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Post by kazedwards on Sept 2, 2014 20:12:50 GMT -5
Well I picked the first onion today. They are 1-2 inches and on the small side. I'd say only a third made it this year for me of the ones I started in late January. I'm not thrilled with the outcome but I'm happy with it since it was my first year if growing them from seed. Next year I think I will direct sow them. I did a few this year that way and their not much smaller but I did sow them in May.
Does anyone have a suggestion for a good pumpkin to grow for cooking with?
Also any good recipes for salsa and tomato sauce? We would like to make our own this year but not sure if we will get enough this season. There's always next year right!
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Post by steev on Sept 2, 2014 20:44:45 GMT -5
Assuming you're thinking "bake and plate", the various Kabochas are very good and a manageable size; if you mean for pie, Blue Hubbard.
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Post by flowerweaver on Sept 2, 2014 20:52:17 GMT -5
I would have to agree with steev on the Kabochas--you can even eat their skin--although the field mice here love them as much as I do. I have better luck with Galeux d'Eysines which has the added benefit of being very lovely. |
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Post by Joseph Lofthouse on Sept 2, 2014 22:20:30 GMT -5
Does anyone have a suggestion for a good pumpkin to grow for cooking with? My favorite cooking squash are buttercups. They are dry and very robust tasting. Everything I want in a good cooking pumpkin. The runners up are Moschatas: Butternuts, Pennsyslvania Necked Squash, Black Futzu, or Cheese Pumpkins. It's all about taste... I can't think of any pepo pumpkin that I'd consider worth the effort of cooking. |
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Post by kazedwards on Sept 3, 2014 13:00:41 GMT -5
I will look them up and see which I can get ahold of. I have never grown squash before but I did get a pepo in a trade a few weeks ago. It is a summer squash called Delicata that also keeps well. I'm very excited to grow squash with everything I hear about the great ones you all grow. Thanks for the help!
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Post by oldmobie on Sept 3, 2014 14:56:10 GMT -5
I will look them up and see which I can get ahold of. I have never grown squash before but I did get a pepo in a trade a few weeks ago. It is a summer squash called Delicata that also keeps well. I'm very excited to grow squash with everything I hear about the great ones you all grow. Thanks for the help! Just know that pepos are pretty common. Pepo includes fruit we think of as squash, as well as pumpkins, zucchini, and decorative gourds (which tend to be poisonous). Crossing varieties is a fine thing, but this is a consideration if you save your own seed. I'm throwing out all my pepo seeds this year because I grew pepo gourds next to pumpkins, not knowing they were the same species. How do you like to eat squash? So far I only like them in baked goods. Pepo squash make excellant "zucchini" bread. Butternut squash makes awesome "pumpkin" bread. I suppose folks who like to just slice, cook and eat could do so with most any squash, though the texture and taste vary, especially between summer and winter squash. |
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Post by kazedwards on Sept 3, 2014 15:51:27 GMT -5
I will look them up and see which I can get ahold of. I have never grown squash before but I did get a pepo in a trade a few weeks ago. It is a summer squash called Delicata that also keeps well. I'm very excited to grow squash with everything I hear about the great ones you all grow. Thanks for the help! Just know that pepos are pretty common. Pepo includes fruit we think of as squash, as well as pumpkins, zucchini, and decorative gourds (which tend to be poisonous). Crossing varieties is a fine thing, but this is a consideration if you save your own seed. I'm throwing out all my pepo seeds this year because I grew pepo gourds next to pumpkins, not knowing they were the same species. How do you like to eat squash? So far I only like them in baked goods. Pepo squash make excellant "zucchini" bread. Butternut squash makes awesome "pumpkin" bread. I suppose folks who like to just slice, cook and eat could do so with most any squash, though the texture and taste vary, especially between summer and winter squash. That is one if the reasons I have not grown them. I would like to grow a few different kinds next year to see what we like. Then start what we like the next year with fresh seed and go from there. I didn't think I had room for more than a few watermelon, cukes, and cantaloupe plants this year but midsummer I noticed that I had a lot of open space. It will be taken up soon with fall stuff like cabbage and lettuce. I could always move a few things around and play with planting times of stuff like bush beans too. That will free up enough space for 1 or 2 hills of squash. |
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Post by steev on Sept 3, 2014 18:56:12 GMT -5
At the very least, you could try one variety of each: maxima, pepo, and moschata.
