Making Hot Pepper Sauce. 10.9.22

 I harvested all of the red hot peppers and prepped them to make hot sauce.  These are a mix of ripe Jalapeños, Serranos, and mostly Cayennes.

They are so pretty.

These get cut into slices, along with some garlic.  Then pack into jars along with a tablespoon of fresh sauerkraut juice to start the fermentation, a little sugar to feed it, and brine.  I weight diwn with a glass weight.

Then add a tip with a gas escape nipple.  They get fermented for a few days in the dark, then I process them and portion into jars.  It's even pretty in the jars.

I need to print put a new recipe card. This one got a little wet.

Saving Flower Seeds. 10.9.22

 I saved seeds for the Rudbeckias I liked the best.  During the summer, I tied a cloth strip around the stems of my favorites, to mark them.

The seed heads go into paper bags.  I'll let them dry a couple of months, then clean up the seeds.  I also saved seeds from French Marigolds.  These are my own multigenerational saved seeds.

And an African Marigold that I like.

Buttercup Squash. 10.7.22

 I cut open one of the Buttercup squashes.

 Half went into today's batch of dog food.  I haven't decided yet what to do with the other half.

Canning Salsa. 10.7.22

 Today I canned salsa.  I used almost all of the remaining sauce tomatoes, all of the banana peppers, and some of the Jalapeños.  

I used the USDA Canning Book recipe.  It made an extra pint, so that goes into the fridge.  These came out a bit too salty, because I halved the recipe and forgot to halve the salt.  Still quite good and fresh tasting.

Harvest. 10.6.22

 Still getting some nice harvests in October.

I made a tomato pie with some of the big tomatoes.  The peppers will go for hot sauce and salsa.  The Romas will go into some canned salsa.  Im not convinced the apples are that good this year.  Might make a pie and try to pick out the best ones to grow.

Peach Harvest. Garden Gold. 10.7.22

 This is tne miniature peach tree that I sheltered from rains last winter.  Nice peaches now!

I harvested enough to can a batch.

Then I made a batch of peach jam, too.

Very happy with all of them.

Yellow Jackets! 10.7.22

 I was picking apples and forgot that yellow jackets infest any on the ground.

One stung over my right eye.  The other on my neck.  I hope no one was watching while I ran away from the apple tree. The swelling should improve in a few days,

The Rest of the Squash Crop. 9.24.22

 I moved the squashes off the lawn and onto the deck where they can cure without getting wet.  I also harvested the Costata romanesca squashes - the oblong big green ones.  Based on year's result, they keep almost a year in a cool dry space.

Saving Tomato Seeds. 9.23.22

 I've started saving seeds of the tomato varieties that I like the most.  They need to ferment a few days before drying out.  These are "Ukraine Purple".  I also saved from "Dwarf Golden Champion" and have a few others to save as well.  Today I added "Dwarf Clare Valley Red", which is really good, big, productive.

After these ferment a few days, I rinse the seeds and lay them on a paper towel to dry out.  Then they go into envelopes to store for next year.

Late Season Potato Harvest. "Elba". 9.23.22

 Each day, I dig a few more plants of the late season potato variety "Elba".  This is a nice producing, disease resistant variety with good flavor.  It's a great time to harvest.  The soil is dry, so light weight and crumbly.

These make great air fryer fries.