A good problem to have....(I think)

After a slow start in the spring(bugs and cold days). It's turned into a very good year for just about everything. Peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, beans have all done great. Usually it seems like when it's a good year for one type of veggie, another will do just ok, or struggle. This year they all have continued to produce like crazy and has kept me quite busy watering, fertilizing and making sure the bugs don't get out of control. Just when I start thinking it's time to slow down for a bit before shifting gears into cole crops. I pick over 50 lbs. of peppers today. Pictured is part of what I picked.....looks like I need to get another table :) I've been making hot sauce, juicing, drying, stuffing, salsa, pickling.....as well as giving bags away. What else can one do with them? How do they do once frozen?

This is one of the bigger harvest this year, but it looks like I will have close to this much in about another 2 weeks....if I don't decide to chop them down :)

WOW! I don't have any suggestions - just marveling at this photo. :)

That is a crazy amount of peppers, all the colors make a great picture. Regarding freezing them, I have done that in the past,when I just wanted to get them off the kitchen table NOW. I have found that they keep their taste but lose their consistence, so they can still be used to cook with but are too mushy to use uncooked, but I didn't blanch them just washed them off and stuck them in the freezer.

That is the most amazing crop I have ever seen! WOW!
Freezing stuffed peppers works well for me and I stuff just about any size I can since my husband loves them! I just take them out, microwave, add some tomato sauce and cheese on top and they are great - a nice meal in itself since I stuff with cooked meat and rice!

Amanda - Thanks, I'm still preserving some I had from the prior harvest. 10 days before(pic) this last one. It's a non-stop job this time of year.

Lisa - I figured they would get mushy if I froze them. But should be fine if I plan on turning them into sauce. So, do you stem and seed the peppers? Would save me a lot of time if I didn't have to. I wouldn't make such a huge mess in the kitchen :)

gardadore - Oh, it's been like this for a couple of months now. But usually not this many peppers at one time. I've been eating stuffed peppers constantly. Never thought about freezing them after I make a batch. Will give that a try too.



Looking back at the prior picking 10 days ago and the most recent one. I count(roughly) 75 Big Daddy peppers within 2 weeks off of 7-8 plants. That's a nice amount for such large peppers(some easily 10", average about 7"). I've grown them for the past 2 years and has yet to disappoint on taste or production. I don't know of anyone else that has grown it, but I'm curious to how well they do for others in different parts of the country. Plus, Burpee describes the growth a lot different than I have seen with them. They say 73 days and 18"-24". For me at least 90-95 days and the plant grows at least twice that tall. It's very viney and needs to be staked. Growth is a lot like Poblanos or Anaheims. Anybody ever grown them? I'm very curious to hear your experiences.

Nope, i don't take the stems off or remove the seeds. Just stick them in the freezer. I have used them in salsa. I purée them and use them as a base, then I add fresh peppers for texture.

Nice! That'll save me a lot of time....and mess.

Yes, but you cleanup your mess. : )

Begrudgingly.

I've tried to let it disappear on it's own....but it just doesn't.

I know it doesn't go away that's why it can wait until the morning. Although, unless you have a lot of counter space you kind of have to clean as you go.

My neighbor and I used to can together and she has a really small kitchen. We were canning one summer and I was pregnant I was so HUGE that by the end of the season only one of us could fit in the kitchen.

HA! I can picture that. My kitchen is tiny too. I have no idea why it takes so long to clean after each use. Clean as I go? That'll be the day. I make a monumental mess and then stress on it until it's at least somewhat cleaned up. I either get up out of bed to clean it or end up late to work the next morning.

That's funny.

Reminded me that my BF grew tomatoes one year and announced he was going to jar them. Remembering what a colossal mess Mom used to make in our tiny kitchen and how many sink loads of dishes and colanders and pots and pans were involved, I told him that I would not be around if/when he decided to embark on his jarring adventure. :D

He did it. We survived. I did not participate.

Haha...."sink loads of dishes and colanders and pots and pans were involved". Glad I'm not the only one that makes Skyscraper like dish towers in the sink. I should take a before & after pic next time. It takes a special kind of skill to make a mess like I do lol

I won't mention the time I was juicing hot peppers and didn't close the top completely. Pepper mist in the air and cupboards spackled with peppers slivers made for one tough cleanup :)

I still have pumpkin purée on my kitchen ceiling from not putting the top on the blender one time. I guess when I was painting the kitchen I should have cleaned it off. Not as bad as hot peppers though. Lol.

