The Weekly Digs #28

by Becky Porter
Published: Last Updated on

This week I haven’t done as much preserving and instead have been trying to focus on getting fall crops in on time! It’s perfect because I’m harvesting a lot of peppers. Peppers are my easiest thing to preserve because my favorite method is drying. It’s so easy, all you have to cut into whatever size you want and then set on the dehydrator trays.

I pop them straight into chili and black bean soup in the winter. I’ve also rehydrated them for fajitas and even though its not exactly like a fresh pepper it still has good flavor and texture. I’m a huge fan of dehydrating, I’m not sure why so few people use this method of preserving.

 1.5 pound kellogs breakfast tomato

1.5 pound kellogs breakfast tomato

In the garden:

  • Planted St. Valery carrots for a second time. The first time a surface sowed them and didn’t rake them in. The ones that found a deep hole germinated, and the rest did not. I planted them deeper (quarter inch) and covered the bed with shade cloth this time. I think the heat was too much. I hope it works!

  • Also planted more carrots in other beds- yellowstone and starburst.

  • Planted tongues of fire beans

  • Transplanted the rest of my brussel sprouts. I threw a tarp over the top to shade them while they adjusted to their new setting. The tarp was elevated but fell down onto the plants. With the 95 degree sun the tarp must have got to 150 degrees or more. I picked up the tarp and the tops of the plants were fried. They were crispy and brown like the got cooked in the oven. They did get cooked apparently…with a homemade solar oven. I was hoping to use the tarp like shade cloth because I have so many other plants covered I ran out of shade cloth. Lesson learned, don’t use a tarp for shade. *Sigh*

  • Harvesting tomatoes, peppers, melons, black eyed peas, dried beans, herbs, and winter and summer squash.

In the kitchen:

  • Dehydrated red peppers. Ended up with about 2 quarts of dried.

  • Also dehydrated other colors of pepper. I was another quart worth.

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