Look at my most beautiful Red Cabbages! I harvested the last three that I planted in May (yes May!) last year from the patch. We had half of one in our dinner last night (beef chow mein), and have the rest in the crisper of the fridge.
If I had have waited much longer to pick them, I would have been unable to reach them because the pumpkins are taking over that garden bed because of all the rain we have had all week! As I anticipated, it was crisp, and delicious. Home grown cabbage is the best and these are the biggest ones I have ever grown. I just goes to show that with cabbages, patience is a virtue.
Also, as I mentioned the other day, we picked most of the remaining peaches and apricots. I finally got around to preserving them today. I chose to preserve in lieu of eating them fresh because the excess rain had split most of their skins, so it was the best way to lock in their flavour. I processed them in a medium sugar syrup as quite a few were only just turning ripe, and needed an extra push to bring out the sugars.
I also have lots of Rhubarb that I am going to preserve in this manner, as well as a tree full of plums that are just turning ripe. Most are still just off from ripening so they have not split due to the unseasonable rain storms. Just as well I reckon because last year we did not have one single plum on the tree due to the heat of Black Saturday in 2009. The heat knocked the tree for six, and it took an entire year for it to recover. But the great thing is that it did recover, as do most things in nature. Resilience at its best which is something the human race has to work on during the next decade or two.
I will leave you with this fruity thought for the day.
“Life without love is like a tree without blossoms or fruit.” ~ Kahlil Gibran (1883-1931)
I’ve just made plum jam and plums in Fowler’s jars (two ways), but I was wondering what you’ll do with your plums? I have five kilos to go and am thinking of running them through a dehydrator. Interesting site, by the way.
Hi Alison,
Yes, I will be doing the same. Mostly preserving the ones we can’t eat fresh for winter. I love preserved plums with warm custard.
Gav
Thanks Gav – I ended up doing about ten kilos in Fowler’s jars, five in jam, and five dehydrated. First time I used a dehydrator, but the dried plums came out beautifully, ready for my muesli in months to come… a revelation!