It’s that time again. You ask, and I pretend to know things and answer your burning questions. It really is so much fun to open my inbox and see the wide variety of questions you guys have. Reminds me that my readers are so diverse and pretty dang awesome. So keep those questions coming and I’ll keep racking my brain for answers.
Hi, glad you are feeling better! What other crops are you going to be planting besides beets?
~Chelsea
I’ll be starting cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli and broccoli raab inside this month so they will be ready to transplant into my fall garden. I plan on planting more carrots, beets, potatoes and turnips outside. That way, they will be ready just in time for Thanksgiving dinner. That’s the beauty of inside/outside planting. Double the produce!!
Mavis,
We will soon be getting into tomato harvest time (especially with this screaming hot weather we’ve been having!) and I wondered if you had an answer to a question. I had lots and lots of cherry tomatoes last year and decided to roast them and freeze them. In the middle of the winter I pulled them out and used in a pasta recipe. The flavor was so good but the skins on them were really tough. I haven’t roasted the big tomatoes so don’t know if that is a problem with them too, but outside of peeling each little cherry goodness do you know how to keep the skins from being so stretchy and chewy? Appreciate any information.
Thanks,
Ellen in Clackamas
I’ve only ever had this issue once, and it had nothing to do with freezing the tomatoes, believe it or not. It had to do with the condition of the tomato skins before I froze them. If you garden in a climate that gets frost {which we do}, freezing cherry tomatoes at the end of the growing season is tricky. Tomato skins start to toughen when temperatures dip below 50 degrees F. I suspect that'[s what happened to your tomatoes. You might have started with tough skins. After freezing, plan to puree late-season cherry tomatoes to break up skins. I’d use them up in soups or sauces.
Mavis I love the fence at your new home. Where did you purchase it? I know that you are a bargain shopper – so I am hoping you guide me. Where do I look for your answer?
~Mary J.
I used Dennis and his crew from Coatney Fence Company. They set all ten million posts like it was nothing. They worked quickly and efficiently. They are awesome. You can read more about my new fence HERE.
Hi there! I’m going to try baking instead of buying our bread for 1, to know all the ingredients and 2, to save a bit of money. My family doesn’t love your standard loaf recipes I’ve seen. Do you have a different bread recipe you swear by? Thanks in advance!
~Shelby
I can’t make my No Knead Dutch Oven Crusty Bread recipe fast enough around here. It’s always a hit!! You’re going to love fresh baked bread. And the way your house smells. Yum! You can check out some of my Bread Baking Tips and Tricks, too!
Georgia says
I don’t have a grow light but I would like to start some fall garden seeds and am at a loss on how to proceed. I’m in Florida so I want to get a jump start on the cooler season veggies as it’s still 90 bajillion degrees outside. Help!
Mavis says
Georgia, you don’t have to have a grow light to start seeds indoors – especially in Florida. Just pick out the seeds you’d like and follow a few simple rules: First, a south facing window is going to be your best bet. It will get the most light. The problem with a window sill is that you will only get light from one direction, which may result in some leggy plants. So, you will want to rotate the seedlings regularly–and make sure that they don’t get too cold next to a window {most plants like the temperature to be about 75 degrees for at least the bulk of the day in order to germinate}. If you want them to grow tall and straight, they will need to receive their light from above, like the sun provides naturally. If you are going with natural light, I recommend less temperamental seedlings–like pumpkins, zucchini, and the like. Tomatoes and peppers, in my opinion, are the most difficult to start indoors, and really darn hard if you aren’t using a grow light.
Jessica S says
Just wanted to chime in that the No knead bread is FABULOUS!!!!! I only make it in winter b/c it adds a nice amount of heat to the house… but it is GONE very quickly and I have taken it with meals and everyone adores it!
Mavis Butterfield says
Thanks Jessica! I love serving ours with soup.
Brenda says
A couple years ago I finally figured out how to deal with the tough skin on small tomatoes.
It’s so easy! All I do is give them a quick rinse and spread them out on a towel to dry completely (if your tomatoes are completely dry when you freeze them they won’t stick together). Then I just toss them into gallon size freezer bags and freeze them. When you are ready to use them you can take out just what you need and put the rest back in the freezer. Then dump them in a bowl with hot water and the skin will just rub off using your fingers. You might have to change out your water when it gets cold, depending on how many tomatoes you have. It’s pretty easy to do and then you don’t have to worry pureeing them before using.
debbie says
which of the tagro mixes are you putting on your yard and in your garden beds? i picked up some of their free compost early this spring and mixed it with not-so-hot soil in my tomato bed and holy cow are those tomatoes thriving and beginning to produce. I will get more this fall for lawn and for other garden beds but wanted to know which you are using where first. your gardens and landscaping are gorgeous!
Mavis Butterfield says
Just the regular mix they offer in the free pile. 🙂 It’s magic.