Using the Garden's Bounty

I made 4 1/2 pints of salsa today with the help of my teenage boys.  I prefer the uncooked variety.

I'm just refrigerating it now, maybe I'll try freezing a jar and see what happens.  I'm sure I'll make it several more times during tomato season.  This salsa has 4 kinds of tomatoes (Early Girl, Bradley, Roma, and German Queen).

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I've been trying to use up my produce, but I can't keep up with the garden.  I've made 2 quadruple recipes of zucchini bread (in loaves and muffins, some with pecans).  We canned banana peppers previously and have tried cooking summer squash every way possible!

Still after all the baking and cooking the last few days, there are still green bags full and a garden in need of another harvest.  A couple of friends have taken some off my hands, but I'm still looking for some new recipes.  Especially for yellow squash.  If you have anything new and interesting, post it!

I wouldn't mind if the green beans started coming a little quicker.  I sure wish I had planted more 'Contender' bush beans.  They've been my favorite this year.

Butternut Squash

I love how pretty squash blossoms are.... Before the plants start sprawling everywhere.  I think I may put up some supports and grow these vertically so I don't have them going into the yard!

Pruning the Tomatoes

It's a bit difficult to reach in to prune and sneak a camera in there too!  Just trying to show how to reach in and prune back the suckers and extra branches.  Some sites recommend very mild pruning that will still leave you with overgrown tomatoes that can't get enough sun and air circulation.  I cut back heavily (some would say severely) yet I get heavy production.  The plant puts its energy into the fruit instead of the leaves!

Always prune near the main stem with a clean cut.

Let me show you why I chose today (before the rain!) to get this done:

  Before

  After

Tomato plants should be watered from the bottom as their leaves are susceptible to rot when wet.  Getting the air circulating around them helps them dry out faster.

More harvesting

Today I went out and harvest tomatoes (4 varieties), green beans, banana peppers.

I also found our first cayenne pepper and a cantaloupe.

The heat has forced me into working in the evenings when the mosquitos are out, thus limiting my time in the garden.  I desperately need to cut back the tomatoes.  They are getting quite overgrown.  I didn't realize that not everyone cut back their tomatoes, but I find they are easier to manage, have less pests and give more fruit that ripens quicker if you cut back the suckers periodically.  Just be sure to cut at the V of stem and try not to cut ones with blossoms already started.

I've made 2 fish emulsion feedings of the garden, but I'm ate on the third.  I'm considering using a different product (that is still organic) Vegetables Alive.  

Thirsty garden

Even though we had a little rain yesterday, my garden was bone dry today.  One banana pepper plant and the squash and zucchini all began to wilt.  I spent quite a while watering this evening (It's after 5PM and still in the 90's!) but there are a few that might not pull through.

I picked about 15 tomatoes tonight - mostly early girls but a few bradley and roma.

I think this week will be a salsa week!

Pickling Banana Peppers

I finally broke down and pickled some peppers yesterday. I used 2 separate recipes, one with apple cider vinegar. So many of the ones picked last week were already squishy so I only made 4 quarts.

7-24 How Does My Garden Grow

The melons are looking so great, but I'm sure they are not sweet yet.  I'm so excited!!

The fall squash is looking great.  Rather than thin it too much, I'm thinking of going vertical with them as in square foot gardening.

The Early Girls are starting to ripen more quickly.  The Bradley is still slower, but picking up speed.  So far the tomatoes from it are extremely tasty!  I took a pic of my 2nd oldest between the Bradley and the Early Girls to show how tall they are getting.  They are taller than the fence now.