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Post by mnjrutherford on Apr 21, 2009 13:12:17 GMT -5
Wow... 2' of mulch is light mulching?!?! OK, well, I sure get a better idea of where you are coming from Ottawa! You are to right, I can just leave mine in the dirt and they will do just fine and dandy. However, you have given me some serious food for thought here because I've only done that 2 years here in North Carolina. I didn't do it last year and this was the year we had snow. So, maybe I shouldn't be glib about it. Most of my experience is from California and we never had the sort of freezes there that we have here. Thanks for the wisdom! =o)
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Post by ottawagardener on Apr 21, 2009 16:09:32 GMT -5
I write bad. I mean that 2' of mulch would be actually mulch! I only put 4-6 inches down. Will learn to write better.
I like to say that Ottawa is two cities: The snow dessert of monochrome winter and the seething jungle straining to capture every stray sunbeam of summer. In either 'city' season you would find it hard to believe that the other existed. Winter in Ottawa is long.
Telsing.
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Post by mnjrutherford on Apr 21, 2009 16:53:32 GMT -5
WHEW! OK. You scared me there! With such a vivid description of Ottawa, I don't see how you can say you write bad! WoW! I have lived all my life in warm climates. When I have ventured to more northern areas, it's been in the summer so I have no real clue what it would be like to experience a truly cold winter. We got about 2 inches of snow here back in January or February. It was incredible! We've contemplated buying a farm in Michigan. But the change might be to dramatic for us.
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Post by canadamike on Apr 21, 2009 18:55:13 GMT -5
Ah! Those weaklings from the south !   |
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Post by castanea on Apr 21, 2009 21:53:12 GMT -5
Back in California, in the Bay Area to be precise, we have farmer's markets. Farmers make routes and show up at different markets on different days. Pretty cool if you ask me. Some of the Phillipino farmers have carrots that are shockingly HUGE! Absolutely gigantic to be precise. They are frequently uncarroty in shape. But most importantly, they are delicately crisp and sweet like nothing you would imagine just by looking at the ungainly things. I would LOVE to source some of those seed! I live in norcal. The big ones still show up occasionally but not predictably. 4-6 years ago they were very common in many farmers markets, but not so common now. What is so odd is that they are huge and also extremely sweet. |
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Post by castanea on Apr 21, 2009 21:56:09 GMT -5
The big ones I see here in California are not Flakkee, they are not Nantes types at all. They are more top shaped. |
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Post by lieven on Apr 22, 2009 16:07:27 GMT -5
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Post by paquebot on Apr 25, 2009 18:01:33 GMT -5
The big ones I see here in California are not Flakkee, they are not Nantes types at all. They are more top shaped. Large, sweet, and top-shaped sound like Oxheart. It's been a popular commercial variety around here for years. I've grown it off and on for 40 years and it's a good one for canning as diced carrots. Seed Savers Exchange has it in garden and commercial quantities. Martin |
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Post by mnjrutherford on Apr 25, 2009 22:34:32 GMT -5
Oxheart? I'll have to remember that for next year! You say they are good for canning? I never thought of canning carrots. In California I was able to grow them (carrots, not the Oxheart variety in particular) year round. I do want to be able to dry them for use in recipes calling for dried veg.
Interestingly, we haven't had much luck with carrots here either. It's just us of course. I think we will be doing much better this year. At least here we don't need a jackhammer to break ground!!!
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Post by castanea on Apr 25, 2009 23:31:40 GMT -5
The ones I see here at the norcal farmers' markets look much more like oxheart than flakkee.
Thanks Paquebot.
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Post by ceara on Apr 26, 2009 6:30:19 GMT -5
Of course carrots can be canned!
My book says you can cold pack the carrots, cram 'em in the jar leaving 1 inch head space, cover with boiling water, put the lid on and pressure cook pints for 25 minutes at 10 PSI, or quarts for 30 minutes.
You can also have a mixture of carrots and peas. Pickled carrots are good too, IMO. I like the ones mixed with hot pepper pickles. Very crunchy and tasty. I eat the carrots by themselves and put the peppers on sandwiches. hehe
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Post by mnjrutherford on Apr 26, 2009 7:27:13 GMT -5
Thank you Castanea! I was hoping to get affirmation from you on the issue seeing as how you are from the same area.  |
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Post by mnjrutherford on Apr 26, 2009 7:35:08 GMT -5
Whoa! I missed some of these! Yea Castanea, the size is totally contrary to flavor. Sweeter when smaller is a rule that does NOT apply to carrots! I'm surprised to hear that they are no longer common in the markets. Thanks for the back up on that Martin! That lets me know they must do well in other parts of the country as well. Shucks Ceara, I was in luck until you said they need to be pressure canned. =o( No hope for me acquiring that kind of equipment for a few more years. On the other hand, I'm trying to move away from that sort of preserving because of the time, cost, and materials involved. Have you even had Vietnamese sandwiches (banh mi)? They are awsome and they are dressed with (among other things) very delicately pickled, shredded carrots. YUMMO!
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Post by bunkie on Apr 26, 2009 9:14:53 GMT -5
i canned carrots for the first time this year. they're tasty, but too soft. i wonder if it's the variety i used?
lieven, thanks for the info on the Flakkee and it being Dutch. i had thought it was from Italy.
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Post by castanea on Apr 26, 2009 10:20:19 GMT -5
Thank you Castanea! I was hoping to get affirmation from you on the issue seeing as how you are from the same area. But the ones here may still be something else. Oxhearts are traditionally short, no more than 6 inches in length (do they get longer if they overwinter?). The ones I see out here look like Oxhearts, but larger/longer. |
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