A Typical Harvest
Putting food away for the winter
Two harvest pictures, two days apart.
I’ve never grown such fine peppers.
A variation of a leopard frog. Most of the time they have dark circular spots. I see several in the garden every time I am here. They harvest bugs for me.
This lovely spider has been hanging around on the same web in the tomatoes for at least a week. I am hoping she is disposing of cabbage moths, which have been like a plague this year, devastating one variety of kale and damaging many a cabbage.
Dog with a puffball mushroom. I have been scouting local hard maple trees, in case I want to make some maple hombrew next spring. This puffball is quite a bit bigger than a basketball. My dad used to love them, but he became allergic too them several years ago. I’m not a fan, so I did not harvest this one.
We have processed 40lbs of sauerkraut, we have 39 quarts of pasta sauce, about 40 pints of salsa and a dozen pints of stewed tomatoes and counting, to probably three dozen at least (some of the quarts and pints are left from last year.) I have yet to build a proper root cellar. I am hoping the cabbages do not have to be harvested too soon, before the weather cools. I anticipate putting away about 30 head of cabbage, minimum 200lbs of potatoes, about 60lbs of carrots, 100lbs of squash at least, maybe 50-60 good sized onions. I canned some refrigerator peppers, cucumbers and daikon radishes. I even made some daikon radish sauerkraut. That and 8 loaves of zucchini bread, which freezes very well (I used honey instead of refined sugar.)
I'm guessing I have grown about 10xs what I have grown in any previous year. I’m definitely growing more than my parents and I can eat; we are offering neighbors occasional care packages. My dad has even lost some weight, regularly eating nothing but a plate full of vegetables for lunch. He is eating at least 20 cherry tomatoes a day (can’t recommend this citrine variety enough.)
Based on what I learned this year, I’m sure I could grow twice as much food in the same space next year.
Wow, man! Your intentions and efforts have paid off multi-fold! It was a pleasure to receive some of your early summer bounty and chow on that garden goodness.
I'm thinking that you can keep the cabbages in the ground until late September or at least unless you see warnings for heavy frost. Trust your senses and watch for Nature's signs. You've got this. Keep a couple of fresh heads in the fridge or root cellar, because you never know when you'll get a craving for my famous Spicy Cajun Slaw! (I will email the recipe to you.)
Great haul! Are you water-bath canning or fermenting?