Tennessee 2019 Garden

[Gary350]

I noticed Maypop plant have leaves missing on several places and lots of 1/2 leaves missing. Then I see caterpillars I have never seen before. I picked about 30 of these caterpillars off by hand then smashed them into the soil. Then I sprayed the plants with a hard water spray from the water hose to blow off any worms I did not find. It is interesting how each plant attacks its own type bugs. I need to check plants every day to keep caterpillars gone. There are 12 Maypops now. I am seeing lots of large orange color butterflies with black around the tips of the wings.

Then I notice a 3 ft section of bean plants growing this is a green bean germination test now I know seeds grow it is ok to save seeds for next year. Then I notice a bundle of plants growing in another place this is cucumber seed germination test. If I decide to grow cucumbers next year for pickles I will plant a minimum of 50 plants so I can make pickles in a larger batch instead of all the little batches I did this year. Next year 15 jars of Bread & Butter pickles 1 days work then plants can be pulled up.

[applestar]

Oh no! I believe those were Gulf Fritillary caterpillars @Gary350

Gulf Fritillary Agraulis vanillae (Linnaeus, 1758) | Butterflies and Moths of North America
https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/spe ... s-vanillae


Passiflora incarnata (Purple passionflower) | Native Plants of North America
https://www.wildflower.org/plants/resul ... lant=pain6


I would love to see them here but we’re too far north. We do get to see a few of the other species of fritillaries.

[SQWIB]

Everything looks awesome.
For the Maypops, they are ripe when they fall of the vine, I usually slap them lightly when they look ripe and I they fall off I freeze for later to make Maypop Jam.
The color Will also turn from green to yellowish and wrinkle a bit, the ripe ones also are heavier.
Some are drier inside than others.

I will try that soon as I can my plants have 7 Maypops. Lots of blossoms so maybe there will be more. I will plant several of the seeds along this fence I hope more Maypops will grow next year.

Gary I can promise you that you will have Passion Flower everywhere next year lol.

[TomatoNut95]

Cool! I've been waiting for my peppers to turn, but so far I see only one starting to turn. How long will a ripe pepper last in the refridge until some others turn? It'd be too much trouble to dry and grind each pepper up at a time if that's what happens. Is there anything I can do to hurry the ripening of the peppers?

[TomatoNut95]

I have an abundance of the gulf frittilary. So sad you mashed the caterpillars, however if they were eating your garden, I understand. Nothing eats my garden and gets away with it. The tomato hornworm will turn into a big beautiful moth, but as much money, time and effort I put into my garden, I'd rather see healthy plants instead of a moth. The big green grasshoppers I used to find I caught threw to my chickens. Now I have a cricket like hopper that's eating my peas.

[Gary350]

I just discovered that I have 4 more small maypop plants. You see 3 plants in one picture, the center plant is actually 2 plants about 5" apart. I wonder if I can transplant these in Dec. after it gets cold. I plan to save lots of seeds to plant along a 50 ft of fence.

[Gary350]

I put all these peppers in the refrigerator before we left Thursday to go camping at the, Fall Creek Falls State Part, Tennessee, Mountaineer Art & Craft Music Folk Festival. I got the peppers out of the refrigerator when we got home plus I picked a few more from the garden. Tomorrow I will be busy.

75% of my Fennel plant is gone it had 9 horn worms on it.

Corn stalks were dry so I made potassium fertilizer.

[Gary350]

What is the best way to save seeds from a fennel plant before they fall off or something eats them?

2nd water melon of the summer.

[TomatoNut95]

Can you spread newspaper, a sheet or pieces of material around the base of the plant, so when the seeds drop, you can collect them. And nice watermelon!

[applestar]

If you are not expecting rain, bending over but not breaking the stem and inserting the seedhead and stapling a paper bag around the stem would work. Another easy way would be to put a pantyhose over the whole seedhead.

ETA...I actually use large organza drawstring gift bag (wedding section in craft stores) because I get frustrated when pantyhose get caught on tiniest snags

BTW...have you noticed that mosquitoes seem to know when your hands are full, and attack when you can’t swat them — only ineffectively wave them away? They especially seem to tend to swarm your face/under your chin.

