MY LITTLE BLACK BOOK

 

I have a little black book and I wouldn’t want to get by without it. No, it’s not filled with past suitors or hush-hush phone numbers. It is filled with something much more important than that.

My little black book, which is actually blue instead of black, is filled with tons (literally) of little facts and observations about my garden from past years. You all know that gardening is my happy place and I would not have the success I have had without the info in that book.

Every year I try new plant varieties, new techniques, new planting schemes, etc. Some have been great successes and others, well, not so great. Good or bad, they all go in the book. This is how I improve, raise better crops, increase yield, gain a few strides ahead of the pests and am reminded of my flops.

Sure, during the growing season every little detail that I want to remember is crystal clear and, even though I am sure I will remember, well you know how that goes.

Along about March when the weather begins to break, I have literally been a couch potato for the past two months. I go through the same routine every year. I think maybe this will be the year that I won’t do a garden, it is a lot of work and the idea of getting back into the swing of things is pretty daunting and my muscles will groan all over again. But then, as I pick up the seed catalogs again, the enthusiasm comes back. Of course, it is then that I am hard pressed to remember what crop rotation I used the year before, and the year before that and the year before that and so on.

However, there are a lot more things that find its way between the covers of my little black book. Here are some of the more indispensable ones for me:

*Even though there are a couple varieties of tomatoes that are staples year after year, I can’t resist trying new species every year. When I stroll through greenhouses each spring, I see new plants and they beckon me to try them. So, I end up with ten or twelve different varieties. It is the same with cabbage, peppers and a host of other vegetables. Naturally, some strains out-perform other kinds so I make notes of which varieties do better for different applications.

*Pest control evolves from year to year. What works well this year is surpassed by something new next year. Being all organic poses a little more of a challenge because once you know what works, it is not always easy to find the product. Some commercial chemicals like Sevin can be found almost anywhere. Not so for organics, many have to be ordered online so it pays to keep track where I find each product.

*I keep a chart in the back of the book on what plants are complimentary to other plants. Even though I know some, it can be confusing when trying to remember when planning each year’s crop rotation and it is also helpful when doing succession planting throughout the season. For example, when my first planting of green beans is done, I don’t necessarily put green beans back in the that same place.

*Keeping notes on individual vegetables is also beneficial. It’snot only growing them, but in preserving them. Since Ron got me a food processor, I can a lot of tomato puree instead of just canning regular tomatoes. It is thicker, more concentrated and lends itself better to use in chili and other recipes. However, it is a multi-step process; core and quarter the tomatoes, stew until soft, then drain excess juice and acid off, put them in the food processor, then bring to a boil, put in jars and finally water bath them. This process is complicated but it eliminates peeling them. I would forget the steps from year to year if not for it being logged in the book.

*I make notes of how different varieties store through the winter. I used to think that onion sets were onion sets but some actually keep longer than others. So, this year I put white, yellow and red onion sets out and will dry them all the same and see which make it to spring. I will be making notes on this process in the book.

*Herbs. I love my herbs, they enrich food immensely. Even better when I grow my own. Besides using them fresh, I love drying them for use throughout the winter. However, some do better if dried while some I like better if frozen in ice cubes. Then there are a few that I only prefer to use fresh. I don’t even attempt to remember these facts from year to year; more pages in the book.

*I am not mechanical. Hard as I try, I can never remember what oil goes in what rototiller and how to winterize them in the fall. No need to when it is written in the book.

For me, my little black…uh, blue book is a lifesaver. It saves me time in not having to research the same things from year to year. Some things just seem natural and others are harder to remember. Now, I have a go-to for when my gardening memory fails me.

It also helps my garden to be better each year than it was the year before. When I follow one path and that ends up leading nowhere, I try another route. My little black book helps me to move forward and keep improving.

So, my little blue book is more valuable than an indiscreet traditional little black book. To me, it is more valuable than any amount of money offered for it. I would recommend that every gardener start his/her own little black book. Who knows, it may even find its way down a couple more generations and help their gardens to be better.

 

 

 

 

 

PUCKER POWER, CROCK POWER

 

I love to see old practices that past generations used out of necessity still being put to use in today’s world. These connections to our past not only warm my heart but also remind me that, even with today’s technology, some old ways are still viable in today’s world.

My friend Susie reminded me of this not too long ago. We both have a love of gardening and preserving so, naturally, we share ideas, techniques and recipes. I was at her house recently and she asked if I would like to try one of her sweet pickles in the crock. What???

