FARM GIRL'S CORNER - Knee deep in the Boule!

FARM GIRL, WHO ELSE WOULD IT BE?

Hi I'm Farm Girl and it's time for the fourth update on those wonderful, magical, yellow bulbous brassicas, Boule D'or turnips. It seems only 21 days ago that we sowed these seeds. That's because it was! They were sown on August 21.

SOME FINE SPECIMENS

  
We are hoping for a large sackful of these...

OUR VERY OWN BABY BOULES, SEPTEMBER 7, 2012

Very reasonable progress for 21 days, particularly given the near drought conditions which prevailed for the most part. Two days of rain in the last week have helped immensely.

One more thinning may be required shortly and then it will simply be weed, water, and wait. Fully developed Boules are expected by mid October with useful smaller specimens popping up earlier.

YUM!

Nothing like a bowl of mashed yellow turnips on the boards when autumn breezes get nippy; not to mention those more peculiar dishes the folks at Unnatural Foods are apt to generate with the samples we send them.  And what an interesting and comment creating hand out a mature yellow turnip makes for the dear children on Halloween!

This concludes our Boule D'or update for week three, thank you as always for visiting Farm Girl's Corner. 

MORE SEEDINESS - THIS TIME CONCERNING TOMATOES

Saving your own seed stock? You are to be commended. It is prudent, cost effective, fun and possibly even a (minor) source of income. Let's take a look a tomato seeds. If you looked over the posts on saving cucumber seeds (and if you didn't, you can find those posts HERE, HERE, and HERE) then you already know how to save tomato seeds.

There is one important difference, there is no benefit to be gained by waiting for them to fall apart from decomposition. a ripe or slightly overripe tomato is a fine seed source. You can even pick those half eaten by chipmunks or which have cracked from a sudden growth spurts.

Their seeds, saving those located in fat little chipmunk tummies, are perfectly acceptable.

Simply squeeze out the glop and follow the cucumber seed instructions.

Only use open pollinated varieties! If you are not sure what your "Giant Martian Hypersteak Tomato" is, exactly, just look it up in on line seed catalogs. If it is open pollinated, bravo and forge ahead! If hybrid, hurl it from you with righteous disdain. (Or make it into sauce)*

Now isn't that easy?

Thanks for stopping by!


*NOT "GRAVY" ITS NEVER "GRAVY!"

OLD YELLER PART III - SAVING CUCUMBER SEEDS IS EASY!!

When last we saw our cucumber seeds they were merrily fermenting in an old crock pot.* So advanced was the mushification process when we finally removed the seeds from the cucumber that it took barely 60 hours for the seeds to separate from their "matrix" and sink to the bottom of the pot.

SEPARATION BY FERMENTATION

When the seeds are all on the bottom of the fermentation container, it is time to remove them for drying. First scoop off the glop on the top of the container.

RINSING OFF THE REMAINING GLOP

Then place them in a kitchen strainer, just as this seed saver has done, and rinse thoroughly. It takes but a short time to clear the seeds of all remaining mush. We prefer to do this outdoors with a hose but there is no real reason you cannot do it indoors in a sink if you prefer.

ALMOST ANY CONTAINER CAN BE USED FOR DRYING

Seeds can be dried on almost anything, paper or china plates, cookie tins, or as this person is doing with a cut out bottom from a plastic carton. (We generally avoid plastic, but that's just us.)

We like maximum air circulation and so we opt for fine mesh window screens elevated a bit so air circulates freely from all directions.  A single layer of seeds is always best and it is good to very gently move the seeds a few times during the early drying process to be sure that they are not adhering to one another or to the screen.

THESE APPEAR TO BE PUMPKIN SEEDS BUT THE PRINCIPLE IS THE SAME. 

This seems to be a purpose built drying screen and the seeds are from some variety of winter squash but the idea is the same. Air flow + single layer of seeds = a well saved supply for next years garden. 

