Mumsy's Romantic Garden Advice

[BlueMouse]

I just made green tomato pickles, just with a standard sweet pickle recipe. Slices for sandwiches. I also had a jar of really nice fancy pickles, when we had eaten them all I put sliced green tomatoes in the juice. Two weeks later we ate them and they tasted pretty much exactly like the super fancy pickles. Very tasty. I'm going to make some relish with it diced adding some red peppers and onions to it. I haven't tried the green tomato pickles I put up yet, they're only a week old, I want to give them at least two weeks before I open them. I will report back as to my sucess then!

today the darned turkeys got into my garden and helped themselves to the last four or five ripening tomatoes. I went out and picked everything they could reach, in varying stages of greeness. The ones that are a little ripe I'll set out to ripen on newspaper. The really green ones are slated for green tomato relish. Dratted turkeys broke down a section of the fence in their overwhelming enthusiasm for fresh produce. It was very nearly thanksgiving early.... I did get enough ripe tomatoes to save enough seeds for next year, which is a relief.

 

[Jessica Lynn]

I do cook......but not a *try something new that looks good * cook. I guess that makes me a boring cook

But I could/will try drying some. I cant wait till the book arrives. I want to see if they have something for *sun dried tomatoes* like you see in the store in oil.

Ooh, which book?

 

[armorfirelady]

Eas

 

I do cook......but not a *try something new that looks good * cook.  I guess that makes me a boring cook 


But I could/will try drying some. I cant wait till the book arrives. I want to see if they have something for *sun dried tomatoes* like you see in the store in oil. 

Ooh, which book?

Easier to take a pic

 

[armorfirelady]

Leaves are turning & falling, had our 2nd frost last night (plastic bags over tomatoes still working as frost deterrent) and nights are in the 40s. Summer is def over. I dug up all the herbs from the garden and put them in pots and brought them inside and put them all in a southern facing window, hoping they grow for awhile longer so I can dry some more. The lavender smells sooooooo good. I want to use the dried herbs in the nesting boxes this winter. Hopefully my cats don't eat them lol

Still need to find a recipe for green tomatoes to can but I have been so busy trying to finish stuff up outside. I think it's going to be a hard cold, snowy winter. Even the squirrels seem busier than usual. The mums are blooming & so are my goofy crocuses :/

 

[armorfirelady]

I forgot. Anyone have any tried and true ways to dry sunflower heads? I tried in the oven after I got done using it a few times then just left them in there to dry. Tonight I found out why I could smell mold when I walked in the house. Sunflowers completely moldy in the oven I was able to save seeds from one and they are drying now, I have an other in front of the fireplace blower hoping it dries it completely. (It's only 40 here needed a fire for Akers chill out of house. The ones drying in the sun never dry fully either. If I can't find a way I will feed them to the hens but was hoping to dry them to give them to the girls throughout the winter.

 

[Jessica Lynn]

Eas
Easier to take a pic

Thank you!
Does it have the sun dried tomato recipe you were looking for?

 

[Jessica Lynn]

I forgot. Anyone have any tried and true ways to dry sunflower heads? I tried in the oven after I got done using it a few times then just left them in there to dry. Tonight I found out why I could smell mold when I walked in the house. Sunflowers completely moldy in the oven

I was able to save seeds from one and they are drying now, I have an other in front of the fireplace blower hoping it dries it completely. (It's only 40 here needed a fire for Akers chill out of house. The ones drying in the sun never dry fully either. If I can't find a way I will feed them to the hens but was hoping to dry them to give them to the girls throughout the winter.

Would a dehydrator work?

 

[armorfirelady]

Quote:
I haven't had a chance to look yet

Quote: It might but I don't have one. :/

 

[AletaG]

I haven't had a chance to look yet
It might but I don't have one. :/

this might be silly, but what about an incubator? If it's got a heat element and a fan and you can't catch the sunflowers on fire, could work. Thinking the reason the oven didn't work, is it didn't have the huge air movement to remove the humidity you need. I'm thinking about retrofitting the cab incubator I got as a dehydrator once I move the guts to the refridgerator unit that's perfect (and easier to clean).

Or go here http://www.goodeatsfanpage.com/Season11/dried_fruit/witheringbites.htm
and look for her reference to Blowhard 3000 (funny read, though)

 

[armorfirelady]

Quote:
Thanks I will take a look but I dont have an incubator as well lol