[Gary350]

Today I made more chili powder from New Mexico peppers. It was plenty hot 99 degrees outside and much hotter in the front seat of my truck. I used my $2 yard sale kitchen blender to make powder I bought it specifically for things like this. I have a pint jar of chili powder.

[applestar]

That’s going to add great flavor to your fall and winter dishes!

[TomatoNut95]

Hey, I was just thinking, can you dehydrate those peppers in the oven?

[SQWIB]

Hey, I was just thinking, can you dehydrate those peppers in the oven?

I have, just slice open, remove the seeds and slice thin. If doing in the oven you may want to crack the door a bit.
When my dehydrator is put away, I'll preheat the oven to 200°F turn the oven off and toss in the peppers, I do this a few times.
I also do this with wet boots, LOL.
You can also put them in a mason jar when they are somewhat dry and toss in the fridge without a lid and they will slowly dry.

[TomatoNut95]

Thanks, @SQWIB! I was just hoping that the oven would work in case the sun wasn't out, or by the time my peppers matured, it might be cooling off outside.

[Gary350]

Hey, I was just thinking, can you dehydrate those peppers in the oven?

I have used my oven to dehydrate peppers. My lowest oven temperature is 170 degrees F. The larger the pan the better it works, you need to spread peppers out for peppers to dehydrate easier. Even when I have too many peppers they still dehydrate it just takes longer. I never crack the oven door open to let humidity escape oven works good baking, cakes, pies, bread, all types of food it must be designed for humidity to escape other wise humidity would build up on the ceiling then drip water on food. The house I lived in 8 years ago lowest oven setting was 150 degrees F it worked good too. I'm not sure how hot my vehicle gets, dash is direct sun it gets the hottest, seat is less hot, floor is cooler but still plenty hot.

The upside down fish aquarium in full sun had a humidity problem the humidity had to be released every 30 minutes for it to work. This will probably work best with aquarium laying on its side with plywood top with 2 tiny vent holes.

[TomatoNut95]

I have a pizza pan I can use. I just wondered if the oven would work, should the weather be too cool or cloudy. Plus, I don't have a fish tank, so if not the oven, I can use the car.

[pepperhead212]

The car is a good idea, unless you have some very hot peppers - the fumes could be bad!

[TomatoNut95]

Lol, I can picture getting into the car and all of a sudden hit by a potent smell that burns my eyes.
No, all I have is bell peppers, so I'll be making paprika. Oh, and since I don't own an coffee grinders, I fell in love with a beautiful mortar and pestal set on Amazon!!!

[pepperhead212]

@TN Something you should be able to find down there, that is the best thing for grinding up dry and wet ingredients - a Molcajete. You may already have one.
The coarse texture grinds things incredibly well. The one I have has a 3 cup capacity.

[TomatoNut95]

You mean a mortar and pestal won't work? People were really praising the one I picked out, I was hoping to use it to crush herbs in the future.

[Gary350]

Pepper plants are doing good in this hot dry weather. It was 100 degrees Wed., 98 yesterday, weather man claims 100 again today. Big Bertha pepper plants are loaded with Little Bertha's. LOL. Plants need rain, I refuse to water them. All 16 pepper plants are loaded with peppers & blossoms. Blossoms grow mostly in groups of 3 and there are so many blossoms on each plant it is not possible to count them all. I took several pics from several plants this limb that I have tied up so it won't break off has 27 New Mexico peppers on this 1 limb. Limb below with tomato cage holding it up has 12 peppers, all limbs are loaded this 1 plant probably has 70 peppers plus probably 150 blossoms. Everyone of these 18 pepper plants is full of peppers and blossoms. I picked a few peppers but I need my cutters there are several more red peppers hiding in the leaves. Some of the Big Bertha peppers have sun burn. There is a tomato plant that had grown up inside of the pepper plants it is doing very well in the shade of the pepper plant leaves there are 2 nice looking ripe tomatoes. I tried to take pics of all these tiny blossoms but they are hard to see. If all these tiny blossoms become peppers this will be a lot of peppers.

