The night temperatures have been unusually cool for August, which is not so good for the remaining summer veggie plants. But it's great for the fall veggie seedlings.
The last of the carrots were pulled out and I need to sow some more seeds for the fall/winter crop. I had no idea that the home-grown carrots could taste this good!
I have been harvesting herbs and drying them. They have been good to us all throughout the season.
Earlier in the season, my basil was getting attacked by something. They were so bare at one point that I thought I would just pull them out...
But I'm glad I didn't! They all came back and the more I snip, the more they give.
I wish I could say these tomatoes were from my garden, but I've been having trouble with my tomato plants all throughout the season and they didn't produce much. They recovered for a few weeks, but then with all the rain we've been getting lately, they were hit by blight and are quickly dying. The good news is I can buy a box of canning tomatoes for $3 around here. It's ALMOST not worth gardening when they are this cheap!
I canned 15 quarts of sauce from the beginning to the end. 3 quarts did not seal in my pressure canner. I have been having a problem with that lately. I can't figure out why. It does seem to happen more often with the wide-mouth jars though. I give plenty of head space, wipe the rim, etc.... Anyone has suggestions?
The rain has been great for some things in nature - wild mushrooms! My husband and I collect all sorts of wild mushrooms, but we especially look forward to this time of year when our favorite ones come out.
Happy Harvest everyone!
Linking up to the host of Harvest Monday, where people share their wonderful harvests!
YAY! Someone else also collects chanties and black trumpets! I love this time of the year when I can go foraging in the woods for them. And just a bit longer and Hens will start coming in too!
ReplyDeleteYes, the hens are coming too!!!! I'm so happy to see another shroom hunter here! Happy harvesting!
DeleteI admire people who know enough about mushrooms to harvest their own.
ReplyDeleteI actually don't know much about them.... my husband does. He is a scientist, so he is very precise and does a lot of reading and research before any of us gets a taste of any mushrooms.
DeleteHa! Yes basil does tend to wow us with it's tendancy to give back. :-) Harvesting mushrooms is something I wouldn't do, but I just don't know enough about 'em.
ReplyDeleteI can't believe how much one plant of basil can produce. As for the mushrooms, I used to think the same until I tasted these black trumpets. They are the most delicious mushroom in my opinion and does not even compare to any store bought mushrooms.
DeleteThose are some gorgeous carrots. I wish I knew more about mushrooms so I could harvest them. You are lucky to have such a detailed oriented hubby who is interested in them.
ReplyDeleteYes, I'm extremely lucky! We only pick and eat the ones that we are 120% sure that they are safe. It is really not very difficult once you see one. You just need a few very good detailed books. I actually had trouble growing carrots! But the few that survived were pretty good in size and taste. Most were tiny though... there is always next year!
Deletevery nice looking harvest; love the mushrooms; they don't grow in the desert ;=( Jars not sealing; could be the lids themselves, I had some old lids that had too much sealer on them and they did not seal properly. Another thing could be fluctuating temperatures, especially in a pressure canner, it will suck the liquid out of the jar, causing food to get caught on the rim and blocking it from sealing. 99% of the time all my jars seal, but occasionally one doesn't so I just put it in the fridge and use it that week or two.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Mary! I think you're right about the temperature fluctuating. It does seem that every time I have the sealing problem, I see food stuck on the rim. I did have the unsealed jar of sauce for dinner tonight, which is not a bad thing at all :) Sorry to hear about no mushrooms around your area! Well, you can always buy dried, I guess.
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