Pickles!

This year was my first year making pickles.  I've never had enough cucumbers to make into pickles, but the greenhouse really performed well this year, I picked about 3 5-gallon buckets full.  I used the Seedsavers heritage pickling cucumbers.  Have I ever told you how much I love my greenhouse?

The first batch I made were sweet pickles.  I couldn't decide on a recipe, so I took a shortcut and bought some Mrs. Wages mixes. 

I used my mandoline to slice them uniformly, then packed my hot jars and processed in a boiling water bath. 

The eldest loves pickles and has been asking for weeks to try them.  I was a little nervous having never made them before (and cheating by using the mix which did NOT smell like sweet pickles when I made them!!)  I took a bite and LOVED it, the girl?  She was expecting dill pickles and was completely disappointed to find that they were sweet and 'yucky'.  The hubby and I really enjoyed them, though!

The next batch is going to be kosher dills.  I am going to do a mix of slices (for our homegrown hamburgers) spears, and slices to go with sandwiches.  

 I hope they pass the 7 year old's taste test!

Growing tomatoes

The last few years, I've tried growing tomatoes in the greenhouse, but it never works out, the plants get gargantuan, take over the whole greenhouse and rarely produce any fruit.

This year, I took a chance and planted 12 plants out in the garden, chancing the high wind that is normal for us.  I planted mostly Roma (or paste) and a couple yellow pear, big boy and cherry tomatoes.   I had started seeds, but I have never had good luck and this year was no exception.  I ended up buying plants at our local nursery.  I thought that our high wind was going to be the end of them, but the plants grew compactly and the buds were numerous.  I received a lot of help from the honey-bees!!

Since the plants were so small, I neglected to stake them up....something I regret, since now the vines are loaded down with fruit, it almost takes 2 people to harvest, one to hold up the vines, the other to pick the tomato!

 I have plans to make sauce, paste and salsa with all the 'maters!

Greenhouse, how I love thee

Before planting

Six weeks later.

I use the Square Foot Gardening method.  You use 4 4'x6" boards, to make a 16 square foot box, then attach some lathing strips over the top to make 16 sections within each box.  Mel, the creator of SFG, came up with a mix of peat moss, vermiculite, and a variety of compost.  It works great and each spring I only have to add more compost, not hard to find on the ranch!  The theory is that you can plant something different inside each section without disturbing other sections.  I do this, but sometimes finding myself questioning what I planted when I find my labels have been washed off....darn fake sharpie!  I have a drip system and also some sprinklers. 

I didn't pick all my carrots last year and now they are getting ready to produce seeds, so I will be saving them to replant next year. 

I start my seeds in the house, these seeds will eventually go into the garden when it warms up enough.  I try to buy only heritage seeds so I can harvest and save the seeds for next year.  Hybrid seeds usually won't grow after you harvest them. 

 Onions, year 2.  They were pretty tiny last fall, so I let them go.

 Potatoes

Spinach

I started growing one box full of everbearing strawberries.  This is an experiment for me, as I have about 300 plants growing in the garden, too.  I want to see how long I can harvest berries.  In the garden last year, I was picking berries into November!

Green beans

Peas climbing the cattle panel.

I love my Greenhouse.  I've had it for a few years now, but still haven't taken full advantage of it's usefulness.  This winter I waded through the snow to see what was going on in there.  Turns out the feral barn cats figured out how nice and warm it was and made it home.  (Which led to finding some 'surprises' when I was getting ready to plant this spring.....ewwwww!!)   I was even more surprised to find out that my cilantro had re-seeded and was growing great.  My peas also somehow spread out and seeded themselves, so I have peas in random sections.  I started pulling weeds only to find my thyme finally grew, luckily I was able to replant them after pulling them out!

 I'm participating in the Homestead Barn Hop.  If you like my posts, then you're sure to find others that are similar!

Growing new stuff from old stuff!

I started growing celery from the bottom of a store-bought bunch.  I never knew you could do this, but it's doing great.  I transplanted it in one of the boxes after letting it sit in a bowl of water for a few days.

I also am planting a pineapple from the top of a store-bought pineapple.  

I pulled the leaves off the bottom, let it air dry for a few days then placed it in a mason jar filled with water.  It took about 3 weeks until new roots started growing.

In about 14 months, I should have a new pineapple ready to harvest!

The beautiful blooms

The greenhouse is bursting with life.  I love each individual bloom that will eventually turn into yummy goodness!

Sugar pea bloom.

Garden pea bloom

Carrot going to seed.

Onions that I planted last year going to seed.

Onion bloom open.