Last Saturday, I recycled last season's seed starting mix, by sterilizing it in an old microwave. Then, I sowed cole crop seeds for the upcoming season, all in my very, very, small kitchen. When I was done, it looked like someone had set off a dirt bomb in it!

I mentioned to a girlfriend that I had done this inside, and she remarked, "IN YOUR KITCHEN?" "You should do that outside, or in your garage". I asked her if she knew how hot it was outside (100+°), or how hot it was in my garage (115+°)? Then she said, "But, you oughtta know better. What would your momma say?"

Upon which I thought back proudly on all the support my mother (who died 13 years ago) ever gave me for anything in my life that was important to me, and, I answered, "I know exactly what my mother would do". At which point another good friend (who knows me, and knew my mother very well) chimed in at the exact moment -- "She'd be right there, helping me!!"

And, at the end of the all-weekend, seed-sowing marathon, and the late, late, late Sunday night clean-up, I turned before leaving the kitchen. I stood there with my hand on the light switch, looking around at my sparkling clean kitchen and I thought to myself that dirt can always be cleaned up....

Then, I thanked my mother for teaching me that there are some things in life that are more important than how clean a kitchen is...and, that daring to dream of a seed becoming an entire meal to feed a family in need, is one of them...

Thanks, Mother!

That's a great story, Gymgirl. My mom always tells me Im just like my grandmother, who died years ago at 89 yrs of age, and raised 6 kids to adulthood by herself during the depression. Just like her I'd rather be outside (well not in these heat) with my animals gardening. Just like her I can grow almost anything but you better be happy to eat it raw, unless your willing to eat it burnt. Ive raised 2 boys on my own. For years we only ate meat from animals we had raised and most fruits and veggies too. I feel my German grandmother with me all the time. My parents can never figure out where I came from I guess the Farming genes run deep!

ATM I have cool weather crops germinating in my bathroom (coolest room in the house). They are then moved into my light set up in my bedroom. I have a large house which makes it easier. All the seeds were put in their trays at my kichen table. Its clean now but didnt get that way as quick as if Ray had done it. lol I guess its really no surprise that I've never remarried. (grin)

@ Linda - that's so sweet. :)

Thanks, Guys, for being my kinda down to earth folks!

Linda, your story put a smile on my face :) Thanks!

Thank you, Ray! You started this!

Gymgirl - how do you sterilize seed starting mix in a microwave? I used to sterilize my soil this way when I grew African Violets (they are such divas) but I never did know how to do it correctly.

Although it's been a few years, I think the method you use, is similar to one I used - except for sowing seeds. I waited until the mix was completely cooled before using it for African Violets. I recently ran out of my usual coir mix and resorted to purchasing potting soil. Out of two dozen broccoli seeds sown, only six grew! I've never had this problem before. I'm going to steralize the rest of the potting soil, and order more coir from Worm's Way.

Is there a particular reason for not using the microwave we use everyday? I think I might have an old microwave out in the garage.

Just incase anyone reading this is interested in sterilizing soil - it's causes quite a stink in the kitchen! Phew!

>>"I recently ran out of my usual coir mix and resorted to purchasing potting soil. Out of two dozen broccoli seeds sown, only six grew! I've never had this problem before."

Honeybee, "sterilized soil" has nothing to do with germination rates, nor does the medium the seeds are germinating in. After all, if seeds will germinate in a wet paper towel then if they are viable they will germinate anywhere, as long as requirements are met, of course.

I've used coir, potting mixes, etc, you name it. What is more important than the medium is your planting depth, moisture, temperature, etc. Most important is the age and viability of the seeds themselves so perhaps that may have come into play with your six broccoli, eh? As for your commercially purchase "potting soil" that is the worst seed starting medium you could buy. Better to go with a potting mix or seed starting mix.

Shoe

Honeybee,
I agree with everything shoe said, especially about using potting soil to start seeds. I'm sterilizing seedling starter or potting mix in an old microwave only because the one I got for a steal is larger than my everyday micro.

That, and the looks I got from my non-gardener friends when told them I was using my everyday microwave...

Regarding the smell -- it disappears as soon as the medium cools off completely ... no worries...

Linda

Horseshoe - the seeds were dated for 2011, and I used my usual methods for starting them, so I don't think that was the problem.

I just checked the bag and it says "Potting Mix" not potting soil. (my bad!) - Perhaps I purchased a bad batch of either seeds or potting mix.

I think I'll try sprouting some of the broccoli seeds in a damp paper towel...

"Perhaps I purchased a bad batch of either seeds or potting mix."

