Allotment & food storage

[Geordie_Rob]

(1 April 2013, 19:08)Metroyeti Wrote: Well done, have you been waiting for long?

3 years but recently I've been hassling the council & I jumped from 41st to top

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(1 April 2013, 19:14)Mortblanc Wrote: potatoes do not dry in the dehydrator well either, at least not for me!

they turn black

I have heard you can use lemon juice to prevent that but sinece I do not grow potatoes I have never tried it.

some things it is just cheaper to buy and that allows you to use allotment space for other things.

You've got to try your own potatoes. Go for the bucket method. They'll be the best potatoes you'll ever eat.

[Luci_ferson]

congrats on the allotment.

not all veg will require preserving.
some vegetables can have a staggered sowing, enabling you to have multiple harvests.
I definitely want one of those dehydrators though

[Geordie_Rob]

(1 April 2013, 20:37)Straight Shooter Wrote: MB try this...1. 2 gal black bucket drill some holes in the bottom....2" gravel followed by 2" horse manue followed by 2" soil or compost place 1 seed patatoe in center fill 4" soil you should be about half way up the bucket...wait for till foiliage is about 6 " above the top of the bucket.....then fill up the bucket with soil and horm up 2 " around the foiliage....wait till it flower,s and the plant will start to keel over ...ready then to eat......try CHARLOTE to go with that lettice ....boil ....rest....butter .... pinch of black pepper find yourself a nice chair overlooking a meadow...close your eyes ....gentley raise your folk .....and savour that taste of nature...from the fruits of your labour .....heaven....keep the bucket moist simple stuff....try the same with runner beans......bacon...tip the fat over the beans knob of butter and drift away man.......i cannot wait for this years crop and the ritual i go through....and give my thanks to mother earth

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Sorry rob got caught up in the moment....maris piper is a great patatoe a real good all rounder can go in now first early....broad beans now ..onoin sets..now but under a clotch....lettice under clotch.....get in there boyo.. go nuts

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And a note to you all .....get your kids and granchildren involved....its the best thing...when they can pick from their efforts ....its then over to OH to show them how to prepare and or cook ....comon yar,all lets have a revolution

My kids are dying to get started already

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(1 April 2013, 21:01)I-K-E Wrote:

(1 April 2013, 20:56)GrannyMike Wrote: winter veg
kale drawf black and red
savoys
swedes turnips parsnip
leeks artichokes
lettuce chard
spiach
spring cabbage and try nettles for soup or green veg
enjoy your plot

add parsnips ... just leave them in the ground until you need them just been given some that were dug up two days ago

I've tried growing parsnips 3 times & each time, nothing germinated. All fresh seed from b&q, nothing a few years old or anything.

[Luci_ferson]

weve just bought our daughters a little set of gardening tools just their size.
Son aint interested. if its not an xbox his attention level is 0

[Mortblanc]

(1 April 2013, 21:50)Geordie_Rob Wrote:

(1 April 2013, 19:08)Metroyeti Wrote: Well done, have you been waiting for long?

3 years but recently I've been hassling the council & I jumped from 41st to top

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(1 April 2013, 19:14)Mortblanc Wrote: potatoes do not dry in the dehydrator well either, at least not for me!

they turn black

I have heard you can use lemon juice to prevent that but sinece I do not grow potatoes I have never tried it.

some things it is just cheaper to buy and that allows you to use allotment space for other things.

You've got to try your own potatoes. Go for the bucket method. They'll be the best potatoes you'll ever eat.

I have grown potatoes several times in the past but could not tell the difference between what I grew and market spuds.

I am also on a low carbohydrate diet, have been for 2 years, so growing them would be a waste of my time and space.

No spuds, no pasta, no bread, no sugar; it has taken 70 pounds off my frame. Living on meat and greens, living like a caveman should!

[Straight Shooter]

Well in that case MB I will toast you with my potato at my ritual this year pal ..hands across the water and all that

[Luci_ferson]

the irish know a great way of preserving potatoes.
they call it pochine or pocine or something like that pronounced Po Cheen.
sadly you cant eat it its an alcoholic drink lol

with carefull selection of different potatoe types you don't need to preserve them. you can have a crop going most of the year.
and most store pretty well in a potatoe sack for short periods (months)

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its mainly managing your planting into crops sizes you can use up before the next one is ready.

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an advantage of doing it this way is you get to taste lots of different varietys , and its surprising how nice some of the new potatoes are.
Potatoes aint as borring as youd think once you experiment with a few varietys

I love charlottes and anyas

[Straight Shooter]

Had some customers in Ireland some years back now...a great bunch of boys I can tell you to a man..... I did partake in some tastings ...at least that's what they called it...I remember nothing....except the demijohn that was sent over and handed to me by the driver...he said " this is memory restorer" comps of des .....your jeans and shirt are in the box marked jeans and shirt....did have my revenge though after the rugby in Cardiff....PENDERYN....got the buggers back ...some say des is still walking the Brecon beacon's to this day

[MaryN]

Parsnips are fairly easy to grow, but can take AGES to germinate. It's easy to plant the seeds and then forget where you put it. They need well prepared soil, as few stones as possible (makes 'em branchy), and not too much muck. They do not do well in very heavy or wet soil either.

If you want veggies in your garden for this time of year, can I add purple sprouting broccoli and brussels sprouts to the list already given by GM. Beetroot also does well if you just leave it in the ground; the frost makes it really sweet.

[Luci_ferson]

I always love the gardening advice from MaryN. she knows her stuff.
thanks for the tip on the parsnips. ive never grown them before.