Tag: beans

Saving Seeds

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Last spring was the first time putting in a spring garden. Like many others, I went to the store and bought a variety of seeds for plants I wanted in my garden that year. So, below are 5 variety of seeds I’ve saved so far this spring. Four varieties are from plants I had in the garden this year, and the other was from a veggie I got at a local farmer’s market. I hear starting from seed is best for most plants, and if you do have problems with germination, then you could always go out and buy the plant. All seeds can also be stored the same way. If you plan to use them within the next year or two, seeds should be stored somewhere cool and dark. If you want to preserve seeds for 5-10 years, you will want to vacuum seal your seeds or place them in a labeled jar with an oxygen absorber, and store in your fridge or freezer.

Green Beans

I bought these green bean seeds this spring. I’ve stored them in a cool and dark place the keep their viability high for next year. I also got several more seeds from my plants this year. If the pod becomes overly ripe and the seeds are viable, the pod will turn yellow on the vine. The seeds have begun going into development when the pods begin to turn waxy and the skin becomes rubbery. I cut my green beans up as soon as I pick them, and suspicious pods, I will cut around the bean to see if the shell has the rubbery texture. Green bean seeds should be sown directly into the ground.

Onion Seeds

My onions this year were started from sets. They did OK, but they didn’t do great. My soil was part of the problem, and I will be addressing that. I also had 3 bulbs go to seed. When Onions go to seed, they develop a big flower stem out the top, and from there they develop a flower that looks like a yarrow or queen Anne’s lace. Once the flower has been pollinated and begins to close up/turn brown in an area, you can cut off the head and place it in a paper bag for a week or two to finish drying. Once dry, you can shake the flower the drop all the tiny little seeds. The flower can be disposed of, and the seeds stored as desired. Onion seeds should be started inside before being transplanted outside.

Radish Seeds

Radishes are a fast growing crop that are supposed to be the best for first time growers. This variety is cherry belle radishes. The seeds are sown directly into the ground. They are ready to harvest 22 days after they sprout and they only like cool weather. If you leave them in the ground for longer, they will begin to go to seed. I kept 3 radishes in the ground, and as they matured they grew considerably! They grow a main stock with many branches of flowers. After about a week or two they begin to form pods. You should let the pods turn red before harvesting the pods, and you should wait for the pods to dry and become brittle before harvesting all the seeds. You can crush the pods and break them open to extract the seeds. The seeds can then be placed in a bowl or bucket. You can then swirl the seeds and blow onto them to remove any chaff that ended up with the seeds. You may lose some seeds too, but they were likely light and inviable.

Green Pepper Seeds

Green peppers are the one plant I didn’t grow in my garden this year. I bought several green peppers from a local grower at a local farmer’s market. These seeds can easily be saved. When you cut a green pepper, cut around top of the pepper. You should make the circle about 1/2 way from the stem and outer edge of the pepper. Cut down enough to sever the ribs, then you can push down on the stem and pull it clean out. You can then remove any remaining seed from inside the pepper and set aside your top to save seeds after you finish cooking. Place your seeds on a paper towel/ paper plate. Place your paper towel/plate on a sunny windowsill. After about 1-2 hours, come through and stir your seeds to dry any seeds that may be underneath. Let dry another 1-2 hours before storing. Green Pepper plants should be started inside 6-8 weeks before your last frost. If available, buy your pepper locally and not from a supermarket, because then you will know the pepper breed will do well in your climate.

Marigold Seeds

When I first planted marigolds this spring, I was shocked with the seed shape! I had never grown anything from seed before, but I assumed all seeds look similar. I was even more shocked to seed how easy it is to harvest more seeds, and how many seeds you get from just one flower! Use a dead or dying flower. Cut the flower from the plant and take it inside. remove the stem by holding the dried petals at the top. Then, grab the black seeds, and pull off the petals. That’s all! Now you have marigold seeds. These are sown directly into the ground in spring and grow all year.

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August 2020 Garden Update

August was an eventful month in the garden. In the beginning of the month, I pulled a tomato plant because of fungus. On the 27th, I pulled my cucumbers from the fabric pots. They began forming very misshapen fruits, and the leaves were dying off rather fast. I also planted radish seeds that day in the two open fabric pots and in the free rows of the raised beds. They already have decent sized sprouts, and the rainy weather helps too. I noticed several of my tomatoes had blossom end rot, but I added some crushed egg shells and with lots of rain in the forecast, it had only happened to 3 tomatoes. Finally, I also ordered garlic to be planted beginning to mid-October. I tried to grow garlic last winter, but I really had no idea what I was doing, so they didn’t make it through the freeze. Finally, I’ve also begun trying to root a pineapple top. And, I found a volunteer pumpkin vine by the house.

