This year my goal is to grow 2,000 pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables. I think I can do it. With 16 raised garden beds, a greenhouse, a raspberry patch and a few more planting beds sprinkled throughout our property, I believe growing 2,000 pounds of food is an attainable goal. Even if I do live right in the middle of high maintenance suburbia, and my neighbors think I’m nuts. ~Mavis
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This past week were were able to harvest over 80 pounds of goodies from the garden, mostly in the form of squash. The Girl Who Thinks She’s a Bird had been begging to pick her first pumpkin of the season, and when she did, she was surprised it weighed in at over 24 pounds. We could have picked more vegetables, but with school starting up and lot’s and lot’s of canning to do, we decided the harvesting could wait a few more days.
I am starting to get a little worried about the heirloom tomatoes. With so many green tomatoes, and the chilly mornings ahead, I hope most of the tomatoes will able to ripen before the cold weather really starts to set in. We shall see.
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Here is what I have harvested so far this year:
Basil 1 lb 9 oz {how to make pesto}
Beans 21 lbs 3 {green bean salad, how to can green beans, dilly beans}
Beets 58 lb 20z {how to can beets}
Blueberries 3 lb 15 oz {mixed berry pie recipe}
Broccoli 4lb 14 oz {pasta salad with broccoli, carrots, and sun dried tomatoes}
Broccoli Rabb 1lb 6 oz {chickpeas with broccoli raab and bacon}
Cabbage 53lb 14 oz {how to make sauerkraut}
Carrots 116lbs 12 oz {carrot cake recipe}
Cauliflower 4lbs 11 oz {cauliflower hummus rocks!}
Chives 1lb 1 oz {chalkboard painted herb pots}
Cucumbers 29 lbs 7 oz
Hubbard Squash 29 lbs 2 ounces
Kale 1 lb 1oz {how to make kale chips}
Lettuce 14 lb 6 oz {bbq chicken salad}
Mint 4 lbs 12 oz {Fresh Pea Salad with Spinach, Feta and Mint}
Onions 23 lbs 12 oz {Kentucky Fried Chicken Cole Slaw}
Oregano 4 lbs 15 oz
Mushrooms 9.25 oz {read more about how I grew mushrooms}
Peas 38 lb13 oz {fresh peas and bacon recipe}
Pears 8 lbs 5 oz {how to make pear jam}
Peppers 4 lb 1 oz
Potatoes 40lb 8oz {potato soup recipe}
Pumpkins 24 pounds 3 oz
Radish 15lb 12 oz {how I bartered radishes for avocados}
Raspberries 2 lb 7 oz {how to make a raspberry buckle}
Spinach 2lb 5 oz {garlic spinach dip recipe}
Sprouts 10 oz {how to grow sprouts}
Strawberries 13lbs 6 oz {dehydrated strawberries are awesome}
Swiss Chard 22 lb 1 oz {rainbow Swiss chard recipe}
Tomatoes 15 lb 2oz {roasted corn salad with tomatoes and feta}
Zucchini 177 lb 8oz {how to make zucchini relish, zucchini salad, zucchini brownies}
Miscellaneous 8lb 2 oz {This means we let someone come and pick vegetables, or did not get a chance to weigh them individually, and this was the total weight of all the vegetables combined}
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So that’s what I’ve grown so far this year… How about YOU?
How is YOUR garden doing?
Total Food Harvested in 2012: 777 lbs 11.25 oz
I have spent a total of $509.05 on seeds, soil, plants and supplies for this year.
Lisa says
Great tip for un-ripe heirloom tomatoes: If they make it to full size, but aren’t colored yet and the frost is coming you can still pick them. Pick them off the vine and place them stem side down on cookie sheets (or the counter). I put a few layers of paper towels on the cookie sheets just for something soft to set them on. Then I put the cookie sheets on any flat surface I can find. Usually I have bookcases full of ripening tomatoes most of September/October. The fruit will ripen and you can process at will.
Heather@Creative Family Moments says
Thanks so much for sharing this tip. I have a bunch of green tomatoes!
Amanda B says
You can also roll them in rows in newspaper so they touch as little possible. My parents pick everything green the night before the first frost and do this every year. I think the record for the last garden tomato was Dec 20th. If you have a lot of tomatoes this way you need to check them frequently so that you don’t miss a ripe one and get rot starting. It helps to package them according to size and if they have any touch of color or not.
Amanda B says
should specify that I’m pretty sure my parents store them in the cool garage after wrapping, so that’s a big part of why they last so long.