I had heard of folks using crocks to preserve food though I have never experienced it. We went to her basement and she removed the lid and took out a couple pickles. She said that they had been down there for nearly a year. I was a little hesitant until I took a bite. Wow…the flavor! I had to learn more about this method!

Preserving food in crocks has been a time-tested methodthat has stood the test of time. Without the benefit of modern conveniences for keeping foods cold, our ancestors had to improvise ways that would preserve the fruits of their harvest through the long winters. Layering food in crocks provided the answer in many situations.

Crocks were used to store fried foods like pork steaks and sausages. The meats were fried and placed in a crock with a layer of lard poured over each layer, covering it completely to preserve it.

Even more so than for meats, crocks were filled with other foods and placed in a cool, dry place so they could ferment. Especially with fruits and vegetables, this method allowed them to ferment naturally. With today’s renewed interest in probiotics, the long-time effective ways to preserve food through fermentation and pickling are making a comeback.

Pickling foods, which is really lactic acid fermentation, is experiencing a revival in Europe, North America and beyond. With folks taking more of an interest in their natural health, this renewed interest in fermentation should come as no surprise since this process allows vegetables to retain more vitamins and minerals while also improving flavors and digestibility.

Many other methods of preservation actually lose valuable vitamins and other nutrients. Pickling is the most natural method of preserving all types of vegetables. The list of what foods can be preserved by fermenting is nearly endless and includes cucumbers, beets, beans, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, onions, peppers, tomatoes and turnips.

Fermented foods aid digestion and metabolism and aid in weight loss. Besides these benefits, they are low in calories, loaded with vitamins like B and C and are easy to make at home. Perhaps the number one benefit is that they taste good!

With all this said about fermented foods, one of the best ways to make them is in crocks…yep, like the ones your grandmother used. Many crocks still in use todayare passed down through the generations. If you are lucky enough to have one or more of these, you can use it for your fermented foods or you can purchase new ones.

Either way, you need to take a few precautions. Old crocks are fine to use as long as they are free from cracks and chips because these will weaken them and let bacteria in. You also have to know your crocks because some were made for only decorative purposes and they won’t stand up to regular use.

Large usable stoneware crocks are made of fine quality clay that is semi-vitrified, a state where it is fired until it is hard and porous but not to the point where the silicates inside the clay body fuse into glass. The fired stoneware is then glazed, fired a second time to fix the glaze and then it’s ready for use. Many are fixed with a number on them which indicates how many gallons it holds.

If you choose to buy new ones, be sure and buy American. Many crocks on the market today are from Mexico and are fired with lead in the glaze and are not suitable for food use.

Basically, crocks are of two kinds, open or water-sealed. Which kind you choose depends on what you are making. Sauerkraut and other fermented foods are made in an anaerobic (air-free) environment. In the old days these were sealed with a lid that set in a water-filled trough on top of the crock. This was the simple way to make a seal and keep air out for fermentation to take place.

Open crocks were used more for pickling. This method was more prone to having one of several kinds of harmless mold growing on the food. It needs to be removed regularly during fermentation.

There is such a thing as a perpetual pickle crock. Any vegetable…green beans, carrots, tiny zucchini could be added. Every couple weeks,  a fresh brine of half cider vinegar and half tap water would be added to fill the crock two-thirds full. Along with the vegetables, a few dill head, a few peeled garlic cloves and a little pickling salt should be added. Use asmall plate or other weight to keep all the veggies in the brine.

Now, back to Susie’s pickles. The ones I tasted wereher sweet pickles made from a recipe that has been passed down through the ages in her family. She told me the history of the recipe which was almost as good as the pickles themselves.

What makes these so special…besides the taste….is that brined pickles will last a year or more with adequate salt content and fermentation.

Sometimes we make things too complicated when all we need to do is to take a step back, to a simpler time when our food was simpler. No refrigeration, no freezing, no pressure canning, just a time-honored process of preserving food in a crock. Maybe we need to start using those old pieces of stoneware instead of just setting them on a shelf to admire. Maybe Susie and her family figured this out years ago and are the better for keeping this tradition alive.

