Break out the apple cider and make some treats, Fall is officially here.
And while the weather is happily still very late-summer-like the signs of autumn are everywhere, especially in the harvest. One of the farmers had pie pumpkins at the market this week. I’m realizing now that I should have bought one. An unidentified mammal ate every single developing ‘Long Island Cheese Squash’ off the vine growing in my community garden plot this year. Boo. Hiss. I had one fertilized pumpkin developing that I thought might have a slim chance but it was gone when I went to check up on it yesterday. Next year I will have to construct some kind of mammal-proof barrier around the little pumpkins. I am saddened that there will be no delightfully flat and scalloped homegrown pumpkin to set on the counter before turning it into a pie.
Next on the agenda is a batch or two of apple and mint jelly and I’ve been toying with the idea of trying my hand at pickled watermelon rind. I already have the apples, mint, and watermelon, now I just have to work up the energy to make it all happen.
I have one pumpkin, Musquee de Provence, going at the community plot. I’ll be going there later today to check it out.
It feels like fall to me, too, although it’s hot & sunny out today!
Those Long Island Cheese Squash must have been especially tasty to someone!
We’re actually getting some color in the trees already down here in southern Pennsylvania. I’m surprised, it’s been hot and sunny here, too.
I have 3 pumpkins this year – from volunteer vine(s) in the compost bin. They’re a good size (45 cm tall) but not ripening very quickly, and unfortunately we had a surprise (to me, anyway) frost last night so they may be lost.
I got some beautiful squash off my community garden plot – pale green and disc shaped – sort of like patty-pan but larger. Can’t recall the variety.
I made Apple Butter yesterday to celebrate fall. Yummmmm….
Are you making “apple and mint” jelly, or apple jelly and mint jelly? I bet apple and mint would be good together…
Melamalie: Apple and mint together! Apple is a good source of pectin too.
Jody: I wish I knew who or what is eating the Long Island Cheese because they are taking the whole thing clear off the vine! We used to have a groundhog that was getting into everything but he/she was supposedly taken away by animal control because it was sick.
Perhaps it could be a human that is taking your beloved squash? I’m just a wee bit upset at humanity the moment since some wonderful person stole ALL of my eggplants from my back garden. All of them. Argh!
Tammigail: I’m sorry to hear about your eggplant. I’ve suffered a lot of human damage this year but not at the community garden. A friend of mine went to her garden the other day to find every single hot pepper gone — dozens of hot peppers taken yet no single person could use that many.
I know it’s not a human because the pumpkins were far too immature to be useful and because I haven’t lost anything more obvious and useful like zucchini.