We planted a few different varieties of squash this summer to see how we like them. Okay, so I planted the squash with intensions of forcing my family to try them! I love the sweet, creamy texture of crookneck squash sautéed with red onion, but no one else in the house eats squash except for the occasional zucchini in a stir fry. I guess you're wondering why we are growing so many. I'm determined to broaden the palates of the young'uns who live here. I figure if there is one that we all agree that we like, then that's progress. Here's the 2020 squash line up: BLACK BEAUTY ZUCCHINI We've harvested lots of zucchini. Zucchini will keep producing as long as you harvest and prune...and squash pests doesn't attack your plants. THEY WILL KILL YOUR PLANTS! We started our seeds inside in February and March, then transplanted them to the garden in April. They take about 55-60 days to mature at 6-8 inches long, so we got our first harvest around the first week in June. Zucchini takes up a LOT of space. They need about 2 feet, because the plants can get really huge if they are allowed to continue on. Since they are susceptible to pests, we started one or two more seeds in early June to extend our harvest. CROOKNECK SQUASH Crookneck squash is tried and true in the summer garden. There are so many different varieties that it's easy to get caught up in which to grow. We purchased Early Summer Crookneck Organic Squash seeds this year. They are rather small and tender. They take approximately 58 days to mature. The squash borers killed them early in the summer. Luckily we started some extra seeds in June for succession panting, so we put a few more seedlings in the ground two weeks ago. If we can find an alternative, we will not even grow these next year. It's just not worth the effort you put into growing a plant for a pest to come along and kill it. EIGHT BALL ZUCCHINI Last year we grew a 6 inch zucchini that we absolutely loved. It was just the right size for a family who is learning to explore other types of vegetables. We made zucchini noodles, as well as sliced the zucchini lengthwise for fries. This year, we couldn't find the 6-inch variety anywhere, so we replaced it with Eight Ball Zucchini. Yep. It's round. It is has a shorter maturity rate at just 40 days but still retains the color, texture and quality of a traditional zucchini. Last year was the first year I noticed how disgusting and just plain disrespectful squash bugs were. So far, I have not seen even one on the this plant. It is supposed to be resistant to squash vine borer. Added bonus! BUTTERNUT SQUASH We threw these plants in the ground in April, and they did not perform well at all. So we nursed them and petted them and lo, and behold, they began taking off in July! They are running all over the place, so they either need to be trellised or planted in a spot where you don't mind if they take over. Butternut is actually a winter squash. This is about the time they should have been planted anyway. They need 110-120 days to grow to maturity, so the photo shows the first stage. It adds such beauty to the garden space. And best of all, butternuts are said to be resistant to squash vine borer. We will update on that later. When I was a little girl, my mom would roast these squash in the oven. She cut them in half, scooped the seeds out and sprinkled the flesh with butter, salt and pepper. Can't wait. SPAGHETTI SQUASH Our final contender is spaghetti squash. This variety is Small Wonder, a hybrid we purchased from a local seed company. It is another round squash, but bright yellow, and matures at 80 days. This smaller spaghetti version is preferred because it offers a 3"-4" palm-sized fruit that can be eaten by one or two people with no waste. We've experimented with zucchini noodles, but this will be our first time substituting pasta for spaghetti squash. This should be interesting. I hope this post has been helpful for you and has encouraged you to try adding a little variety to your garden plot. It helped me to process some things and make decisions about what we will be planting next year. First, we will take advantage of the opportunity to plant a second crop. We will use some methods we've learned to avoid squash vine borer, which I'll include in another post. However, since it is sooooooo hot for so long in South Carolina, we will plant a second crop around the end of June to extend our harvest. The second thing we will do is try some additional pest-resistant varieties. Since my family is not huge on squash, it won't hurt to add one or two plants with different types of squash to try. If nothing else, we can throw them in a stir-fry. ~Penny Candy
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Last year the kids helped me make bread and butter pickles for the first time. We only made about 6 jars. It was our first gander at pickling, and we didn't know what we were doing. But the pickles were a hit! We used a store-bought mix, Mrs. Wages, and added the vinegar and sugar. Everyone in our house loves sweet pickles. We eat them on sandwiches, hamburgers or just plain, but I don't believe you would see anyone in this house eat dill pickles that way. We just don't. We planted well over thirty cucumber plants this year in four varieties. Two of them are pickling types. In spite of the quantity, the cukes have been very slow to get started with this summer heat, then days of heavy rain. We've only been able to gather a few here and there for salads or fresh eating. That is, until this week. We got a hard rain a few days ago and went out to find we had nearly 20 pounds of cucumbers to do something with- immediately! We got to slicing, boiling, stuffing and voila!, 2 hours later we had 22 jars of pickles. They are evenly split between dill and bread and butter. Before we could get the final jars into the water bath, you could already hear, "Can we open one now?" "When will they be ready?" "Well, what about later?" The answer was a firm, "No!". The pickles have to set in the brine for at least 24 hours. SLICE CUCUMBERS. Making pickles is super easy. If we could grow enough cucumbers, we'd never buy them from the store again. Start by washing the cukes really well since you are eating the outer peeling. I use cold water to do this. Slice them about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick or to your preference. STERILIZE JARS. While you slice, go ahead and sterilize your jars. I usually fill a stock pot with water and heat it up, then I add my jars and bring the water to a boil. They need to boil for about 10 minutes. Some people sterilize jars by running them through the dishwasher or even setting them in the oven. I do what Grandma did. The jars should be warm, because you are going to add hot liquid and put them back into hot water. You don't want to crack them. PACK JARS. Fill the jars with the cucumber slices. Make sure you use up as much space as you can. The slices will shrink once you add the hot liquid and process. You will want to leave about a 1/2 inch headspace between the rim and the top of your vegetables. Set the filled jars aside on a dish towel or canning mat. PREPARE PICKLING BRINE. Prepare your pickling liquid. As I said earlier, we used a store-bought mix, but there are tons of recipes all over the internet. I also have a few canning books that I go to for inspiration. I canned some banana peppers a few weeks ago with equal parts of white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, and sugar. If you have garlic, mustard seed, dill and celery seed, you can easily make your own pickling brine. POUR BRINE INTO PREPARED JARS. Once the brine comes to a boil, pour it over the cucumbers in the warm jars. Leave a 1/2 inch headspace. Use something long like a skewer to push down into the jars to encourage any air bubbles to float to the top. Place a canning lid on the jar along with a ban. Don't screw the band too tight. PROCESS JARS. Cucumbers are safe to water bath. Place as many jars as you can back into your stock pot or canner. Make sure there is at least 1 inch water above the caps. Bring to a rolling boil and let it go for about 15 minutes. Remove the jars and let them sit on the towel or canning mat. As they seal, you should hear the lids pop and see the indentation in the top. You can then remove the bands. Any jars that are not sealed, should be refrigerated. Use those first. Make sure you label your jars with the contents and date. Happy Pickling! |
AuthorI'm a wife, mother, daughter, educator, writer and hobby farmer. Welcome to my world of simply living. Archives
December 2023
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