This is the basket of produce from my vegetable garden this morning.
Here's a closer look at what's in there.
Two heads of lettuce. There's lots more to come there.
Zucchini and yellow squash, though 3 of these were harvested yesterday.
A very long cucumber which was a surprise since the plants are dying and I don't know why.
And a Jimmy Nardello pepper.
Almost the last tomatoes. There will probably some Juliette yet but the others are basically dead.
Three butternut squash. In cutting the largest one off the vine I cut the entire vine not realizing that at the other end were very small squash starting to develop. Oh, well. These are headed to cure in the sun. I don't know why I do that other than my mother did it with her plentiful harvests of butternuts each fall. Maybe a fellow gardener can enlighten me on this tradition.
Joining Daphne's Harvest Monday
I will leave it to someone more experienced to explain the hardening in the sun for the squash. I sure am envious of those butternut, though. I only had a single butternut this year!
ReplyDeleteI don't know about the curing of butternuts either. I usually just let my squash sit in the warm basement for a few weeks before eating.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful harvests! Since this is my first year growing butternut, I hadn't even looked into what to do with them after they were harvested. I'll be interested to hear what others have to say on that.
ReplyDeleteI've always let my butternuts sit in the sun for a couple of weeks indoors to cure. I'm not sure what it really does. I know there is some compound that sticks to your hands when used early but it breaks down after a while. Not sure if that is why you cure them. It could just be it makes the rind harder and it stores better that way. But I'm just guessing. I've never read anything about why.
ReplyDeleteGorgeous harvest, Marcia! You really have a green thumb! I've never grown vegetables, just perennials and herbs. Two of our neighbors have big vegetable gardens and often bring over a basket of fresh veggies. I like to thank them with a colorful bouquet!
ReplyDelete♡ Dawn@Petals.Paper.SimpleThymes
What a wonderful varied of goodies you have grown. Lovely colours.
ReplyDelete