It seems my kitchen counter has looked like this every day for as long as I can remember. So far, I have canned 33 pints of green beans, seven quarts and seven pints of diced tomatoes, 14 pints of salsa, four pints of salsa juice to use in soups, seven pints of spaghetti sauce, 10 quarts of tomato juice and I have plenty more still waiting for me. I’ve also been dehydrating cherry tomatoes like crazy. The year 2010 will go down as the year of beans and tomatoes for sure.
However, my root crops can only be classified as an epic failure. I put in more seed potatoes than I harvested. The onions are not much bigger than the sets that went in, the carrots are laughable and I can’t even find the garlic. Luckily, I know it is not me, even the pros are having the same problems. The share I purchased of the CSA farm has been sparse in root crops as well. The soggy wet weather early on just prevented anything from getting a good start. Now it hasn’t rained for a month. There is just no way to predict what the weather will be like in Indiana. So, while I’d prefer to give up on the beans and tomatoes, I’ll keep canning. Who knows? I may not get any at all next year and have more carrots than I know what to do with.
10 comments:
Beautiful tomatoes! How many plants did you plant - and what varieties?
Hi Christine, this is my first visit to your site. What a fine place you have here, and those vegies!
Like your banner... will spend some time here reading your older posts
Inspiring! And yes, my counter looks the same. But this winter, when it's freezing outside and we open those homecanned goodies, we'll be thrilled!
Thank you for saying you planted more potatoes than you harvested. I thought I was just a gardening failure. Maybe it was the weather. Yeah, that's what it was ;-).
It's difficult to predict the weather here too in Nova Scotia. Usually we have to be prepared for anything. BUT, this summer was sunny all the time!
Great shots of your harvest....gives me an idea for next year....instead of freezing......can.
Jim
I think I planted five varieties, all hybrids this year. Early Girl, Big Boy, romas, cherry and another large one I can't recall off the top of my head. All did well. The romas started suffering from blight early on but still produced fairly well.
Oh, what I'd give for a fresh from the garden tomato! We planted 40 plants - I've got a handful of tiny green tomatoes *trying* to survive this summer of dismal weather! I'm in Oregon - and if I've heard it once, I've heard it a thousand times: worst gardening year I've *ever* seen!
:(
Well - I'll have blackberry jam coming out my ears - but at least I had something to put up!
My kitchen counter looks much the same -- I'm on my way out to pick more green beans right now. My salsa, though, is always a failure -- will you share your recipe for making & canning it?
We are drying cherry tomatoes too. I was underwhelmed with my garlic and onion crops....perhaps it was too wet(?) Congratulations on your canning accomplishments!
Bonnie Jo
Good for you. I had good early crops including potatoes but no tomatoes or green beans to freeze. I think it was too much rain that made the blooms fall off but not sure. Garden is done and I don't know what to fix for suppers? I am starting to plant a fall garden now but being in S IN it is very very dry after a wet summer. Some years there is a good fall garden and some years a early freeze ends it. Linda
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