Harvested Cabbage from 2012

I've just been looking through my blog which I must say I have neglected over the last few months, due to my move and I've come across a few blogs I'd started, this being one.

Last year I grew my first ever batch of Cabbage and I'm happy to say that they turned out very well. I was a little reluctant as I did loose quiet a few in the first few months, but during the summer they came on leaps and bounds and I got four great heads of Cabbage to show for it.

These have since been chopped up, blanched and put in the freezer for when I need them. So far I've made Cabbage and leftover vegetable soup with one batch.

                                                        Photo: Laura Lunt  Date: 2012

                                                        Photo: Laura Lunt  Date: 2012

 

                                                       Photo: Laura Lunt  Date: 2012

Weird Garlic

I've been harvesting the Early Purple Wright Garlic this weekend and I may have left them a little too long in the ground or maybe done something wrong along the way. On realising a lot of other people have been harvesting these, I decided to pull them up and found that most of them were slightly deformed.

                                         Photo: Laura Lunt  Date: July 2012

When I say deformed, I mean even though they have grown to a reasonable size, they don't seem to have fully formed into bulbs, as a lot of the cloves are sticking off the outside of the main bulb, but the cloves have fully formed so I'm sure they will be fine to use.

                                                   Photo: Laura Lunt  Date: July 2012

I've left the bulbs to dry out over the mini-greenhouse, these will be plaited and hung in the kitchen for when I need to use them, I may even try and see if I can save a couple of bulbs to keep for planting for next years harvest.

Harvested: Garlic & Onions

Over the last few weeks I've been harvesting the Radar Onions I've been growing since October last year. I started with pulling up around six for my first batch, then nine in my second batch and the rest I picked today.

                                                   Photo: Laura  Lunt  Date: July 2012

At the same time as planting the Radar Onions, I also planted some Early Purple Wright Garlic and as with the onions, I've been busy harvesting the rest of these today, and hanging them for drying out.

                                         Photo: Laura Lunt  Date: July 2012

The mini-greenhouse has been very handy to use as a dryer, but this wasn't big enough for all of them, so I had to use a metal hanger to hold a few of the smaller onions. Hopefully I can leave all of  these for a week or two and then plait up to keep and save for when I need to use them.

From what I've read Garlic is fine to leave in the house after plaited at room temperature, but Onions are meant to be left in a shed or garage at a cooler temperature which I don't have, so I may have to find an alternative way to keep them.

Onions Almost Ready to Harvest

Last October I planted the Onion sets I bought outside on the balcony, these have been over wintered and growing ever since. I noticed over the last few months that the Onions have been developing just above the soil and they've been getting bigger and bigger every time I've popped out to check.

                                                                                  Photo: Laura Lunt  Date: June 2012

Today I couldn't wait any longer and I harvested the first of the Onions for drying out. I carefully used a trowel to take out the six biggest just to see how they do, leaving the rest to continue to grow. I've left the lifted Onions on top of the mini-greenhouse, to dry out for the next week or so and then I'll hopefully be able to store and eat them soon.

                                                                  Photo: Laura Lunt  Date: June 2012

The End of the Tomatoes

October is now with us and I've been busy collecting all the remaining Gardeners Delight and Moneymaker Tomatoes I've been growing over the summer. Due to the lovely hot spell we had at the end of September, the last of the Tomatoes I though wouldn't ripen, have and last weekend I spent sometime pulling all the plants out which have now started to die away. Leaving room for the Garlic and Onions to be planted.

                                                                     Photo: Laura Lunt  Photo: Oct 2011

More Harvesting

Its been a busy time for 'The Little Balcony', I've been harvesting even more vegetables including both Gardeners Delight and Moneymaker Tomatoes, Red Chilies including Inferno and Thai Dragon and all the Baby Sweetcorn, which I may have left a little too late to pick as the kernels are very hard, but I may just try to make popcorn out of this, if not the birds will be getting a treat.

                                                          Photo: Laura Lunt  Date: Sept 2011

These plenty more Tomatoes currently rippening away outside, which I'll be turning into a great sauce to store away and use over the winter months, as well as some great chutney and I have a great recipe for chili jam which I'll be using the Chilies for.

Of course all the recipes will be in the cook book.