Food Growing Mamas (and papas!)... Holy moley it's been a long winter! I sure have missed you guys
I set up my seed starting "room" and planted my tomato & pepper seeds yesterday (May 15th last hard frost date here). The rest will wait until next week. I will be planting squash (not pumpkin) this year for the first time! How about you guys? What are you growing? What are your goals for this year? Did you learn anything from last season that you can share with us all?
The cupboards are pretty much bare of any homegrown produce. I can see why in the past people have referred to early spring as "the hungry season". Since we ran out of canned tomatoes last week, I guess I either need to step up my production or eat less next winter
. I figure I have got to put up at least 50 quarts. *sigh*. We still have some jams & jellies, pear honey, one jar of pickles, a bag of sun dried tomatoes and some frozen bell peppers... that's it!
I learned that I need to make & can applesauce and pickles even if I think I am too busy and no one will eat them anyway. This is untrue; the minute we run out someone will ask for it, including neighbors, and family members will pout if there is not sauce or pickles in their holiday gift baskets. I learned not to make more than one batch of hot pepper jelly per year and to put it in 4 oz. jars. I learned pear honey is divine on pancakes. I learned that a sandwich baggie of sun dried tomatoes is the *perfect* size for us and they freeze really well. Also, tomatillo salsa freezes very well and takes up way less room than whole frozen tomatillos
Speaking of tomatillos, I learned last year that once I plant the darn things I can be pretty much assured of a bumper crop the next year too
Looking forward to hearing how you all are doing!!!!
I set up my seed starting "room" and planted my tomato & pepper seeds yesterday (May 15th last hard frost date here). The rest will wait until next week. I will be planting squash (not pumpkin) this year for the first time! How about you guys? What are you growing? What are your goals for this year? Did you learn anything from last season that you can share with us all?
The cupboards are pretty much bare of any homegrown produce. I can see why in the past people have referred to early spring as "the hungry season". Since we ran out of canned tomatoes last week, I guess I either need to step up my production or eat less next winter
I learned that I need to make & can applesauce and pickles even if I think I am too busy and no one will eat them anyway. This is untrue; the minute we run out someone will ask for it, including neighbors, and family members will pout if there is not sauce or pickles in their holiday gift baskets. I learned not to make more than one batch of hot pepper jelly per year and to put it in 4 oz. jars. I learned pear honey is divine on pancakes. I learned that a sandwich baggie of sun dried tomatoes is the *perfect* size for us and they freeze really well. Also, tomatillo salsa freezes very well and takes up way less room than whole frozen tomatillos
Looking forward to hearing how you all are doing!!!!