[Gary350]

Garden pizza with, home made yeast crust, home make pizza sauce, pepperonis, cooked sausage, onions, cheese, thin sliced tomatoes, very thin sliced red jalapenos, red Big Bertha peppers on 1/2 the pizza, sprinkled with more cheese. Wow this was very good.

[TomatoNut95]

Ohhhhhhh, you got me drooling!! I'm in the process of cooking my first harvest if zipper peas! Smells like peas in the kitchen!

[Gary350]

Today I bottled my Blackberry Cabernot Sauvignon wine I got 26 bottles. Hydrometer reading was .990 after adding 1 bottle of 100% pomegranate juice to back sweeten & flavor the wine hydrometer reading is now .994. Wine tastes good already it is only 2 months old. I have 40 empty Barefoot wine bottles I only needed 26 of them. I put shade tarps over my peppers sun is lower in the sky leaves are not blocking the sun. Peppers were getting sun burn.

[TomatoNut95]

You make your own wine, to? You are one talented guy, @Gary!!!

[Gary350]

Pepper plant production has slowed down a tiny bit in this 98 degree heat. I want to make a pot of chili but wife said, it is too hot for chili wait until cold weather. My Son is going to make a pot of chili maybe tomorrow with New Mexico Chilies for flavor and jalapeno peppers to add a little spicy heat.

1731 – On March 9, 1731, a group of sixteen families (56 persons) arrived from the Canary Islands at Bexar, the villa of San Fernando de Bar (now known as the city of San Antonio). They had emigrated from the Spanish Canary Islands by order of King Philip V. of Spain. Chili stew was made with, pork, beans, tomatoes, chili peppers, onions, garlic, herbs. Chili became very popular among people that had to carry their lunch to work.

Spanish priests were said to be wary of the passion inspired by chili peppers, assuming they were aphrodisiacs. A few preached sermons against indulgence in a food which they said was almost as “hot as hell’s brimstone” and “Soup of the Devil.” The priest’s warning probably contributed to the dish’s popularity.

There you have it, REAL chili has beans with pork not beef.

[TomatoNut95]

My mortar and pestal set arrived yesterday. Since it's granite and the surface is powdery and gritty, I've gotta 'season' it 24 hrs. before using it. Thanks, Amazon for not telling me that. Anyway, I've picked the ripe bell peppers to dry, but today I couldn't get to it, and tomorrow I'm accompanying a family member to a doctor appointment, so I plan to start drying on Thursday. However, there are large chances of rain, so there goes drying them in the car because I'm sure it won't get hot enough. So I guess I'll have to use the oven. @SQWIB, I plan to do what you said. So...I preheat oven to 200. I slice the peppers up and spread on pizza pan. When oven reaches 200, I turn it off and place the pan in the oven immediately, and leave crack in door and the peppers will dry as oven cools, right?

[greenstubbs]

Sun burn on peppers isn't fun! You gotta use what works, I used old bed sheets clamped on poles like you in the hot central valley of CA. Squash, cucks, and melons also enjoyed the shade like that. I'm looking to move to somewhere in your state, I just have to get there first. Reno's season is short and the soils not great, the struggle continues!

[TomatoNut95]

@Gary, I was just wondering, can you dry onions just like you do peppers? Slice them up onto pizza pan, and place pan in car for so many hours. Then crush them into dried onion flakes?

[TomatoNut95]

So I sliced up a few bell peppers that were turning and a couple of sweet bananas and put on pizza pan in car in sun. Trouble is I didn't get them out until 11:15 this morning...I was busy tending chickens then a family member stopped in unexpectedly, then the phone rang...anyway, it is also sunny/cloudy spotty. Temperature is 90 and humid. Think they'll be crisp and dry by this evening?

[TomatoNut95]

Ah! Picture finally uploaded!

[pepperhead212]

Nice peppers, Gary, but I don't think that they will dry, in that humidity.

I was thinking that maybe you could use your dough riser as a dehydrator, if you put a small fan in it, since you are only drying one plate of them?

I just put 4 more trays of peppers in my dehydrator yesterday!

[TomatoNut95]

@Pepperhead, those are my peppers, not @Gary's. And I have no idea what a dough riser is... unless you are talking about a bread machine? The peppers have curled some, mostly the sweet bananas since they have such thin flesh. If they don't finish drying in the car by this evening, I'll stick them in the oven for awhile.

