Glut of tomatoes

We are not able to keep up with eating all the tomatoes as they ripen so I picked some to go into the freezer.

After taking all the skins off I boiled them up and added some leftover passata that needed using up. I reckon I have the equivalent of 4 cans of tomatoes here. It's taken much longer to get to this stage with homegrown tomatoes. I could have just picked 4 cans off the shelf in the supermarket but I'm sure I wouldn't have the same satisfaction. I'll wait for them to cool and then put them in the freezer.

We also have smaller tomatoes which we will eat fresh, the yellow ones (Ildi) first as they split as soon as they are picked.

I've now picked and eaten 32 bunches of grapes and there are still more to go. These will be eaten today.

To clean the pan I use this brush. I would really like to have a wooden one but I'm not going to throw away a perfectly good plastic one so the wooden one will have to wait a bit longer.

 

This is saved from its eventual 'do harm to the environment' fate for now.

xx

It's never too early ...

... to start Christmas preparations. This 'tree' was salvaged from a shop by DD. She painted it silver, stuck fairy lights on and displayed it in her garden until she got fed up with it. So ...

I salvaged it, repainted it silver, stuck fairy lights on it and displayed it in our garden last year. 

This year I think I'll have it green. Out with the paint ...

and voila!

One green Christmas tree. Don't know what the shopkeeper displayed on it but it's going to have fairy lights on it again this year.

Can't wait.

xx

PS It's very heavy and needs a sack truck to move it around.

xx

They are grown to be eaten

... and eaten they will be.

by our family or ...

someone else's!

Plenty of caterpillars enjoying the fruits of my labour on the kohlrabi.

Thankfully they don't like the runner beans yet.

Our tomatoes were fried up and eaten with toast for lunch.

xx

PS Don't like this new Blogger. I have reverted to the old because I couldn't get the pics the right size. Will stay on the old for as long as possible.

Growing great guns

 It's surprising how fast cucumbers grow. The first one I spotted I gave to next door as I had a cucumber in my fridge already. The next day I found these - petite cukes. I was so glad to be keeping on top of the picking as one can grow in the blink of an eye and it's difficult to  spot them amongst the foliage of the greenhouse. I have to shake the plant to see what is swinging. Something swinging is definitely a cucumber.

I should have shaken the plant yesterday!

Whoops!

xx

Apologies

Oh my, oh my,

I've only just seen

That comments are there

On posts that have been.

I'm not up to scratch,

So excuse me do,

This blogging has changed

So I have to too!

Sorted now 

And I'll come on a visit

To old friends and new

And I can't think of anything to rhyme with visit so I'll leave it at that

Love to all

And good to be back!

xx

Keep well

In order to keep a pineapple for as long as possible I slice it into discs, chop up the discs (discarding the centre bit) and then store the pieces in a lidded container in the fridge.

For carrots I peel and store the carrots in cold water in the fridge. The will last for a week this way and not shrivel or go mouldy.

Job done. Just got to find room in the fridge.

Keep well!

xx

Surreal times

From January up to now - what a year it's been. Never seen the like before in my lifetime,  A new way of living is upon us. 

Home is still the priority and things have happened in the garden.

The back garden is now only half edible - apples,

Kohl rabi,

tomatoes,

runner beans, French beans, spring onions, courgettes, beetroot and kale

In the greenhouse with the tomatoes the vine is still producing over 50 bunches of grapes.

The other half is now a double patio with a profusion of flowers along with seating areas.

It is now a garden for rest and entertainment and next year the veggie plot will be grassed over for an area of play and lounging.

New times, new ideas, new directions. Onwards and upwards. Let's enjoy where and when we can,

xx

PS Thank you for sticking with me while I've been absent. It means a lot.

xx