Welcome to our plot!

I'm Hazel, and in Nov 2006 my friend Jane and I took on a half plot at Hill Allotments, Sutton Coldfield - we want the satisfaction of growing and eating our own fruit and veg, and to improve our diet (and fitness!).

This is the story of what happened next...........

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Autumn Harvest!

It's been so dry in September that I know that I'll have to keep an eye on the beans drying on the plants - I don't want to find that all the pods have split open & the beans have re-sown themselves!

So I popped to the Hill this evening - just for half an hour, it's pretty much dusk at 7pm now. I was right to be concerned about the beans - although some stalwarts still have tender pods for eating (notably the FRENCH BEAN (purple giant) so I picked a few of these for tea), others are dry & rattly & more that ready for harvesting.

So I started to strip some of the varieties of FRENCH BEANS (polish, early warwick & pea bean), then picked some sweetcorn cobs (which I've frozen), COURGETTE (golden yellow & all green bush) & a CUCUMBER (tasty burpless)

The beans are spread out upstairs on newspaper for the pods to dry further (these are some of the drier ones podded - polish on the left, pea bean on the right), then they can be podded & stored in jars ready for all those wonderful winter casseroles.

Pretty, ain't they?
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6 comments:

  1. Kath25 September 2009 at 13:38:00 BST

    The Polish seed is not unlike Bird's Egg is it? I can never get enough of playing with beans!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hazel25 September 2009 at 14:46:00 BST

    You're right - although it's a light mauve background rather than cream/ecru coloured - the camera didn't pick it up well.

    I'm aiming to get the majority of the beans in for drying this weekend & will post a pic of the polish & bird's egg side by side.

    In fact I'll put a pic up of them all & you can let me know which you fancy!

    ReplyDelete
  3. BilboWaggins28 September 2009 at 08:12:00 BST

    I have finally realised how you get so much done - you've perfected the art of never going to sleep, haven't you?

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hazel28 September 2009 at 09:11:00 BST

    I think that I have perfected the art of not turning the TV on, and not doing very much at all in the way of housework!

    This must be why I know nothing about Strictly/X factor/soaps (and am sometimes at risk of a visit from environmental health), but on the plus side I do have home made baked beans...

    Hurrah!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Mal's Allotment1 October 2009 at 00:09:00 BST

    Boy, my pea beans were 'erratic' when germinating and have yet to 'plump up', but I am reassured to see your harvest. Maybe they will come to something yet! As yet 'no peeking' is the policy

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hazel1 October 2009 at 08:23:00 BST

    Thank you for dropping by, Mal! My pea beans were from the Heritage Seed Library & I must say that they have behaved pretty well with me ignoring them, and they've set a lot of pods.

    Is it a bit chilly in your neck of the woods, I wonder? How do you get on with other climbing beans?

    ReplyDelete

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