Always allow two and better, three weeks for complete drying before placing them in the envelope or jar or whatever you prefer to store seeds in. Always mark that envelope, by the way. You may think you will remember what is inside, or what year it is from but errors can always happen. A moment with a pen is well spent.

That's it for Old Yeller, the overripe cuke. We'll not hear from him again until next spring, when we start a few pots inside for early garden transfer and later on when we direct seed a few more. And of course we will tell you all about the process in posts here at the shed.

Thank you for stopping!

OLD YELLER, HIS LEGEND LIVES ON 

PS: Resist the temptation to expose the seeds to a broiler, microwave, hair dryer, Congress or any other artificial source of hot air. Far safer to allow them to dry at room temperature, out of direct light.

*Q: WHAT IS AUNT AGNES GROWING IN THE OLD (UPPER) GARDEN WHERE SHE THINKS NO ONE EVER GOES?

A. OLD CROCK POT, OF COURSE. 

OLD YELLER PART II - SAVING CUCUMBER SEEDS IS EASY!

OLD YELLER, POST PLUCKAGE

In our first installment about saving cucumber seeds we had plucked an elderly, yellowed cucumber from our patch and set it aside to soften, to simplify the process of separating the seeds from the pulp that will result.

SUCCESS - CUCUMBER PULLS APART UNDER LIGHT FINGER PRESSURE

Timing is by no means critical for success in this project but in this case we were very lucky. This cucumber literally fell apart under mild finger pressure; the natural fermentation process which frees the seeds to germinate on their own is already underway.

We removed all the chunky, non seed bearing portions and placed the remainder in a container with about a quart of water, stirring mildly to blend seeds, pulp and water as evenly as possible. Most containers, glass, food grade plastic or as in this case, an old pot from a crock pot that had burned out long ago will do just fine. Do clean the container thoroughly first, however.

SEEDS AND PULP FLOATING IN CLEAN WATER IN CROCK POT
 

If you have the pots original lid, simply put it in place and store the crock in a room temperature, dimly lit environment until the fermentation process has freed the bulk of the seeds. Most folks start with a sturdier cucumber than we have here; the process might take as long as 5 days.

In this case I'm betting on less than 72 hours but we shall see. Once a day open and examine the contents of the crock, stirring lightly. When almost all the seeds are on the bottom, it is time for phase 3 of our seed saving process, This will be detailed in another post, shortly.

Perhaps you do not have the pots' original lid? You do want to cover the crock. If you have a plate that fits properly, that is fine or you can make do with plastic, as we have here.

PLASTIC SECURED WITH RUBBER BAND MAKES A SUITABLE COVER

Poke several holes in the plastic to allow the fermentation gases to escape, and you are well on your way to starting your own stock of heirloom cucumber seeds!

That is about all we have for today, thanks as always for visiting Uncle Mac's Garden Shed!  

RIPE TOMATOES

Yes, it is that time of the growing season once again, when all of those wonderful crimson giants and tiny tasty red morsels arrive all at once, unexpected and in large numbers much like an IRS auditing unit although significantly more welcome. Yes, after 6 weeks of shamefaced slinkings into the Piggly-Wiggly to score a ripe Super Steak 'mater for the garden salad, you find yourself buried deeper in red than the national treasury.

Why, just look at we we're enjoying here at the Shed!

RUTGER'S TOMATOE'S RIPENING ON THE VINE

 
Olde German and Pruden's Purple (both heirloom varieties), ripening on Mr. Bears personal dancing table.




OLDE AND PRU, PERFECT TOGETHER

Super sweet Grape tomatoes delicious from the vine, as snacks, in salads or even cooked. (See this stuffed pepper recipe)

YUM!

Here is a popular old heirloom favorite variety that is available through virtually every seed company and at every garden store, after nearly vanishing from the scene a few decades back. Many of you recognize the distinct pinkish coloration of the Brandywine tomato.

THE BRANDYWINE HEIRLOOM TOMATO

This last but undeniably most delightful of ripe tomatoes seems to be in woefully short supply in our particular zone. But worth a gander never the less!