 

 

SUSIE’S SWEET PICKLES

(This is how Susie’s recipe is written, exactly how she got it from  from her Aunt Hazel who got it from …..who got it from ….who got it from ….and so on)

 

Dissolve four cups of salt in two gallons of hot water. Pour over four gallons of cucumbers in a stone jar. Soak for seven days, keeping the jar covered. Then drain and wash in cold water. Slice in the desired size pieces you want and put them back in the container and let them soak two days with water and allium solution, using two-ounce boxes of allium in enough water to cover the cucumbers. After two days, drain and cover with one gallon of vinegar and soak 24 hours. Drain and pour out. Put one or two small boxes of pickling spices in a small bag in the bottom of the container. Layer the cucumbers in the container using the following method; layer of cucumbers, enough sugar until all the cucumbers are covered. About 10 pounds of sugar will be used. Let set to ferment.

 

 

 

 

S T R E T C H I N G THE GARDEN

 

For us avid gardeners, we always want more…more garden space and longer growing seasons, especially here in the north. However, most of the time it is just not practical to keep making the garden spot bigger and bigger and it is definitely not in our hands to extend the season.

There is another way to get more from your garden space. It’s called successive gardening, which is basically staggering plantings of crops or planting varieties with staggered maturity dates. Each time a crop is finished, you pull it and start a new one. Commercial growers use this method to reap large, continued harvests and it will work just as well in personal gardens too.

There are four methods of succession planting:

 

SAME VEGETABLE, DIFFERENT PLANTINGS

Stagger plantings of the same vegetable every two to four weeks. Some vegetables put out a mega initial crop and then have smaller yields throughout the summer. This method works great with crops like green beans. Instead of trying to preserve all the beans at once, they will be spaced out over the summer and make it more manageable, unless you prefer to get them all done in a span of a couple weeks.

Besides green beans, summer squash, beets, cucumbers and leaf lettuce also lend itself well to this method. I also do it with potatoes so we have some early to eat and later ones to put back for winter. Planting sweet corn this way gives you a longer season to enjoy it.

 

DIFFERENT VEGETABLES IN SUCCESSION

Some crops, like peas, have a short growing season and after they are done with their space, other crops like eggplant can make use of it. Just be sure to provide the various nutrients that the different vegetables need.

Leaf lettuce lends itself well for this type of planting. It is a cooler season crop. So, after the initial planting is done, pull it up and put a crop like bush beans in its place. Once they are done, it should be cooler towards fall so you can plant another crop of salad greens.

PAIRED VEGETABLES IN THE SAME SPOT

A good way to maximize your space is to companion plant using one vegetable that will mature early and one that will ripen later. A good example of this is planting radish seeds around squash plants. The radishes are fast growing and will be harvested before the squash leaves get too large to shade the radishes.

I did this with onions and tomatoes this year. I always try to leave ample space for my tomato plants to bush out, but early in the season this seems like wasted space. So, I put onions between the tomato plants as well as in rows of their own. The onions are fast growing and I pulled the ones between the tomato plants to use as green onions and left the others in the rows for winter onions. The ones between the tomato plants were used before the tomatoes had a chance to smother them.

SAME VEGETABLE, DIFFERENT MATURITY D
ATES

One way to keep your crop continuously coming in is to choose early-, mid- and late-season varieties. The best way to do this is to read the “days to maturity” on the seed packets. Just about any vegetable will lend itself to this method. With some, you can easily get three or four different crops during the season and with others that naturally take longer to mature, you may only get two crops.

SOME TIPS FOR SUCCESSFUL SUCCESSION PLANTING

*Make sure you have enough seed to last throughout the season. Try to plan on how many plantings you will have and that will give you an idea on how much seed to initially purchase. It is best to buy all you need in the spring as later on you may not be able to find what you need. Some seed will last several years and others need to be fresh for good germination.

*Be sure to keep the soil rich and nutrient-dense by adding compost or other fertilizer between plantings.

*Sometimes it is hard to pull out vegetables while they are still yielding. However, once they are past their prime, the space could be put to better use for another crop instead of holding on to the old crop to get the last little bit of yield.

*Remember, you can start your seeds indoors for your multiple plantings. This practice isn’t just for early spring! Summer squash or cucumbers started in May or June will be ready to transplant when their predecessors quit bearing. After these are moved out, seed your fall greens like kale and chard.

*Some vegetables like cooler temperatures like lettuce. These can still be started during the summer if you first cool the ground before planting seeds. To do this, soak the ground and cover with a large board. After a couple days, remove the board and sow the seeds and then replace the board. Check often and when germination occurs, remove the board.

Succession planting will give you more bang for your buck in the garden. No matter if you have a large or small garden spot, it always feels good to make the best use of what you have. It also makes it easier to manage your time when preserving the fruits of your labor by not having it all ripen at the same time.

We gardeners have to use all the resources we have and s t r e t c h i n g the garden is a great way to do this.