Benefits of Summer

[mywaynow]

Since we are all from different areas, thought it would be interesting to see what gifts from the earth are provided at this time of year. Veges, fruits, seafoods etc. We have the best corn in the states in my area, and it's all over the place right now. Sweet, white corn on the cob. My garden is pumping out Green Beans faster than I can pick them too. Tomatoes are a couple weeks away, but planted them late. No local fish to speak of. Maybe a Hearth Barter program would be in line? My corn for your??

Side note; yesterday I was in 105 degrees at 2:30, and by 4:30 a storm had dropped the temps to 74! 31 degrees in 2 hours.

 

[jharkin]

Our town is full of farmstands and we just started to get local corn the last few weeks. Been waiting for it since the start of BBQ season. Also bought some local blueberries (kids love them), etc..

OTOH, my wife's backyard herb garden is really suffering from the heat. We are on mandatory full water ban for a week so everyone's garden is wilting.

Same major weather change here. We had some huge thunder cells move through from the same front - first time in as long as I can remember I heard the emergency alert system on the radio- warning of a possible tornado developing near us. Didn't touch down AFAIK.

 

[Weird tolkienish figure]

Just lounging around enjoying the pool.

 

[ScotO]

This time of year I eat so much sweet corn I get sick of it. We will be buying around 20 dozen here in the near future, and blanching/freezing it for use over the winter. Nothing like having Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners with local sweet corn. Lots of tomatoes, fresh onions, potatoes, beans and peas locally too.

 

[Delta-T]

fresh catnip...nothing makes your cats do silly things like fresh catnip.

on a side, you could also have the thread be "the benefits of Sumer" and we can mention agriculture in that context as well.

 

[Adios Pantalones]

fresh catnip...nothing makes your cats do silly things like fresh catnip.

on a side, you could also have the thread be "the benefits of Sumer" and we can mention agriculture in that context as well.

Very rare that I describe something as a "good pun", but there it is. Friggin genius.

I grows me a lot of garlic. Never much luck with corn, but only tried once. I do well with hot peppers (cherry peps- stuff with cream cheese and grill, and habaneros- make jelly, and general heat). Plus the usual tomatoes, squash, etc.

Elephant garlic- bottle of a favorite local for scale.
E

 

[GAMMA RAY]

Switchin things up AP?...no friggin fluff jar for scale? Pfft....
Fluff is the bomb...

 

[fishingpol]

Hmmmm. Hot peppers and garlic.

Note to self: Do not work in the same cubicle as AP.

The first thing I thought of after seeing the garlic pic was a giant case of Altoids. Just joking ya. Garlic is good stuff.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

This time of year I eat so much sweet corn I get sick of it. We will be buying around 20 dozen here in the near future, and blanching/freezing it for use over the winter. Nothing like having Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners with local sweet corn. Lots of tomatoes, fresh onions, potatoes, beans and peas locally too.

Scott, we quit blanching many, many moons ago and think the veggies taste much better. We've also never had a problem with the food unblanched.

 

[ScotO]

Scott, we quit blanching many, many moons ago and think the veggies taste much better. We've also never had a problem with the food unblanched.

My buddy at work was telling me to try that. He said just shuck the corn off the cob, bag it, and freeze it. So you are sayin that works good, too? If so, I may give that a try this year.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

If you or your wife is unsure, then just do some both ways and mark it. Which tastes better? Which is easiest to put up?

 

[mywaynow]

Anyone have experience with vacuum packing green beans? Last year I did some but they were not good to eat. Blanched, cooled and vac packed. Found the beans were soggy when cooked, and tough. Was thinking that a shorter blanch time, quicker cooling and lots of time to dry out before sealing them.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Once again. When we stopped the blanching, the beans always have turned out great.

 

[Dix]

I agree with the non - blanch. Just seems to work better, and no soggy stuff.

 

[firefighterjake]

I haven't planted a real garden for a few years now since I'm lazy and it's much, much easier and almost as affordable to pick up the stuff at the local farmer's market or farm stands . . . haven't seen much out yet.

I do know that my tomatoes, while still green, are loving the weather up here this year . . . if things keep going I will be buried in them.

 

[firefighterjake]

Switchin things up AP?...no friggin fluff jar for scale? Pfft....
Fluff is the bomb...

Fluff . . . as in fluffernutter sandwiches? My sister loves that stuff . . . claims she cannot find a single jar of that anywhere in Alaska . . . says there are some similar products, but no Fluff.

 

[btuser]

We've got a good sized pond in the back of our house. During the month of July you can pick bluerberries all the way around the perimeter and on the islands (if you can get there). Every year I pick about 20-30 quarts and freeze them for pies till about Christmas. This year I'm going to try some wine with the later ones.

 

[Adios Pantalones]

We've got a good sized pond in the back of our house. During the month of July you can pick bluerberries all the way around the perimeter and on the islands (if you can get there). Every year I pick about 20-30 quarts and freeze them for pies till about Christmas. This year I'm going to try some wine with the later ones.

If you can cast a fly under the blueberry bushes, some big fish often wait there for ants to fall in the water. I've had a lot of luck with that when I used to fresh water fish (large mouths).

 

[ScotO]

I haven't planted a real garden for a few years now since I'm lazy and it's much, much easier and almost as affordable to pick up the stuff at the local farmer's market or farm stands . . . haven't seen much out yet.

I do know that my tomatoes, while still green, are loving the weather up here this year . . . if things keep going I will be buried in them.

I plant a huge garden every year. This year was no different, except for the fact that as soon as everything sprouted, within two days all the shoots were GONE. We had an EXPLOSION of rabbits and chipmunks this year, and I just can't seem to get rid of them. So I gave up on the garden, mowed it all down, and I am going to build a polebarn there next year. Like you said, FirefighterJake, it's just easier to get stuff at the local farmer's markets. Lots of Amish veggie stands over the hill in the valley (10 minute drive) and the stuff is all locally grown, cheap, and abundant.

 

[Adios Pantalones]

I have a fencing method that got rid of my groundhog problem, and I assume it would work for rabbits (though we don't have them as pests in my neighborhood, knock on formica), but I don't know how to fence out a chipmunk

 

[ScotO]

I have a fencing method that got rid of my groundhog problem, and I assume it would work for rabbits (though we don't have them as pests in my neighborhood, knock on formica), but I don't know how to fence out a chipmunk

The chippies are the worst of the problem. The are destructive little bastiges. That's why I gave up, tired of working my arse off when I can just take a ten minute drive over the hill for the same (or even better) vegetables..

 

[Adios Pantalones]

Carpet bombing. They're in burrows though, right?

Bunker busters.

 

[firefighterjake]

The chippies are the worst of the problem. The are destructive little bastiges. That's why I gave up, tired of working my arse off when I can just take a ten minute drive over the hill for the same (or even better) vegetables..

Never had a problem with chippers . . . I guess having four cats around could be the reason why.

 

[Adios Pantalones]

We have feral cats occasionally. I could plant that catnip that T suggested.

 

[Delta-T]

I use reflective pinwheels to keep the chippies and squirrels away....they got some instinctual reflex to shifts in shadows and such (thinking theres a hawk above them or something)....the pinwheels spin, casting reflexions about and....no chippies or squirrels....at least that was my reasoning for putting them there, and I have no chippies or squirrels, so.....if she weighs the same as a duck, then she must be made of wood, and therefore......