yesterday. Dug horseradish, gathered a few heads of cabbage. 17 degrees F overnight. Hoping, just barely, that a couple more heads of cabbage and some broccoli might have made it through the hard freeze. Time to start planning for next year. Planning to build a solar dehydrator over the winter. I'll have to prime and paint the salvaged (free) windows. I might have to buy (shudder) some lumber. Researching the best tomato for drying. So far, San Marzano (sp?) is holding the top spot. Looking for bagged leaves to dump on my garden too. It seems I just get busier, the more time I have.
It's a sad time of year. I spend the winter planning for spring, and when spring comes everything changes! There's no garden so beautiful as next years garden
We had a freeze last night that ended our beans. However, the peas, spinach, lettuce, and onions survived, so we'll have some fresh homegrown produce on the table for Thanksgiving. First seed catalog arrived this week, so planning is starting. Netty, you said it so well: FBG, we'd like to see your solar dehydrator when you get it done, please.
I had fairly good results drying SunGold cherry tomatoes. I cut them in half, laid them cut side up on cheesecloth stretched over a frame, and put them in the sun for several days (I forget how many). They had to be turned every three days or so, but they dried to the consistency of fruit jerky. I think Marzanos would do a lot better!
FBG, I feel your pain....the last of it for here was a row of broccoli on Saturday. A row of beautiful lettuce...I am thinking that after last night at 15f. there isn't much left for the lettuce. except maybe what I covered in the high tunnel on Saturday. There are still a couple rows of beets and carrots out there. I am hoping they are still good, but I will see later this week. Don't forget to take pictures of the progress on the dehydrator...one of us may want to make one, too. I have a little electric one and I should use it more than I do, but time time time gets away from me so quickly in the Summer.
V, we put a layer of cheesecloth over the tomatoes. It seemed to work, since we didn't see any bugs, including flies (I think they were all over in the next pasture with the cows).
