Pie Pumpkins

Your pie pumpkins should store well for a while if kept in a dry, airy place around 50-60 degrees. Store apart from apples, which give off gas and will speed the ripening (and then spoilage) of anything else that's sitting close.
If you don't have the ideal spot to store your pumpkins, I'd suggest freezing the cooked pulp. I freeze pumpkin in the quantity called for in recipes I commonly use- pie, muffins, bread, soup. Do it all at once for efficiency. To cook, cut the pumpkins open, scoop seeds, and quarter. Set in a large pot with a steamer basket in the bottom and water just about touching the basket. Steam until soft and allow to cool a bit. Scrape pulp from skin. Measure and place in a freezer conainer or freezer bag with the quantity written on it. When you need some, pull it at least a day in advance to defrost.

Food - A Perishable and Preservable Product

A couple of things regarding some of your food going by. Part of the experience known as FFT is to better appreciate the challenges of being not only a consumer of local, seasonal produce but to also experience some of the challenges associated with being a producer.
One of the responsibilities that may be new to some of you is the post harvest handling of produce.
Within most of agriculture, all post harvest handling is done by the grower and retailer. The consumer sees and buys only the best, already graded and cured product. The items that do not make it through this process and to market are either fed out, sold at discount, diverted to the canning industry, left to rot in the field, or composted.
Our project offers the opportunity to let very little go to waste, thus maximizing effort and resources.
So don't be surprised when things start to go by. A percentage always does and always will.
The trick is to manage these percentages the best we can. Starting with recommended varieties for our region with storage quality, and following that with proper curing techniques and optimal storage conditions will help us manage this process effectively.
Now, this is not to say that there aren't factors out of everyones control. Consider our wet summer. Frequent showers and the lack of sun during crucial periods, such as when alliums are finishing in the field, can make curing and storage difficult and in some cases impossible.
The real safety net in this system is continual quality control and the willingness to eat and or process those things that need to be used first.
In most realms of agriculture, the inherent risk of handling a perishable product is left to the producers and sellers. Operating on speculation, they have little option when faced with spoilage.
At least in our case, we can still eat the unmarketable.
There is usually a way to deal with any item that is starting to go by, either individually or in mass. If you are having trouble in dealing with anything in particular, don't hesitate to ask for some assistance in coming up with a solution for preservation.
Thanks for doing your part.

Remember when....?

Garden Update

We'd like to thank everyone for a job well done yesterday in addition to the great potluck fare and good company!
So many hands, such varied tasks and so much good food.

It is hard to believe that our next "garden day" on October 4th will have us kicking off the next growing season with the planting of the garlic and shallots. How time flies.

A couple of items worth mentioning, it looks as if the fall broccoli and cauliflower are not doing any better than the spring planted crop. The cause is not exactly known. If the other brassicas weren't faring well we would have more of an idea. But the cabbage and related family members are all doing well so it may just not be our year for broccoli and cauliflower. Reports from around the area have also shown mixed results. If you are dead set on freezing broccoli and cauliflower, we suggest you source some from another producer.

The swine and lamb will be headed for processing in early October. If you haven't made your necessary freezer arrangements, we suggest you do so soon.

We will still have edamame soybeans this week. Please let us know if you would like more for either fresh eating and or processing. They will be done for this season by next Saturday.

You may want to check your garlic. We have noticed some soft bulbs. The wet summer may have compromised the storage quality. So processing in oil may be necessary sooner rather than later.
Periodic checking of your storage crops is an on-going task. This is the best way to stay in tune with what you need to use first, etc..

If you need any further instruction or have any questions or concerns please get in touch with us.

Salsa Roja y Salsa Verde

This site contains two of my favorite salsa recipes that are specifically for canning.
http://www.cahe.nmsu.edu/pubs/_e/e-323.html


I sometimes add some corn to the Tomato Salsa (with paste tomatoes) recipe and substitute green tomatoes for some of the tomatillos in the Tomatillo Green Salsa if there aren't enough ripe tomatillos ready when it's time to can. Let us know if you plan to make the green salsa and we can throw in a few green tomatoes when you get your tomatillos, which will come to you like the paste tomatoes- you will get yours as they come on, so not everyone will get them at the same time.
Concerning cilantro, the planting that was timed to be ready along with the tomatoes for salsa is producing beautifully. However, the rainy late summer delayed the tomatoes from ripening when expected. So...they are out of synch! So if you plan to make salsa, we'd suggest freezing some in the quantity needed for your recipe of choice. Here’s how to save Cilantro: Freeze chopped leaves in a flat layer in a plastic zip-lock bag. Do not wash prior to freezing. Remove air, seal, and freeze. Do not thaw before use. To use fresh, wrap cilantro in a damp towel or stand upright in a container with an inch of water, and refrigerate.

First Saturday Workday

Hey Folks - Just a reminder about our next garden day on September 6th at 9am. We will continue the trend of sharing in a potluck lunch afterwards. We are planning on roasting a small turkey and will also provide a bean dish.
The tasks at hand will be the regular Saturday harvest(starting at 8am for the regulars), stripping the dry beans from the plants, weeding, planting another round of fall greens, digging potatoes and whatever else might need attention. Looking forward to seeing you then.