What did you do in the garden today?

[chickengr]

Were you using a dehydrator? You need air movement and warmth to dehydrate food. I dry my fruits and vegetables in a dehydrator at 125 degrees F (52 C). It blows air across them continuously, and they're done in about 12-14 hours, depending on how thick/big the pieces are.

You can dry food in an oven too. No air movement, though, so it might take longer. I've never done it that way, so I can't offer any suggestions. If you're going to do it in the sun, you need to keep bugs away.

I will be off grid at my new place so I am looking for the old fashioned ways to preserve food.

 

[chickengr]

Carrots (roots/tubers) must be cooked first then dehydrated.. they don’t have enough moisture in them raw to dehydrate in a timely manner before they spoil.. sun drying would do nothing to raw carrots.. just shrivel them and encourage decomposition..

I thought so. there is a video on youtube about blanching peas before drying.

 

[chickengr]

That's a lot of peppers! You sell them?

I was saving seeds & starting them for a while, but I had some red hot cherries (which are not hot, despite the name) going last year & figured they could have cross pollinated (I know they self pollinate mostly, but they could have) so I didn't bother saving any seeds. Now I just make my friend do it.

I bought jalapeno seeds last year. they were sweet - what a waste of time, effort and garden space.

 

[chickengr]

I've been wanting to learn this essential skill, as well. I bought a book on curing meat but I've been too nervous to actually try it.

can you post a recipe? I am growing 12 broilers - slow growing ones that are supposed to have tastier meat than cornish x.

 

[chickengr]

If you want to keep a strain pure from season to season, you must isolate flowers and save seed from that particular pod.. cross pollination doesn’t effect same season peppers only the next seasons fruit.. contrary to popular belief.. and there is no heat “in the seeds” like many people think.. there is a hot Cherry type pepper out there also..

I have 4 surviving hot pepper plants. I hope they are pure as they have been developed from the pure seeds.

 

[karenerwin]

I got my some of my tomatoes planted, 2 eggplants, 2 artichoke, some herbs (lavender , sage, thyme ) then temps dropped to 34 ( 39 was predicted ). Everything seems to still be doing fine.
I put 3 raspberry plants in the garden “for now”.
Am starting to get a few spears of asparagus !
Today I planted 15 blackberry starts that a friend brought over and 2 dill starts. Was going to cut the grass but the lawnmower wouldn’t start.
I’ve never grown artichokes before. Are they ( I can’t figure out how to spell it!) a non annual ?

 

[chickengr]

I use filtered water.. rain water is great too.. put em in a jar and keep in a bright windowsill.. remove any buds or flowers from suckers, be careful not to damage top of clone.. congratulations you have cloned a tomato plant.. watch for roots to appear in 6-8-10 days and allow roots to get 3 inches long and pot them up or put them in the ground..they will grow true to mother plant.

is it true that they produce a bit less than mother plants?

 

[chickengr]

The good news is the nesting boxes are now clean. Although I must have chucked out 7-8 dozen eggs in the garden compost (buried it in a separate corner) that were never collected so I had no idea how old they are. But now I can start fresh...

I bury old eggs when I transplant tomatoes. they love it.

 

[Sally PB]

I bury old eggs when I transplant tomatoes. they love it.

I'd never heard of that! I think I might try it.

 

[igorsMistress]

I got my some of my tomatoes planted, 2 eggplants, 2 artichoke, some herbs (lavender , sage, thyme ) then temps dropped to 34 ( 39 was predicted ). Everything seems to still be doing fine.
I put 3 raspberry plants in the garden “for now”.
Am starting to get a few spears of asparagus !
Today I planted 15 blackberry starts that a friend brought over and 2 dill starts. Was going to cut the grass but the lawnmower wouldn’t start.
I’ve never grown artichokes before. Are they ( I can’t figure out how to spell it!) a non annual ?

Karen, artichokes come back every year for me if they get sufficient water. Here’s an article that may help.

https://www.thespruce.com/tips-for-growing-artichokes-1403455