I’ve also been thinking extensively about the garden for next Spring, Summer, and Fall. Josh and I plan to build 2 more 8X3 or 4 beds. We plan on placing them by our baby peach tree and we plan to place lower maintenance plants there, though I check on my garden at least once a day. Beans grew really well for us this year, so we plan to grow more green beans. We bought heirloom garlic from MI Gardener, so we plan to grow 3 varieties. We didn’t have much luck at all with tomatoes this summer, so though I’ll be more careful next year to water more often and soak them, I plan to up our quantity to 10 tomato plants with 2 heirloom varieties. I’d like to grow bell and banana peppers next year, potatoes and sweet potatoes, cabbage, broccoli, and more onions, but this time from seed. And, once garlic in harvested in July, we’ll wait about a month or so, and plant some peas. We are ambitious, but this summer has been such a blessing to us that we’d love to have even more fresh veggies next year! We would plant zucchini, yellow squash, or eggplant, but my in-laws always grow lots, so we help absorb some of their excess. Finally, we contemplated more carrots, growing celery, and beets, but we’d like to grow the garden in increments that won’t overwhelm me, and hopefully doubling in size won’t be too much.

This summer we also got quite a bit of seed from our garden. The radish seed pods below is about 1/2 the quantity I got from about 4-5 plants I let go to seed. It took me about 3 hours to break and filter out the seed, and I easily have 100-200 seeds. I also got 3 onion flowers from my sets this year. They formed seeds, but I want at least one other variety, so I will also be buying a packet of seeds. Finally, as I mentioned, my green beans have been doing great. We were harvesting once a week, but just Monday when I was harvesting, I found about 3 pods that were drying. So, I also got 12 new seeds from that, and I will now be harvesting beans twice a week until they slow down. I also am letting my lettuce go to seed, though we’ll see how far they get before I turn my beds.

August 18

August 27

September 1

Plants Outside the Garden

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Garlic Shrimp Fettuccine with Green Beans

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Fresh pasta is completely different from store bought. If you don’t have to time to make homemade for this dish, I recommend using a higher quality pasta, which is usually sold in nests. The texture of the pasta makes this dish. The onion flavor is an under tone of this dish while the garlic is the real star. The tender yet firm green beans add fresh flavor, and the shrimp pairs wonderfully with the garlic and green beans. Top your serving with grated parmesan and enjoy this rich and flavorful meal! This recipe makes 5 adult sized servings.

Garlic Shrimp Fettuccine with Green Beans Recipe CardDownload

What You Will Need

  • 4 Cups Cooked Fettuccine
  • 1/4 Cup Butter
  • 2 Tbsp Oil
  • 2 Cups Cooked and Thawed Shrimp
  • 1 Small Onion, Diced
  • 3 Garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 Cup Green Beans
  • Large Frying pan/Dutch oven
  • Tongs and Wooden Spoon

Directions

  1. Prepare your ingredients as listed.
  2. In a large frying pan, melt butter and heat oil over medium heat. Add diced onion and cook till fried. Add garlic and green beans, cook for 1-2 minutes.
  3. Add cooked pasta and shrimp to butter mixture. Cook together for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and serve.
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Chicken Veggie Stir Fry Side

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If you have rice and any vegetables, you can make this dish. Cook your veggies in oil, add your cooked rice and broth, cook together and serve. I added 1 Tbsp soy sauce to the whole wok before serving. This recipe makes 3-4 side sized servings. I used leftover rice, but you can also make new rice for this dish. If you’d like, you can also make this vegetarian by using vegetable stock instead of chicken.

Chicken Veggie Stir Fry Side Recipe CardDownload

What You Will Need

  • 2 Tbsp Oil
  • 1 Cup Sliced Carrots
  • 1/2 Diced Onion
  • 1 Cup Sliced Green Beans
  • 2 Garlic cloves, Minced
  • 2 Cups Cooked Rice
  • 1 Cup Water
  • 1 Chicken Bouillon
  • Wok and Spoon

Directions

  1. Place wok over medium high heat. Add oil. Add Carrots, onion, green beans, and garlic. Cook until everything is tender.
  2. Add cooked rice, water and bouillon. Continue to cook over heat until there is no excess liquid.
  3. Remove from heat and serve right away.
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Slow-Cooker Northern Bean Veggie Soup

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Bean soup is a classic filling dish, and an easy dish to make in a slow cooker. For this recipe, I didn’t soak my beans early, so I had to do the quick soak method, by boiling the beans and letting them soak. I adding 1 cup of diced onion and sliced carrots, I also sliced 3 Garlic cloves. I should have added some sliced green beans too for more color. I added the softened Northern beans. As for broth, I started with 4 cups of water, and added 2 chicken bouillon. When I checked the dish at the two hour mark, the broth was very light, and a lot of water had evaporated. So, I added 2 more cups of water and 2 more chicken bouillons. You can easily make this dish vegetarian by using vegetable stock. You can also season with your desired spices before serving. I added my spices at the beginning, and most of the flavor had cooked out. I added 1 tbsp basil and 1 tsp red pepper flakes. This recipe made 4 adult sized servings. I also suggest serving with rolls or English muffins.

Slow-Cooker Northern Bean Veggie Soup Recipe CardDownload

What You Will Need

  • 1/2 lb Great Northern Beans
  • 1 cup each, 2-4 types of Diced/Sliced Veggies
  • 2 Cups water
  • 4 cups veggie/chicken broth
  • Slow cooker

Directions

  1. Soak your beans overnight, or cover beans with 2 inches of water, boil for 5 minutes, then let sit for 1 hour.
  2. In the slow cooker, add your choice veggies. Add softened beans. Add water and broth, then cook on high for 6-8 hours.
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