Gardening: My Tomatoe and Pepper Progress

[Braufessor]

Picked a few for farmers market trades today. 1365grams worth mostly in aji arnaucho off just 2 tiny plants. Got a guy who wants all the arnaucho. Gunna take the load of supers too and see what kind of interest there is at the market.

Have you done anything with, or used those Sugar Rush peppers yet? I picked some seeds up last winter and grew a half dozen plants.... they went crazy and I have a bunch of them. I have a half gallon fermenting right now, and I will have at least that many again in the freezer. They had an intriguing description, but wondering about any actual, practical experience with them. Thanks

 

[Braufessor]

Not sure how I missed this thread...... a few photos of some of the summer harvest. Basically done with everything at this point, other than trying to milk out some more peppers before the first frost hits. Got some of them moved into a recently added greenhouse/shed....hopping that gets me a couple more weeks on each end of the season going forward.

 

[Braufessor]

another kilo of SLCRs

What kind of peppers are these?

 

[Evilgrin]

SRP makes killler hot pepper rings. Either normal or sweet pickle brine. Even green they are good for pepper rings.

 

[501irishred]

SRP makes killler hot pepper rings. Either normal or sweet pickle brine. Even green they are good for pepper rings.

Do you pressure can your peppers? If so, what’s your secret? Those look great! I’ve never caned any that didn’t basically turn to mush without adding a metric ton of pickling crisp (yuck).

 

[passedpawn]

Do you pressure can your peppers? If so, what’s your secret? Those look great! I’ve never caned any that didn’t basically turn to mush without adding a metric ton of pickling crisp (yuck).

I just put 50/50 water and distilled vinegar in a jar. I don't do any cooking. Then refrigerate. I do this with all sorts of sliced peppers and they do not turn to mush.

 

[501irishred]

I just put 50/50 water and distilled vinegar in a jar. I don't do any cooking. Then refrigerate. I do this with all sorts of sliced peppers and they do not turn to mush.

I started going the same route and I agree it’s a good way to go. Was hoping to find a way to use pantry space instead of refrigerator space though. SHMBO doesn’t partake in the bounty, so maintaining room for “my worthless non-edibles” is getting more difficult each year.

 

[Evilgrin]

No cook. Add warm but not hot brine and toss it in the fridge. I use a 50/50 mix too. Sweet pickle you can use no water if you wish. Its mainly just vinegar and sugar.

I prefer rice vinegar actually. Its not quite as harsh as white distilled. It is not quite 5% though. Usually around 4-4.5%.

Buy one of them tiny fridges. Use it for stuff like kraut too.

 

[passedpawn]

I've got a garage fridge that I can shove all sorts of stuff in.

 

[501irishred]

I've got a garage fridge that I can shove all sorts of stuff in.

Me too. All kinds of beer.....er, I mean stuff.....

 

[HoppyDaze]

I've got over seven pounds of pods off this one plant. Sri Lanka Chili

 

[bleme]

I've got over seven pounds of pods off this one plant. Sri Lanka Chili

That's an awesome harvest Hoppy! I tried googling 'sri lanka chili' and couldn't find any peppers quite like it.

 

[HoppyDaze]

These particular ones were crossed with another strain. They look like cayenne or Thai peppers

 

[bleme]

These particular ones were crossed with another strain. They look like cayenne or Thai peppers

Are you going to try and over-winter them?

 

[HoppyDaze]

nope...not worth the effort. I have more peppers than I know what to do with.

 

[Braufessor]

Are you going to try and over-winter them?

I have had some success overwintering some pepper plants ..... although, it seems to get to be long here in Iowa...... basically, got to get them in in the next few days it looks like and get them through until May next spring. Last year I had a Datil, a peach ghost and 2 tobasco peppers make it through. Actually, the one Tobasco has made it through 2 winters now and this was its third summer.

 

[Braufessor]

Freezing temps on the way soon.... so, time for the final pepper harvest - ready or not.

 

[applescrap]

Ugh snow, dang! Haha, picked up plants and huddled them up with tarps hope they will live. Couldnt get tomatoes, rip.

 

[HoppyDaze]

Harvest moon

 

[bleme]

My neighbor thought she was growing Carolina Reapers (just to see if they grew in California ) but these don't look like any Reaper I've ever seen. Is there enough here to guess what they really are?

 

[501irishred]

It looks like an okra had babies with an eggplant.....

 

[applescrap]

Dont think I updated, it got to 12 here. 12 that night. Haha, been 80 since. Yeah, nothing lived but herbs.

 

[brewcat]

Let us know how the okra do for you. I was split doing them this year, but ultimately didn't. Next year will be different!

Update:
For me containers are the way to go with okra. I harvested a fair amount from two containers. Might work better if I started inside and got them outside right when temps were good. Probably could get a couple more weeks... Seems like production really got started when things started cooling off. I started from seed outside in containers.