It's important to consider how you can store squash/pumpkins: freezer for baked goods, cool pantry for whole squash, sliced and dried; that bears on the size you can deal with.
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Post by Joseph Lofthouse on Sept 3, 2014 20:22:14 GMT -5
kazedwards: Do you curently eat squash? If not it might be good to acquire a few squash this summer/fall and taste them... Pepo squash are most commonly eaten as summer squash: My favorite is crookneck, sliced thin and sauteed in butter with an onion. As winter squash Spaghetti, Acorn, and Delicata are most popular around here. I typically use my standard squash baking recipe which is: Split open to remove seeds, or leave whole and poke with a screwdriver so that steam can escape. Bake on a cake-pan in oven at 350 F for about 1.5 hours or until the smell gets really savory. Serve as a vegetable with salt and butter. Butternuts and Maximas are typically eaten as winter squash. I most often eat them when prepared according to standard squash baking recipe and eat them as a side-dish. Then the leftovers can be added to soups or pastries. My daughter slices them into about 1" cubes and boils them in sugar-water. Then serves them mashed with honey. I really like necked squash sliced in disks about 5/8" thick and fried in bacon fat or grilled. The most popular maxima squash around here are Hubbard, Sweet Meat, and Banana. My favorite is Buttercup: Because I love the dry flesh and the intense robust flavor. The most popular moschata squash in my area are Butternuts.
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Post by philagardener on Sept 3, 2014 20:47:10 GMT -5
At the very least, you could try one variety of each: maxima, pepo, and moschata. Also good if you are seed saving individual varieties, as the different species generally won't cross. |
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Post by steev on Sept 3, 2014 21:30:29 GMT -5
I eat a lot of winter squash mashed with parsnips, potatoes, rutabagas, whatever and butter and salt.
Many Winter squash are good as Summer squash, but it doesn't work the other way around.
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Post by flowerweaver on Sept 3, 2014 21:50:40 GMT -5
Since winter squash and pumpkins will soon be coming to a grocery store near you, take advantage and try some out in different ways and see what you like.
Kabocha and Galeux are both C. maxima. I use them in roasted red pepper and squash soup, Rio stew, and pan cooked with fava beans and vegetables over pasta. Tonight I used a Violina Rugosa (C. moschata) in a New Mexican Hatch chile and posole stew. I love Acorn squash and Delicata squash (C. pepo) cut in half and baked with either molasses or some inventive stuffing.
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Post by kazedwards on Sept 4, 2014 0:45:05 GMT -5
That is what we plan to do this winter. My wife is always finding new recipes and such for all kinds of things. Pumpkin is something that she goes nuts over every fall, so we thought we should try and grow it.
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Post by kazedwards on Sept 8, 2014 1:20:23 GMT -5
This week will be in the high 70s to low 80s. So I think it is time to knock out all the weeds and get the garden ready for fall planting. I might even transplant the cabbage and cauliflower as well later in the week. I have a felling that I will see a frost by the end of the month but I hope not. Up until last week it had been in the 90s with very high humidity. Now since Friday it has been in the 70s and quite pleasant fall weather. We will see if we make it until October. Hopefully I can get these beds cleared and dug to at least to a point where I will not have to do much before winter if I don't plant anything more. It has been a busy year for me and I have not been able to focus on the garden as much as I would have liked. We will see what the rest or the season brings.
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Post by kazedwards on Sept 10, 2014 21:43:58 GMT -5
So here are a few things that I am looking to get seed for.
Jalapeño pepper
Anaheim pepper
Poblano pepper
If anyone has any suggestions of a different type of pepper I am very open to it. Jalapeños are about as hot as we want to go. Poblano and Anaheim are good too because they have a little heat and a good shape. This year I grew Martin's Carrot and King of the North. Martin's Carrot is a little more heat than we want and has very thin walls and are too small. King of the north we are very happy with as far as a bell goes. We just want a meaty mild/medium pepper.
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