VIDARRUS GUERRUS

What to do with all this garden goodness? Share with friends and neighbors, open a roadside stand, make sauce*, or prepare and freeze tomato based soups! Canning and pickling are valid options as well.

Most important, tomato seeds are extraordinarily easy to save - a post on the topic is coming, never fear - and it is a rewarding practice. The Brandywine, Olde German and Prudens Purple shown are established open pollinated varieties.  Plants grown from their home-saved seeds generally give pleasantly reliable results.

This something to keep in mind; snow will be flying shortly and you will be planning the 2013 garden before you know it. Heirloom varieties yield genetically unmodified fruits and veggies and free you from the clutches of the Monsanto's of the world and their ilk**. 

Thanks as always for stopping by at Uncle Mac's garden Shed.


*THERE ARE PEOPLE, KIND, GENEROUS AND GOOD HEARTED FOLKS NO DOUBT WHO NEVER THE LESS REFER TO THE TOMATO PRODUCT MADE BY REDUCING RAW RIPE TOMATOES TO A THICKER, NICELY SEASONED SUBSTANCE TO BE USED IN CONJUNCTION WITH PASTA AS "GRAVY". THERE ARE OTHER, MORE BARBAROUS SITES FOR THESE FOLKS TO VISIT, IS ALL WE'RE SAYING.

**WE HAVE LITTLE USE FOR ILK, HERE AT THE SHED. 

FARM GIRL'S CORNER - Shootin' the Boule

Farm Girl here! Its Friday already and that means that its time to check the progress of the Boule D'or yellow turnips; planted from seed just 14 days ago on August 17th. Lets see just what we have...

Progressing nicely from having been seeds in a packet only 14 days ago. We've thinned them to just two turnips for each spot with one final thinning to go. A little weeding was necessary but late in the year like this, weeds are not germinating as aggressively as they do in springtime.

Growth has been slowed significantly by lack of rain; there has been less than 5 minutes precipitation since the seeds were sown and while we are hand watering the supply available for that is restricted as well.

Still, we expect to bring you the third week Boule update a week from today. Thanks as always for visiting farm girls Corner!

Lead photo courtesy of April May Maple who retains all rights:

Lead photo model: April May Maple



THE SECRET LIFE OF RUTABAGAS

Woo hoo! Aunt Agnes here! I know they don't want me postin' anymore but they's all out in the Shed with the door locked plottin' somethin' mysterious so I'm here in the house usin' Old Mac's old Mac to show you what goes on in the rutabaga patch.

Do you have a Rutabaga patch? Well then you know that you cain't rightly tell what you have just by a casual peek because all you can see from the top is a sea of greenery.

Now you take this feller here out his 'baga field. Do you think he has any idea what's growing under all that green stuff? He does not he has to yank a few samples up by the roots! What kind of wastage is that in a world consumed by rampant hunger?

That ain't how we do things here at the Shed. Uncle Mac just looks at me and says:

"Agnes! Are you still here? Make yourself useful and get down on your belly in the mud and tell us how the Rutabagas are doing!"

This is how I know they're warmin' up to me. And nobody can git down in the dirt like Ol' Aggy, let me tell ya. So here's what I see on the north side of the bed...

Ain't that a fine example of a Rutabaga, or Swede, or as some folks call them (Incorrectly I might add) yeller turnip?

Now lets go around to the north end...

Now look at that fine specimen, cheek by jowl with that can o' beer I put down yesterday and forgot about. But its a good thing that its there because it makes a handy size reference for just how big a rutabaga can get in the right conditions.

And its a good thing because it was still half full! Ain't Mother Nature wonderful?

This 'un here is about the size of a softball now and still has a good six weeks growin' to go.

Well I gotta go I jist heard the Shed door bangin' and I don't want to be caught postin' on this fool blog o' theirs. But I'll keep you up on all this rutabagian stuff whenever they's a chance to.

Thank you for viewin' another Agnes extravaganza at Uncle Mac's garden Shed!