[Gary350]

Today I made Spain style garden Chili. I put most of the stuff on kitchen counter top after the picture I realized I got Dark Red Kidney beans so they went back into the pantry then I got 2 cans of pinto beans. Then I changed my mind and used 1 can of each. Food processor will not puree cooked chilies but kitchen blender will. I got 3 pints of tomatoes to a boil with garlic, 5 New Mexican peppers with no seeds, 1 jalapeno pepper with no seeds. After peppers & garlic were cooked soft I pureed them into tomatoes with about 1/2 the beans. Pureed beans made thick gravy sauce in the chili. I cut pork loin into about 20 slices to fry in the cast iron skilled to give meat a brazed cooked flavor then cut it into small cubes. It all went into a large crock pot with a large diced onion to cook several hours. Then in goes herbs, sweet marjoram, Greek oregano, cumin & cooked 1 more hour. It turned out very good. 1 jalapeno was hardly noticeable 3 would have been better. Only thing that did not come from our garden was, meat, onion, beans, cumin, dark brown sugar, soy sauce, Worcestersh sauce, salt. New Mexico peppers gave Chili a very good flavor

Is anyone growing Cumin or is that something we can not grow in this country?

[TomatoNut95]

Baker Creek Heirloom seeds carries Cumin seeds. I don't see why it cannot be grown here in US. Perhaps that is something you can put on your 2020 garden list, @Gary!

[pepperhead212]

@Pepperhead, those are my peppers, not @Gary's. And I have no idea what a dough riser is... unless you are talking about a bread machine? The peppers have curled some, mostly the sweet bananas since they have such thin flesh. If they don't finish drying in the car by this evening, I'll stick them in the oven for awhile.

Sorry about that - I wasn't paying attention, and was thinking that it was Gary, since it was his garden site. He made a dough riser box with a light in it, as the heater - takes it to just a low 100s temp, which would be enough for drying, and that's what came to my mind.

[Gary350]

TomatoNut95, My bread proofing box only gets to 100 degrees F because of the thermostat it might dehydrate things hotter but it will be very slow humidity will be a problem. Light bulb does not make enough BTU to have a fan all the heat will be gone.

The upside down fish aquarium in the hot summer sun works good except humidity can not escape. We have had very little rain in 3 months fish aquarium works best setting on the dry soil so water can run down the sides and soak up in the soil. Fish aquarium is slow because humidity is too high.

Hot car makes a good dehydrator volume is several 100 times larger that a small box or aquarium so humidity is never very high from a small pizza pan of peppers.

I am sure hot car will dehydrate other things like onions. I tried herbs car is too hot it cooks all the flavor out. Herbs work best drying on a paper plate for several days setting on a shelf inside the house.

Years ago I made beef jerky during winter car in the sun in cold weather did not get hot enough but it probably will in hot summer weather. Beef jerky worked best for me hanging meat strips over kitchen oven rack wires at the lowest oven temperature of 170 degrees about 4 hours. I'm not sure where my beef jerky recipe is, I tried a lot of recipes I found online none were very good. My best beef jerky recipe was a Shich Kabob recipe with, catsup, Worcestersh sauce, soy sauce, salt, black pepper, red pepper. You need to experiment with flavors to get the flavor you like best. Marinade meat 24 hours in refrigerator then dehydrate. I had grocery store deli slice meat the thickness I want.

[TomatoNut95]

Wow. It's really amazing how you're able to make all that stuff at home! Yet me know when you start patenting it! My pepper pieces didn't completely crisp in the car because I didn't get them out until late morning, and it stayed cloudy too much. I finished them off in the oven.

[Gary350]

Pepper harvest for the day. Some peppers have BER so I put wood ash around all the plants last night then watered them to get the calcium & potassium into the soil. I removed the tarps, weather is cooler, days are shorter, sky is cloudy. I am tired of slicing peppers, I am freezing New Mexico & Jalapeno pepper whole in zip lock bags. Everyone went crazy over that Spain chili recipe I made free days ago there will be more chili soon with chicken or ground beef next time, German or Cajun sausage will be good too.