Mumsy's Romantic Garden Advice

[MumsyII]

Would a dehydrator work?

I would try a dehydrator with paper towels on the trays. I would keep an eye on them.

I have dried heads by keeping them upside down in large paper grocery bags inside a closet in the house. They really need sun drying to keep the big heads and stems from molding. I would sun dry and then put them in bags. You could husk the seeds from the heads and then dry those in the dehydrator.

 

[StupidBird]

Dear Mumsy, and anyone else: this year was a gardening disaster for many reasons in Atlanta and in my garden particularly. One thing that surprised me by its total failure was the new variety of giant tomatillos I grew from seed. Very prolific, heavy growers and heavy large fruit BUT every single one cracked and rotted, or got worms and rotted. Rotting was big. The plants died early late summer. Next year I am planning on growing only 2-3 plants of the giants and going back to my mainstay generic green little tomatillos. What happened? Variety or too much rain or what?

Come to think of it, the cape gooseberries have Zero fruit set, and same with the old tomatillo variety's volunteers.

 

[BlueMouse]

can I harvest calendula seeds while they're still green and then dry them inside?

 

[armorfirelady]

I had some tomato varieties that got huge as well and split and then started to rot or get bugs before they ripened. I just tossed them to the girls. I had a poor garden this year as well with almost a month straight of rain. The rain put everything back at least a month and when the peppers, eggplant & zucchini decided to grow we started getting cold nights. Here's hoping next year is a better year

 

[midnightroo]

If the tomatillos are like tomatoes sounds like too much water and not enough heat, but I have never grown them so I don't know for sure. If the gooseberries didn't set they may have never gotten pollinated. Did you see many bees this year?

I have pulled the calendula seed head off before they were dried this year. Some did start to get moldy in the jar, but then I put them in the oven with the light on when I was drying some dandelion roots so they look fine now.

 

[BlueMouse]

oh good, I'll just go ahead and harvest them then, The chickens keep noticing that they're brown before I do and finishing them off....

 

[Leahs Mom]

This isn't a canning recipe for the green tomatoes, but I like to make this recipe for green tomatoe and apple crisp. EXCEPT... I only use the green tomatoes! (Unless, of course, I'm trying to use up some apples too

http://chickensintheroad.com/farm-bell-recipes/green-tomato-apple-crisp-2/


Here are a few others:

http://chickensintheroad.com/farm-bell-recipes/when-life-gives-you-rain-make-green-tomato-sauce/

One for fermenting (except the site added to heat can it because they're afraid of liability):
http://chickensintheroad.com/farm-bell-recipes/green-tomato-kraut/
http://chickensintheroad.com/farm-bell-recipes/green-tomato-kraut-2/


And a whole list of interesting things:
http://chickensintheroad.com/farm-b...ato&cs-Ingredients-1=&cs-all-2=&search=Search

 

[Leahs Mom]

And another green tomato fermented pickle recipe:

FERMENTED GREEN TOMATO PICKLES RECIPE

This is an incredibly simple recipe, adapted from Ricks Picks. They’re ready to eat in about two weeks, but store incredibly well throughout the winter. Don’t expect a tomato flavor, but instead, more like a pickled-seasoned tomatillo.

I love using them with tomatillo, finely dicing them into green sauces, served over enchiladas, or creating a mid-winter Green Tomato Salsa, finely chopping them along with cilantro, winter-stored onions and several rough-chopped tomatoes, or rehydrated, chopped tomatoes.

Following Recipe Makes 1 1/2-liter Fido Jar
Ingredients

• 4 bay leaves (don’t double these until you have tripled this recipe, using 6-cups of cherry tomatoes)
• 2 teaspoon pickling spice
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 dill head (or 3 sprigs fresh dill and 1 teaspoon dill seed)
• 1 small rough-chopped onion
• 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
• 4 cups (approximately) hard green cherry tomatoes, washed

For the brine: (This makes more than enough for 1 pint, but who wants to only make 1 pint?)

• 8 cups filtered water (no chlorine or fluoride)
• 6 T high-quality unrefined sea salt

Instructions

1. Using a clean, sterilized Fido Jar, place all ingredients, beginning with bay leaves, and ending with green cherry tomatoes, into the Fido Jar.
2. Clean cherry tomatoes, making sure all stems, leaves, and any sand/dirt have been thoroughly removed.
3. Here’s the tedious part – poke each cherry tomato several times with a sewing needle. This is so the brine penetrates through the skin, otherwise, the skin will remain tough, like leather. This is a good job for little helpers – 9-year-old, and above, children who like to help in the kitchen. (Or adults who have anger management issues.)
4. Cherry tomatoes won’t expand like other fermented vegetables, so you may fill the Fido Jar above the “shoulder” line, but please leave at least 1-inch of air space between the top of the brine.
5. Stir salt into filtered water until dissolved and then pour over cherry tomatoes.
6. Place glass discs over top of tomatoes tomatoes under the brine if you have them.
7. Latch the Fido Jar. Cover the sides of the Jar to prevent light from neutralizing the vitamins and lactic acid bacteria; Or - place the jar in a dark corner in your a cupboard or 5-7 days.

Recipe writers notes: I find these are the most flavorful when I refrigerate them after 7 days, and place them in the refrigerator to continue curing for another 30-days.
Note: The pickling spice I used came from an Amish store and was organic. It was whole spices including mustard seed, allspice, dill seed, cinnamon chips, dill seed, celery seed, mild chiles, cloves, and caraway seed.

 

[armorfirelady]

Thanks! Maybe I will be daring and try one. All the tomatoes are in the basement pantry waiting for a rainy day to be processed

 

[flitter]

Where is everyone?
Probably doing what I've been doing... preping for winter?
I've gathered quite a few seeds for next season, planted bulbs and garlic, too.