Preppy Pink Crocodile says
I pick all the decent size t’maters before the first frost and just line them up on windows. They ripen slowly at first and then I usually have so many red and ripe that I end up canning a batch of salsa in October. No special upside down or bags needed. Just let them sit and they will get ripe all on their own.
Elizabeth F says
This is my tried and true method too, have been doing for years. I do dish towels for cushioning. The cookie sheets/trays are nice as if you want to use the dining room table for someone’s birthday etc, just move all the trays down the hall and stick them on spare bed.
I keep an eye on them naturally and pick out what you can use at the moment. I don’t usually come up with enough for canner load, but plenty for fresh salsa or a kettle of spaghetti sauce .
I have never done anything with green tomatoes. I do make tomato jam and tomato marmalade usually from these tomatoes. Peak of the season tomatoes all go to canning.
Elizabeth F says
Trying to reread my message to see if makes sense…I pick all green tomatoes when no chance of them ripening anymore. Use them as they ripen. I am saying I never used green tomatoes AS IS in a recipe…does any one have A PROVEN recipe to share. I don’t like random internet recipes…have had too many failures.
Lyn says
Where do you buy your heirloom tomatoes?
Mavis says
Do you mean the seeds?
Cheryl says
Do you have pictures anywhere of your set-up? With that much growing space you must have some kind of property. An acre or more?
Angie B says
Mavis, I like you. But I think I might have to unsubscribe because your posts FLOOD my feed these days. It sorta seems like you’ve sold out and you’re just trying to make as much money as you can with your blog. Again, I like you. That’s why I’m keeping it real with you. You can do whatever you like…. I’m just sayin, that’s all.
Mavis says
First, I appreciate you respecting me enough to not sugar coat. I’d take honesty over sugar and fluff any day! And, if you’ve been following my site since day one, I completely get how it might seem like things have changed. The truth is, I blog because I love to blog. If that ever stops, I’d stop blogging in a heartbeat. And while this little site started out so small, I’ve been lucky enough to reach a broader audience lately. With that reach comes many different requests from readers. So while I don’t feel like I’m selling out in the fact that I will only ever post things that matter to me, I have increased the number of posts based on requests. My inbox is flooded with requests to post more hot coupons, more Amazon deals, more gardening tips. And while I certainly can’t accommodate every request, I don’t mind posting things that are important to me, especially when I know others are benefiting from them. Hope that makes sense. 🙂
Angie B says
it does. and please believe me, i wasn’t trying to be a jerk. your garden is amazing; your black bean/corn/avocado salsa changed my life for the MUCH better; i’m glad you have this outlet you love so much. and you’re a cute-patoot to boot.
Mavis says
Thanks Angie. 🙂
Linda M says
Regarding your green tomatoes, I agree with Lisa..except we do ours differently. We pick ours right before frost and wrap in newspapers, individually. Then we store them in the garage where it is mild. We get our first frost on the average of Oct 10 and can usually still be having the tomatoes, as they ripen, up to and beyond Thanksgiving.
I also like fried green tomatoes. Have you tried those. I also make a green tomato pie that is a mock apple pie and if you don’t tell people, they would never know that it is not apple. You can also may a relish using the green tomatoes, although it has been years since I have. It is tasty.
Have fun with your canning…you will be a busy lady these next few weeks:)!
Wendy says
Another idea for the green tomatoes (necessary where I’m from – Canada) is to pick them green, and put in a paper bag. If you wat them to ripen faster, pop in an apple and close the bag. Voila!
Wendy says
You can also pick the green tomatoes and put them in a paper bag. Add an apple, close the bag and they’ll ripen quickly – the apple releases gases to aid the ripening process. We do this all the time (Canada).
Becky says
Green tomatoes are delicious!
I fry them, make chutney and make green tomato pies and quiche. I highly recommend harvesting and using them anyway.
Erica says
Green tomato chutney!!
http://www.foodinjars.com/2010/11/green-tomato-chutney/
Jesse says
As a transplanted southerner I must recommend Fried Green Tomatoes! It sound gross but tastes good!
My recipie is a triple dip – flour, then egg, then a mix of breadcrumbs and corn meal for crunch! A few minutes in the pan with oil on each side until golden brown. I like to service with goat cheese or ketchup! Also makes an awsome sandwich!
Easy and it would take some of the stress off of the plants!
Mavis says
This sounds great! I’ll have to try it. Thanks!