it later, that way I'll know what "not" to do next time 

[LPS]

They look great.  I love them.

[LPS]

Got one tomato.  The cukes are about 3" long.  I give the deers the apples off the tree and they are kind of tart but the deer love them.  The other real small tree has apples that are getting real red.  I ate one this morning and it was great.  I may go pick the dozen that are left on the tree before birds or critters get them. 

[Leech~~]

What's going on with my Roma's? They were going along do well, now most all of them have these rot spots at the bottom. 

[glenn57]

Inconsistent watering?? Mine get that right away. Then it quits. Add some Epson salt or miricle grow too.

[Gunner55]

He's been getting 1 or 2 tomatoes everyday but we had 1 for lunch & he picked 5 or 6 more yday. We had that bad last year too, Leech.  https://www.almanac.com/pest/blossom-end-rot

[LPS]

Your really got it bad Leech.  We have had it before but not this year, yet.  Good article Gunner.  I try to not get the fruit wet when I water. 

[Gunner55]

Yeah, he put in a new drip watering system this year that he got from that place that you like to shop. Just hook up the hose, set the timer to 2 hours, then turn on the lake pump/faucet & walk away. Some Miracle-Gro once in a while & a couple things early to help with disease. Even he said it's the best his tomato plants have ever looked, so he's been checking out some salsa recipes on-line. He just made some green salsa on Thursday.

[Leech~~]

Thanks guys that's it.
My wife had a bunch of pots around from her big flower garden so I through a few Cherry and Roma's plants in them this spring for tacos and salads.  Then running up to the camper most weekends they probably got dried out, then over watered during the week.  First tomatoes I grew in like 25 years!   

[Bobberineyes]

I had that rot bad last year, drought had me watering quite a bit.  This year I think I've watered twice and have no rot at all.