Canning Class: C-

Thursday was my first class, which was focused on canning. The class receives a C- based on "does not meet expectations."

Several handouts were available when I entered the class, all printed off the internet. Free Resources! YES! (sarcasm). They were all instructions on pressure canning and hot water bath canning. There were only two recipes: one for canned green beans and one for mixed fruit salad. These were the two demonstrations in the class.

Did you know that the only vegetable that can be safely processed using hot water bath canning is tomatoes? Everything else should be canned using the pressure canning, which takes FOREVER to do.

Anyhow, I'm now looking forward to the freezing class, since it looks like I will be freezing my green beans this year. If you would like the information I received at this class for free, please visit The National Center for Home Food Preservation at http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/. You're welcome.

Sad Plants = Sad Gardener

Rainfall this week has totaled close to a bazillion inches and the garden is straightup, genuine mud. It is unlikely we will get any weeding done until next week. The plants look beat down and just sad. Their leaves are turned down and not even happy to see the sun.

This results in a sad gardener. Everything was going so well. Now, it appears it is only going well for the weeds.

As I mentioned in my last post, there are things happening in the garden now. Today, I picked banana peppers off the plant. It's amazing how fast they were ready! I tried them and they are ok. May have to figure out how to use them effectively.

Here are the two peppers I picked before losing two shoes in the garden and had to forfeit my adventures. Whoops!:

Lots and Lots of Rain

We went out of town this weekend and returned to standing water. The corn field next to our house looks like it suffered some wind or hard rain damage, so we went out to see the garden.

I snapped a few pictures of the current status. Unfortunately, we are expecting more rain this week.

Green beans, cauliflower, broccoli, zucchini:



Onions, peppers and a tomato in the corner:



Watermelon area (it has been neglected, it was on the list for "weeding" this week):



On a positive note, I am starting to see growth throughout the garden. The broccoli has mini-crowns on it! This picture isn't great, but I was trying to not get muddy. The "crown" is right in between the big leaves.

It's The Little Things

Little things make me smile. The garden tends to do that often! I've picked lots of snow peas in the last week and there are even more out there now! The lettuce just keeps on growing! We've been eating lots of salads and sharing bags of lettuce with friends!

The discovery of the week goes to....



It's a little tomato! Surprisingly, these are on the beefsteak tomatoes! Just a little longer and we should have the long awaited first tomato of the summer!

The watermelon are also taking off. Or, I should say they are ready to take over their allotted space (and more). Maybe we'll have watermelon by the fourth of July? That would be awesome!



The zucchini are growing the most! This picture does not do the monstrosity that is this zucchini plant justice!



The only issues in the garden right now are little worms. Here is a great example of why I don't do organic. Broccoli:



I laughed as all the worms tried to escape my Sevin dusting! BWAHAHAHAHAHA

All Tomatoes Not Created Equal

Last year, I only planted one variety of tomatoes because of my limited garden space. This year, I experimented with the three different types. I have already learned that all tomatoes are not created equal, but you don't have to take my word for it!

The early girls probably should be renamed to waiting on a woman. I will be shocked if I get tomatoes out of these before the others:



Why are they called better boys? Probably because they grow better:



I like beef and steak, will I like beefsteak tomatoes? I sure hope so! They aren't as strong as the better boys, but they are still doing better than early girls:

Peppy Peppers

Until now, I haven't had much to report on the jalapenos and green peppers. They were growing, but nothing too exciting. Of course, they shot up this week! They really are growing fast and we should have peppers growing soon.

Here is a picture of one of the green/jalapenos from this week. I could try to guess, but it would probably be the opposite. Anyhow, here is the pepper:



A nice surprise from the banana peppers. I can see a pepper already! Here you go:



The cayenne pepper stunted early, but is recovering now:



I didn't take a picture of the serrano pepper, but it is still adjusting to the garden. Hopefully it will make the transition quickly and get growing!

Pleased With the Peas

For those of you who are faithful "Kayla's garden" enthusiasts, you may remember last year's Sugar Snap Pea harvest. The harvest consisted of 12, maybe 16, sugar snap peas. Total. Reminder: I am not an expert!

Due to the utter disappointment of last year's yield, I chose snow peas over sugar snap peas this year. They are basically the same concept in my mind, so it makes little difference in my plans to pick, eat, repeat.

I've attempted to update you on the progress of the peas this year, showing you regular pictures of their growth and even showing you a freshly weeded row last week. Reminder of that picture:



You can only imagine the SHOCK I experienced today when I came out to the garden to find snow peas growing on my "green beans"!



Did I mention that I'm not an expert? I apparently switched the order in my mind somewhere after planting and I've been pretty consistent since they've emerged! Oh well.... the good news? We have lots of snow peas!



It was a happy surprise for my Friday and I'm certainly please with my peas!