Also the day when I plop a bunch of over-ripe / under-ripe / butt-rotted / bug-bitten veggie rejects onto a dirty old board and then make hand-guns at the camera.
Onward!
The Spread:
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| left to right, top to bottom: Golden Jenny Melons, Corbaci Peppers, PASS Peppers, Rainbow Swiss Chard, Ajvarksi Peppers, Georgescu Chocolate Peppers, Giant Scissors. |
I tried to include me and the hand guns in the pic, but it was kinda hard since I was also the one holding the camera. Merp.
The Breakdown
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| We're jerks. |
Their seeds were supposed to be contributing their DNA in the new mixed breed melon bed on the other side of the yard. But noooo... they refuse to ripen. And they've been taking up half a bed of real dirt prime real estate while I've been waiting.
So today I was just like, fuck it, and picked them. Cleared the bed. Feel so much better. Tasted ok, but definitely not that delectable, oh so sweet, perfectly ripe taste of glory that home grown melons can be.
I'll just dramatically over seed to compensate for the likely low fertility from the early harvest. Gardener's version of throwing money at the problem, right?
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| CAN'T STOP WON'T STOP |
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| He's not messing around. |
I might have a crush. Just a little one.
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| One of these things is not like the other, one of these things just doesn't... |
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| ...fuck off. |
BUT SEE -- the PASS pepper does this annoying thing where it sticks the pepper butts straight up into the air. And since they're so plump and curvy, it makes it really hard to see what's going on on the other side.
I swear we're still talking about peppers.
Point being -- I've yet again picked these suckers before they were completely, perfectly ripe. I've also had more difficulty grub huntin' on these plants, as you can see by mr. caterpillar and all the webbing crap.
RAINBOW SWISS CHARD
CLOSE-UP THAT I FORGOT TO TAKE
GOES HERE
And here, just pretend I said something witty and insightful.
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| (╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻ |
Ajvarski! I just... can't I... seriously all I want is... ONE.
One ripe, un-poopy pants Ajvarksi pepper.
But
to avoid going on a a repeat rant like last Harvest Monday, I'll just
leave this here and walk away, shaking my fist dramatically as I go.
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| I got my eye on you, lefty. |
Despite the worrisome diaper-pepper on the left, Georgescu Chocolate
peppers are just starting to come into their own and have been
relatively unplagued by pests and blossom end rot. This is the first
example I've seen on Georgescu. And, alas, the one on the right got a
bit too sunny on the bottom.
As
for taste, these peppers have a very distinct flavor profile that only
really emerges when very ripe. It's hard to describe, not unlike trying
to describe the difference between, say, a black tomato and a red one.
It's mostly sweet pepper taste, with a little hint of... something else.
I'm going to sample a few more before I pass a final flavor judgement, but so far... I quite like them.
~~~~~~~~~
Sorry
for the quick report, my life is like a Rihanna song right now: work, work, work, work, work, and the rest I don't really understand.
So while I'm not harvesting much, I'm doing a lot of breeding projects, new plantings, and general garden overhaul this week, so check back for more posts on that if you're interested.
So while I'm not harvesting much, I'm doing a lot of breeding projects, new plantings, and general garden overhaul this week, so check back for more posts on that if you're interested.
However, if you're still craving more harvest goodness (and who could blame you), head on over to Our Happy Acres and check out what everyone else harvested this week. Happy Monday!
Nothing like a vegetable that goes into a zombie state just before it's ready. I think that some peppers are at their best when they are just a little overripe and wrinkly, not quite rotting yet.
ReplyDeleteI know right? I thought I was going crazy, or stuck in some wibbly wobbley, timey wimey Dr. Who madness. I kept checking the calendar to make sure it had, indeed, been nearly a month since they started yellowing.
DeleteI'll agree with you there -- I love raw sweet peppers, but really dislike green/under-ripe ones. The wrinkley bit on the Georgescu was a bit meck, but the rest was worth the extra wait. Better to chop off a yucky bit on a good pepper, than have a perfect looking pepper that tastes of blah.
I wonder if drying would improve the flavor on the Corbaci peppers. I dry a lot of mine to use as flakes or powder and it seems to pump them up a bit. It sounds like Corbaci is prolific to say the least! I've grown a couple of those 'butt up' peppers' before but I think they were smaller than PASS and easier to see.
ReplyDeleteThat's a great idea. I really want/need to get a dehydrator anyway, especially to help with seed saving. I'll need to do some more research on which one/type first though (and pay for a few truck repairs before any more luxury purchases). Do you have a dehydrator yourself? If so, any recommendations?
DeleteI love our Excalibur, though it's a bit pricey. An adjustable thermostat is a must to really dry a variety of things. Ours not only dries fruits and veggies but also makes croutons and fruit leathers as well as the tomato paste I cooked up the other day. Our weather is so humid it's the only way we can really get anything to dry.
DeleteAh I have the same issue with peppers, mostly due to uneven watering, although liquid calcium sprays can help.
ReplyDeleteWell, at least you are harvesting some sort of melon, ripe or ancient or whatever. The rodents ate my melons before they could even open the flowers on the female blossoms. The melon vines are compost now and if I had my way the rodents would be too.
ReplyDeleteOh no! There's nothing so frustrating as something else eating the thing you're supposed to be eating. Being as urban as I am, I've been pretty lucky so far with the 'wildlife' (knock on wood). I don't think the rats/crows/racoons here have grasped that food grows on plants -- I'm pretty sure they think it magically regenerates each week in trash cans and alley dumpsters.
DeleteLoved your blog this week, and so identify with the despair of finding the back side of a pepper or tomato rotted out when you've hoped to much down on it... just thank goodness for keeping your eyes open is all I say!
ReplyDeleteThank you! And I know, isn't it just the worst feeling -- It's like opening a present and finding the box already empty.
Delete