It’s been pretty darn cold the last couple of weeks, & even a sprinkling of snow one evening last week. I know that it’s supposed to be winter, but there’s not an awful lot that I want to be doing at the Hill if it’s only a few degrees over freezing, hat or no hat.However, last Saturday I wanted to go & lift the beetroot in order to make chutney. The recipe calls for apple along with the beetroot, & onion, but I read that you can use Jerusalem artichokes in their stead, & as we have oodles of them, & no bramleys, that’s what I thought that I’d use.
Whilst I was lifting the beetroot, Jane & E arrived, & I stood around being cold & grumpy whilst they did some weeding. Actually, we did lift a row of the CARROTS (flyaway) which I optimistically took home, but once washed found them to be more carrot fly than carrot. We also took a portion of KALE (Sutherland) home each which I am enjoying very much indeed.Back home, once thawed out, I made the chutney. There is rather a lot of it, actually – all these jars from two 4’ rows of beetroot!
Sorting out the seed box is another indoor activity – I had a merry time labelling up the jars for the pea & bean seeds, & making up some seed packages to send out in the post to other gardeners from the GYO grapevine forum. Eyeing the seed box (or rather ‘boxes’!) it looks like I will need a very good sort out before the temptation of more seed overwhelms me – at the very least, the Heritage Seed Library catalogue will be dropping on the mat before too long… 
That chutney sounds great Hazel. Classy labels you're using too!
ReplyDeleteTotally impressive - I feel very inadequate. Well done you. Johnty GT
ReplyDeleteThe proof will be in the tasting, Flum - so I'll have to hold tight till Christmas when it's had a chance to mature a bit.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Johnty! Do let me know if you'd like some less-than-usual bean seeds for your less-than-usual beds! You have so many possibilities - but make sure that you lime the circles where you want to grow beans and peas next year...
I never lime here Hazel - tested the soil and it's already quite alkaline. Johnty's is probably similar - not too far away.
ReplyDeleteLive and learn - I thought that clayish soil was likely to be a bit sour. Mind you, Reg-next-plot is the 'lime everything' king, so I may be a bit skewed in my thinking here!
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