mullethunter Posted August 23, 2018 Share Posted August 23, 2018 The best potatoes for me are Jazzy which are a second early. Great flavour and yield - but I think it depends on your soil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapdragon Posted August 25, 2018 Share Posted August 25, 2018 We have some dwarf cucumbers ready but not many and although the toms are swelling and quite big they are not ripening. I haven't grown toms before but would surely have expected them to be reddening by now...they are Ailsa Craig if that makes any difference?! Our button carrots are doing well and we have eaten quite a few so far. Otherwise the pears are malformed and have a brown scabby stuff on some of them ........ I think we'll have to either prune the tree very hard or remove it and replace elsewhere in the garden with another variety. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted August 25, 2018 Share Posted August 25, 2018 Are the toms in a greenhouse? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapdragon Posted August 25, 2018 Share Posted August 25, 2018 No, I started them out on the windowsill but they have been in a growbag on a sheltered but sunny patio for the last few months.........that's probably where I am going wrong! Still, I have heard that green tomato chutney is nice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted August 26, 2018 Share Posted August 26, 2018 I don’t think it’s that you’re going wrong I think it’s just that to get decent toms outside in this country you have to be lucky with timing and weather. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapdragon Posted August 26, 2018 Share Posted August 26, 2018 Chutney it is then Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted August 26, 2018 Share Posted August 26, 2018 Well you never know - if the sun comes out for a few days they may yet ripen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapdragon Posted August 26, 2018 Share Posted August 26, 2018 I live in hope! Mind you, neither the boys nor I like raw toms so am only growing them for OH and the hamster! However, I had hoped to make industrial amounts of passata for the freezer! Have just baked two trays of blackberry and vanilla buns with blackberries from the freezer as we are so near dashing up the road to the hedgerows to pick more and I still have four containers of frozen fruit from last year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted August 27, 2018 Share Posted August 27, 2018 If you slow down on watering that may trigger them off in a rush to ripen. My mum always hung red plastic bottle tops to fool them (dunno if that worked) but could also hang a banana near them which is what I did last year - that seemed to do the trick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapdragon Posted August 27, 2018 Share Posted August 27, 2018 OOOh, that's interesting Valkyrie! I've been positively flooding them with water assuming that they'll be very thirsty so I'll back off a bit. And I'll try and stop ES eating all the ripe bananas too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted August 27, 2018 Share Posted August 27, 2018 I gather they think their days will be numbered if the water dries up so they put their skates on to ripen. Plus it gives the fruits a more concentrated flavour. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted August 27, 2018 Share Posted August 27, 2018 Right - no more water for mine then! That explains why they’re always better if I abandon them and go on holiday! Soapdragon how do you make passata? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapdragon Posted August 27, 2018 Share Posted August 27, 2018 Passata is basically sieved cooked tomato but very versatile; having spent 6 months in Venice when I was 18 - ahem, some time ago now - With fresh toms........cooked down any quantity of tomato with a little water to cover then pass through a sieve to get rid of pips skin and membrane then fry an onion or two (depending on how much tomato you have) add finely chopped fried off pepper, then add sieved cooked toms and herbs, black pepper depending on how much you like. Simmer gently till reduced and you have a nice tomato sauce. Alternatively you can use the tomato from supermarkets in juice type containers and do the same as above with onions and peppers and cook it all down. Sorry, I'm not good at recipies as I am more of a 'fling it' cook. However, if you have a glut of toms this is a good way of cooking and then freezing as you can add much to the basic passata.....tinned, drained tuna, anchovies, scorched peppers, mushrooms etc or just use it as a Bolognaise base or topping for pizza. A glug of good quality olive oil is good with it too! Hope that all makes sense! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted August 27, 2018 Share Posted August 27, 2018 So cook first to soften with a bit of water then seive. Perfect. My mum has loads that she can no longer eat because of an auto-immune condition in her mouth, so I’ll passata and freeze them 😁 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted August 27, 2018 Share Posted August 27, 2018 We love the passata machine - we do about 3 passes through and there really is nothing left apart from skin and seeds! We roast ours with crushed garlic and olive oil - although that is now rapeseed oil. We then freeze it in little takeaway containers - then it is used as a bolly base or soup (especially squid soup with scallops, monkfish and prawns - and a lot of red wine - left over wine for me ahem!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daphne Posted August 28, 2018 Author Share Posted August 28, 2018 I never would have thought about trying some bananas outdoors, thanks for the idea! I made some green tom chutney last year as the last fruit wouldn't ripen, but I haven't dared taste it yet! Yesterday was a first. We shared our first, and only, home grown almond! It was quite 'juicy' but not particularly strongly flavoured, hopefully as the tree gets older the flavour will mature. I was relieved that it was a sweet almond, apparently you can still buy bitter almonds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted August 28, 2018 Share Posted August 28, 2018 When I was young, my parents road was lined with almond trees. So pretty but we never used the fruit. I guess ornamental in the main. Lovely that you have a yummy sweet one! My out-laws used to have a banana tree at their apartment in Spain, many moons ago. We stayed there once and saw little baby bananas forming. I don't think they ever tasted them though. New house has an enormous walnut tree - so looking forward to trying those - at the same time wishing it was a pecan one because I prefer those. Also lots of apples (I hope) and perhaps a pear, damsons and plums - again I hope there are some at any rate! The previous owner never harvested or pruned anything! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plum Posted August 29, 2018 Share Posted August 29, 2018 Loved reading about your harvest and tips. Sugar snap peas did great. Tomatoes lots of them but slow to ripen, peppers and chillies have tiny ones, dwarf french beans did great, 6year old salad leaves didn't hatch. Carrots stumpy but good. Still fighting to save the flower garden from OH's lust for growing veg all over it. Oh and apologies if I've already written this, it's old age and memory 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted August 29, 2018 Share Posted August 29, 2018 I've tested an apple from one of the trees - it probably should ripen a bit longer but I love the Granny Smith type of sharpness. We also ate blackberries. I may have a tummy ache later. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plum Posted August 29, 2018 Share Posted August 29, 2018 high protein caterpillar diet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted August 29, 2018 Share Posted August 29, 2018 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted August 29, 2018 Share Posted August 29, 2018 Valkyrie so exciting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapdragon Posted August 29, 2018 Share Posted August 29, 2018 Have now adored my tom plants with banana skins - now OH KNOWS I am mad (has only suspected for the last 30 odd years!!!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plum Posted August 29, 2018 Share Posted August 29, 2018 I had tomatoes in a brown paper bag with banana skins, no still green! Good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted August 30, 2018 Share Posted August 30, 2018 Hang them close but not on the plant - otherwise as it decays it will rot the stems. Good luck - and hang red bottle tops just in case it works too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...