Your 2025 Garden

[NanaK]

Finally finished mulching the strawberries. I weeded out the main garden.

The mustard had filled back in from my last picking.
I turned on my radio, sat on a milk crate and worked my way down the row until I had 2 big bag fulls. One went to my aunt. I saw no bugs!!! Yay!

I also picked my aunt a huge bag of collards. She wants to freeze some. I'll send her more after Thanksgiving.
The chickens got a bucket of leaves too.

I still have 2 rows that have not been touched. The plants from the previous pickings are filling back out. Seems it is a good year so far for the greens.

We had cabbage for supper last night.

Picked one more head of broccoli. A couple plants have small heads. Some are making side shoots. This variety is called Gypsy. It has given me good side size side shoots in the past. All depends on the weather.

 

[fuzzi]

Heavy frost overnight, not in the forecast.


Glad I covered the raised beds last night.

 

[fuzzi]

My sweet potato harvest has been curing in the shed for about a month.

It's past time to store them properly.

I had a couple baskets that I bought in October at a yard sale. And a spare plastic laundry basket!

For packing material I brought home a big bag of shredded paper from work.

I first put the laundry basket inside the wooden one, then placed some shredded paper in the bottom of the laundry basket. Next I started making alternate layers of sweet potatoes and paper.

Ta da!

The outside basket keeps the shredded paper from falling out. The openings in the laundry basket and the loose shredded paper allow air flow.

First time I've done this, will let you know how it works out.

 

[Sally PB]

First time I've done this, will let you know how it works out.

I'll be waiting to hear how it goes!

What do you do with the skinny little sweet potatoes?

 

[fuzzi]

I'll be waiting to hear how it goes!

What do you do with the skinny little sweet potatoes?

I haven't, yet. Might try microwaving, then mashing.

 

[NanaK]

I was meaning to do a follow up post after we had some to eat. Sorry, I forgot!

I had the sweet potatoes spread out in pans in the greenhouse about a week. Weather was warm 75-80f during the day but starting to cool 55-60f at night. The humidity had backed off as well. The SP were not covered and fans in the greenhouse gave good air circulation. After a week, the skins had started drying. I brushed them off a bit and removed most of the fine roots, emptied loose soil from the pans and spread them back out. I also sorted them by size. I took them inside to a spare room. I set up a portable table to finish the curing time. I had an ocillating fan to circulate air. They were here about 2 weeks.

This is about the time I started hearing, "When we gonna eat some of those taters? They look good!"
So we did! Boy are they good! Now we've had some 3-4 times. I baked them and they are so sweet, very juicy, nice bright orange flesh.

They are now in a shallow storage bin inside the house covered with a towel. The towel will allow air but prevent light so hopefully they resist sprouting during storage. The bin is in the room I have shelves for my canning storage. It's the coolest room in my house. So far I have not seen any mold or rot.

I have no idea what variety this is. I only know it was a locally grown sweet potato. I hope I can keep a couple until it is time to start slips in spring.

This is much how I cure the Red Norland potatoes I grow.

What to do with the tinys?
I washed and spead a bunch of the smaller (about 2 fingers wide) SP on an aluminum foil covered baking sheet(sugary juices will leak during baking). Covered the pan with foil. Baked until they softened. Cool. Cut tip ends from the taters. They slipped right out of the skins. I would not want to do enough for a large crowd but for 1-2 people it is doable.
I'm sure the chickens would not mind the skins. I may bake them a special treat next time I bake some for us. They love sweet potatoes. This would use up the tiniest taters. I have a small box of these separated.

Stored Sweet Potatoes

@fuzzi I like your method too!