How the Garden Grows...

We're in a lull between hay cuttings, so I thought I'd do a post on something non farm related that's growing here.  Warning...it's a little picture heavy, but I just love seeing things grow, so I won't be offended if you breeze through quickly!  :)

I seem to be having another good tomato year.  Those plants in the middle have taken off after a poor start, surviving ten days straight of rain.  There are green tomatoes galore.  The cucumbers in the foreground are doing the same!  I put them in a cage so that they can climb up instead of sprawling out, and as a result I get straight cucumbers, rather than curly ones...

Can you find the cucumber?  It's well camouflaged.  I plant Burpless #26.  The cucumbers are long, thin and straight, and have few seeds...

I haven't grown patty pan squash for a couple of years.  This plant survived the wet weather and being nibbled on by a ground hog early on...

Sweet Heat peppers are a new addition this year.  I'll use them in my salsa.  They came in a 4-pack, so if anyone local wants some, let me know!!

Sweet Baby Girl...my favorite cherry tomato ever!  It's almost as tall as my head!

 So far so good with the zucchini, too.  I know that one morning I'll go out and it will be totally wilted, but for now we're enjoying the bounty...

I had several extra railroad ties when I lined the garden a year or so ago, so I made a small area where I like to plant sunflowers.  I have a lot of volunteers in the garden, but this patch was planted from a variety pack. I'm curious to see what all colors I have?  There's a good variety of sizes...

Speaking of volunteers...a bunch of dill came up along the south edge of the garden, so I left it grow.  I had to pick some caterpillars off of it early on, and now it's enjoying life...

Last but not least, there's a row of zinnias for picking along the edge as well.  Such cheery little flowers they are!

How does your garden grow?

Garden Bounty...

Last year's cucumber plants died.  All of them...and before I got to make any pickles!

So this year, being almost completely out of pickles on my canning shelves, I planted four cucumber plants.  Here is today's bounty...

Last week I made a batch of Bread and Butter pickles, and today I made a canner full (seven jars) of Banana Pickles.  These are a favorite of ours.  I first tasted them at a birthday party for my friend Sue several years ago. Her Mom served them, and I soon asked for the recipe.  They're super easy to make, and are a good way to use up any over grown cucumbers that you may have!

First you peel them and scoop out the seeds.  I just use a spoon...

Then you slice them lengthwise...

Next, you fill the jars, packing them as tightly as possible, and fill them with syrup, leaving 1/2" - 1" head space...

Boil them in a hot water bath for ten minutes, and you have delicious pickles!  (recipe for syrup is below)

Last but not least, you feed the peels and seeds to the chickens, and they go crazy...

Here's the syrup...

To fill three quarts...mix together 1 cup water, 1 cup vinegar, 3 cups sugar, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp celery seed, 1 tsp mustard seed and 1 tsp turmeric.  Bring to a boil and pour over cucumbers in jars.

Enjoy!

Refrigerator Pickles ...

My family loves pickles...so I planted lots of cucumbers in the garden this spring. 

The plants have taken off, and to my surprise, this morning when I checked I had a bunch of mature cucumbers ready to be picked.  Cucumbers have a way of sneaking up on you like that, don't they?!

In the past, I've not had a lot of luck with keeping cucumbers nice in the refrigerator until I have a quantity large enough to make a batch of pickles.  So...what do you do when you have just a few...more than enough to eat fresh, but not enough to can?

Try these Refrigerator Pickles...

Refrigerator Pickles

Prepare 3 quart jars for pickles. 

Slice 1 medium onion into the bottom of each jar

Fill the remainder of the jar with cucumbers, sliced 1/8"- 1/4" thick

Stir the following ingredients together to make syrup.  Do NOT heat...syrup is used cold

4 cups sugar
3 cups vinegar * if vinegar is mild, use 4 cups and omit water
1 cup water
1/2 cup salt
1 1/4 tsp tumeric
1 1/4 tsp celery seed
1 1/4 tsp mustard seed

Stir until sugar is dissolved.  Pour over cucumbers in jars just enough to cover.  Screw on lids.

Refrigerate at least 5 days before using.  These pickles will keep in the refrigerator for as long as 10 months!


My sister told me about this recipe a number of years ago, and I remember that we loved them!  It's a quick, easy way to make delicious pickles without making the kitchen a hot, sticky mess...just what I needed today, especially since I just mopped my kitchen floor!  :)