Refrigerator Pickles

Cucumbers are in full production right now and there's nothing better tasting and easier to take advantage of that bounty than refrigerator pickles.

I used wide mouth Bell quart jars. I quartered the cucumbers lengthways, put them in helter skelter until the jar is more or less filled. 1/3 cup of vinergar, 3 teaspoons of kosher salt, 1 teaspoon of black pepper, 3 cloves of garlic, and 1/4 cup of dill. I put a ripe jalapeno in each one for a little heat and color. After the ingredients are in fill to the top with water. If you don't like super hot pickles, you may want to pull that jalepeno out after a week or so.

Let it rest in the fridge for at least 24 hours. They're good for about 3 weeks, but usually they won't last that long.

For what it's worth, one of the ladies I work with shed a tear saying they were the best pickles she'd ever had... :-)

Bee Friendly

 Who knew that turnips could set a bee's heart a flutter? The turnips self seeded, we'll see how many generations they can produce on their own. Building a top bar bee hive is on the list for this fall. I'll post pictures as the Snow Farm adds to it's bee habitat.

The Prescott Fond Blanc Melon - It's Not Your Pappy's Cantalope

I picked the Prescott Fond Blanc Melon seeds up from Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company early 2015. I put them in the ground late in mid-April, due to being away at yet another tech school, but thought I'd try them anyway... The one pictured here was first to begin to ripen. Sadly it was struck down in it's prime by a gnawing rodent of some sort. All was not lost though. The dirty rodent didn't manage to penetrate the rind into the flesh.

 

Upon opening it up the scent was amazing. Delicate is the first word to come to mind. Sweet, mild, and it's flesh exquisitely firm. Though not completely ripe, it was still a lovely tasting melon. I'm excited to see the other's ripen. (By the way, I've gave the cat a stern talking to about being lax in his duties.) 

 

Every time I open up an heirloom seed catalog, I'm amazed at how many varieties of fruits and vegetables there are that I've never seen. Baker Creek is an amazingly beautiful catalog. I keep mine as a coffee table book, it's that well done. Order a catalog and plant some of their recommendations that you've never seen before! Happy planting!