It's certainly possible to get a bad batch of seeds, especially in the US where the sell-by date doesn't necessarily tell you the age of the seeds.This is one reason I like to deal with seed companies that give you their seed harvest date, test date, and germination rate.

Glad you have potting mix instead of soil, saves you a trip back to the store as well as saves you moola, eh? I can't think of a mix being "bad" and halting germination unless it is dried-out peat base and it is not allowing water to thoroughly soak throughout. Coir does that, too, and needs a good long soak to distribute the water.

Shoe

Horseshoe - I, too, have wrestled with the problem of seeds not having their harvest date on the package. Could you share the name of a Company that does?

I always let potting mix soak-up as much water as it will hold, then let it drain, before sowing seeds. I've had experience in the (distant) past with mix that's wet on the top, wet on the bottom but dry in the middle!

Coir is a particular pain to hydrate, especially the 5kg blocks that I use in the garden. The small blocks hydrate more easily if I pour hot water over them.

I'll be glad when we get some cooler weather. I have such a long list of things to do for the Fall garden!

"I've had experience in the (distant) past with mix that's wet on the top, wet on the bottom but dry in the middle!"

Yep, that's exactly what happens to me, too. So frustrating, too.

I have a hard plastic concrete mixer tub from Lowes/Home Depot (inexpensive, too) that works great to rehydrate dried peat and coir. Put it in to soak then come back the next morning, unless you want to stand there and work it around by hand.

Johnny's Seeds is one of the companies I use that has the afore-mentioned info on their packs. It's pretty helpful; if I see germination is only 60% and I know I need at least 100 plants I'll make sure I sow a minimum of 150 seeds, for example.

Cooler nights are coming on! Perfect time to set out your Brassica plants, Honeybee. I didn't start any this year so will pick up a few locally just for our fall/winter garden.

Shoe

Thanks for Johnny's info, Horseshoe. I have tried their seeds before. They seem like a really nice company to do business with.

Yes, broccoli plant-out time is almost upon us!

UH OH! It's time for the Super Hots to ripen up. Picked handfuls of Habaneros and Bhut Jolokias today.

Some small Bhut Jolokias, the bigger ones still not ready.

Somebody cal HAZMAT. My kitchen should be quarantined. Different varieties juiced.

4 different heat levels and flavors.

- Raiders Sticker means stay away. I tried to find Skull & Crossbone labels but these will do :) Had to make sure not to mix them up with other sauce. Habanero & Bhut Jolokia blend. It's pretty much Pepper Spray with flavor. Scary stuff. A drop had me on fire.

- The rest of the Red Sauce is medium hot. Ripe Jalapenos, Fresnos and Black Cobras.

- The green sauce is a green Jalapeno, Avocado and lime blend. Mild-medium heat.

- The yellowish sauce is Yellow sweet peppers and Jaloro peppers. Mild.



This message was edited Aug 27, 2011 4:33 PM

Ray_Der_Phan - you can make your own labels from blanks and add clip art from your computer. Open MSWord > insert > picture > clip art > type in what you are looking for. I typed Skull and found several skull and cross bones.

Hi Honeybee, Oh I have plenty of vector art I designed.....just didn't have anything to print them on at this time. My printer died on me 2 weeks back. Plus I'll need to get some more glossy sticker sheets to print on. At the moment, I'm in the process of searching for a good Label Printer.

Bee-your going to create a monster or a mad scientist. LOL

Ray-the pic with the sauce in the glasses, looks like beakers in a Mad Scientist Lab. The colors are really pretty tho. Did you clean up your kitchen yet?

My Habs havent even bloomed yet. Im probably going to have to put them in pots when the first frost comes. These are in the garden so it isnt the Peachicks fault. Keep the great pictures coming.

Lisa - You're not gonna believe this....... but I sorta cleaned as I went. By doing so, only took about 15 minutes to clean at the very end. What a revelation :) But I will be making another mess today, so it was pretty much all for not.

"I love the smell of Capsicum in the morning"

Im going to faint. I never thought I would have any advice to give about cooking. LOL The smell does stick around for a while tho. Im going to play in the dirt today. Im much more comfortable with dirt, just wish the heat would break.

Bee-did the hurricane affect you?

Oh don't worry, cleaning as I went was a one time thing lol

With juicing hot peppers you really must clean as you go, otherwise you'll need a respirator or surgical mask (and goggles) to stay in the kitchen for longer than a minute.

We're not going to discuss the state my kitchen is in right now. Yesterday was a potting up day, and 'it 'ain't over..."