Hungry Gap

[veggiechicken]

I'm going to try some Chinese greens in my little stayput over winter this year. It stood empty last year, so it's worth a try.

I keep cut and come again and rocket going all year round in the GH. Pea shoots too.

[BUFFS]

we use our toms to provide us with tasty meals,toms,basil,garlic,onions ,peppers and herbs,all home grown,are cooked together so that all we need is a bit of pasta for a great,hot,lovely meal in minutes,we usually freeze down about 25-30 ice cream tubs full each autumn,dice and fry some bacon to add a different taste as needed,still using last years (large freezer in outhouse),tonight with garlic bread...mmmmmmmm..

[binley100]

The way the weathers behaving I can see one almighty hunger gap this year.......

[PyreneesPlot]

Pea shoots all year sounds good - which variety VC, something like Feltham First?

Freezing is not really an option for very much as we only have a tiny fridge freezer. Mind you, we were off grid for 2 years so no freezer at all and just a coolbox sized gas fridge for beer, milk and cheese!

I bottled lots of tomatoes and passata, then read loads about botulism so dished up anything tomatoey with crossed fingers...

Salted french beans were unexpectedly good as long as I remembered to soak them for 24 hours first.

[eirish]

Pea shoots all year sounds good - which variety VC, something like Feltham First?

I'm not VC, but the book I have recommends the sugar snap or mangetout types for pea shoots, as they're more vigorous growers.

[Alison]

I bottled lots of tomatoes and passata, then read loads about botulism so dished up anything tomatoey with crossed fingers...

Salted french beans were unexpectedly good as long as I remembered to soak them for 24 hours first.

So long as you bottle properly tomato has sufficient acid not to be a risk, veggies are far more of a concern.

24hours soaking for salted beans! I assume you mean green ones not dried ones? I only do them for about an hour as I find they go tough otherwise. Do make sure I use loads of soaking water though and change it 3 or 4 times.

[Jardiniere]

The only things that overwintered for me this year (apart from the garlic and onions - but they arent ready to eat yet) was mache (lambs lettuce) and spinach. The broad beans unfortunately died otherwise they would have been ready to eat a few weeks ago....(have got loads now of course from a later planting).I still had parsnips left in the ground but they were very woody and a few leeks most of which I've left for seed....

and nobody makes wine from anything other than grapes here where I am - and I wouldnt bother - really fabulous malbecs here - red and rose - for a song.......

[kathyd]

Perpetual spinach and giant oriental mustard went berserk in our polytunnel last winter. Also chards. If you don't have a tunnel, could you make a cloche / use fleece? I also planted some cauliflowers in the tunnel which did work, if you like them at cordon blurgh size rather than with big heads . I'm going to try some outdoors this winter - sow late summer I believe. Also going to overwinter more broad beans and try some peas outside for earlier crops, although had massive crops from my golden sweet mangetout for 2, maybe 3 weeks now in the tunnel. We only have one freezer so I've got lots of kilner jars mainly from vide greniers and intend to learn how to use them this year so I can store summer stuff for the winter - Nicos, any recipes and tips would be most useful! - and I also want to learn more about drying things, especially beans. Although with the weird weather so far, I'm not sure how much surplus produce we'll have to play with.

[redser]

First year growing but learning a lot. Will definately go for carrots in pots, very early spuds in pots, and overwintered mangetout. Will try some overwintering garlic and onions inside, and a variety of leafy stuff. Am going to sow beetroots too for baby beets. All in the tunnel and will use cloches over them too inside the tunnel if it gets too cold.

[PyreneesPlot]

Umm. Think it;ll have to be fleece rather than a tunnel, simply because it can still be in the twenties into November and then again by early February (or snow in May). I fried everything under cloches my first winter. Opps!

Yes, Alison, salted green and yellow haricots. We have eaten lots of dried beans, too. Borlotti bean, nero, squash and chocolate stew was fantastic (Denis Cotter recip), although the effect on my OH were pungent to say the least

[Jardiniere]

Thats my problem with a green house or polytunnel....in summer it can get too hot and the period of its usefulness would be quite short (except for this year when I could have done with it) and i'm not certain its worth the expense - no buying things cheaply in this country!!!

[Kaiya]

Will try some overwintering garlic and onions inside

I don't believe they need (or want?) to be inside - I planted mine out in November and they managed fine under the snow we had in Feb.

[redser]

I don't believe they need (or want?) to be inside - I planted mine out in November and they managed fine under the snow we had in Feb.

Oh yes, I know. But they can come even earlier under cover, and less risk of rots etc as they are less likely to be sitting in over-wet soil. That's what I've been reading anyway

[Two_Sheds]

I also want to learn more about drying things, especially beans.

There's nothing to it: just leave them on the plant to, erm, dry ...