I used 12'' containers. They worked fine. I don't know if a little bigger would work better or not. The one thing you want is something to weigh the container down. The wind caught the plants a few times and blew them over.

Overall I'm happy with how it went. Probably needs a bit more experimentation. Different varieties?

 

[bleme]

Update:
For me containers are the way to go with okra. I harvested a fair amount from two containers. Might work better if I started inside and got them outside right when temps were good. Probably could get a couple more weeks... Seems like production really got started when things started cooling off. I started from seed outside in containers.

Every time I hear about okra, I think about the time my dad planted 4 rows of the stuff, probably 30-40 plants to the row, because he has no idea how they would produce. We had okra coming out our ears, couldn't go on any trips because they had to be picked every day, and were perpetually itchy. We had okra for every single meal and still gave away several grocery bags a week!

 

[Sbe2]

Given what’s going on around us, let’s get this thread moving again. I am starting my habaneros and jalapeños tonight. I can’t wait for the soil to warm up and plant some spinach and salad mix.

 

[passedpawn]

I've got jalapenos, banana peppers, roma tomatoes, beef steak tomatoes, and basil. They are all bearing fruit right now

 

[LuckyBeagleBrewing]

I've got jalapenos, banana peppers, roma tomatoes, beef steak tomatoes, and basil. They are all bearing fruit right now

That is really early. It has been way too cold here for anything like that. You must have gotten a really early start.

I got my Orange Pepperoncinis, Hot Banana, and Jalapeno started last Sunday. This weekend I will be starting about 40 tomato plants to split between myself and father-in-law. Mostly 1lb+ varieties this year since canning the small ones turned out to be a massive job. Still have a major stockpile of tomatoes to use.

 

[NeilMac]

Mine are still indoors (peppers) due to still winter, and now the aphids are attacking them, hope they survive till spring.

 

[Brewbuzzard]

Mine are still indoors (peppers) due to still winter, and now the aphids are attacking them, hope they survive till spring.

If you don't already have it get Jerry Baker's book.

 

[NeilMac]

Nope. Have tried many things, trying mouthwash spray now.

 

[501irishred]

I’m still about a week out from planting. I think it’s safe temp wise, but we can’t catch a break from the rain!
Added the first of 3 planned “offshoots” tonight to plant some hops. Anybody know of good companions to grow in the same bed with hops? I wanted to build the bed big enough to no worry about it getting root bound in the next couple years, but it also seems a waste of space.

 

[NeilMac]

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/hops/hops-companion-plants.htm

 

[501irishred]

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/hops/hops-companion-plants.htm

Thanks, that was perfect!

 

[z-bob]

I've only planted a few varieties so far this year, but I have Thai, Biquinho Red, and Fresno peppers up good. I also planted seeds that I saved from last year for Puya (a smaller and much hotter variety of Guajillo) and got terrible germination, but the two that did come up look really good and I saw another one sprouting this morning. When I get home (I'm in Texas now and kind of stuck here for a while) I will plant 7-Pot Yellow, some mild habanero, serrano, and a ghost x jalapeno pepper that my brother gave me a packet of seeds; also will get my tomato seeds and lots of flower seeds going.

I also will probably start some more Puya seeds and put them on a heat mat to see if that helps. I've never seen Puya seeds for sale; I don't know why because they are very tasty when eaten fresh as well as dried. I got mine from some dried peppers at a Mexican grocery store.

 

[bleme]

If you could only grow one variety of pepper, what would it be? I'm leaning toward Fresno chilis as they seem like a good all-around chili, they are very seldom in the grocery since jalapenos took over, and I know they are well suited for my climate. (USDA Zone 9b)

 

[z-bob]

If you could only grow one variety of pepper, what would it be? I'm leaning toward Fresno chilis as they seem like a good all-around chili, they are very seldom in the grocery since jalapenos took over, and I know they are well suited for my climate. (USDA Zone 9b)

That's a tough one. Probably serrano peppers.

 

[passedpawn]

If you could only grow one variety of pepper, what would it be? I'm leaning toward Fresno chilis as they seem like a good all-around chili, they are very seldom in the grocery since jalapenos took over, and I know they are well suited for my climate. (USDA Zone 9b)

Cayenne are very versatile. I'd just grow those I think. Sauce, flakes, raw in stuff.

 

[bleme]

Cayenne are very versatile. I'd just grow those I think. Sauce, flakes, raw in stuff.

I use cayenne powder on nearly everything so that is a thought.

 

[z-bob]

Cayenne are very versatile. I'd just grow those I think. Sauce, flakes, raw in stuff.

2 years ago I had a surplus of large serrano peppers, and I sliced and dried a bunch of them. They dried better that you'd expect, and the red ones were pretty much interchangeable for dried cayenne.

 

[passedpawn]

I use cayenne powder on nearly everything so that is a thought.

Yessir, they are fantastic! I dry them out on the smoker, then run them through the food processor.