The temperatures dipped below freezing a couple of nights ago. It was inevitable and it killed most of my garden plants. I chose 2 pepper plants and 1 tomato plant to save. I wrapped their cages with moving blankets and so far, they are still alive. That is one of the advantages of growing plants in sturdy cages.
Before the first killing frost, I picked tomatoes from the doomed plants – the two tomato plants and one of the cherry tomato plants. This is what I have.
They are still in the basket because I have not had time to do anything with them. I’ve not had time because I have been drying mint, freezing bell peppers, cooking, cleaning, school, working on donnayoung.org, and working on this new autumn blog theme. I will make time for the tomatoes today.
Mint is hardier than the peppers and tomatoes, but I covered up one of the mint patches just to make certain that the plants would live. The day of the frost, I picked two batches of mint. The mint is important to us because Holly and I drink mint tea just about every day. The picture below is the evening mint harvest. It was too much for my dehydrator so I stripped the leaves from the stems and dried the stems in the oven. Dried mint stems taste just like the leaves. I tested them first by making a pot of tea just from mint stems.
In the background you can see some of the bell peppers that I picked from the doomed pepper plants – I saved only two of the five pepper plants. The peppers are mostly green but I put them in the freezer anyway.
Other than the other things that I have been up to, this garden chore is another thing I have been doing. On the next almost warm day, I will need to clear out the garden – except for the saved plants of course – and get it ready for next year. I want to plant more herbs.
Happy Homeschooling (and gardening),
Donna
chocolatechic says
I just really, really, really need to say that I have so missed you!
Sheri says
You have some amazing garden talents, Donna!
Tressa says
That is a lot of green tomatoes. I am just curious what you will do with those? 🙂 Your mint looks amazing. I think that I would like to grow some, but I don’t know what I would do with it. Hmmm..I bet it smells wonderful. I also really like the new skin of your blog. Makes it very festive. 🙂
Donna Young says
Tressa, some of the tomatoes will be laid out somewhere and covered with something like newspaper, I think, to ripen. I used to ripen tomatoes inside, but haven’t done it in a long time so I will have to read about it in one of the books I have here at home.
Some of the tomatoes will get prepared for freezing to make into fried green tomatoes. I’ve never done that, but since they can be purchased at the store, I know it can be done. I might make a green tomato pie, just haven’t decided on that yet. I didn’t get around to doing any of it today. I was tired and decided to do next to nothing. 🙂
The mint makes good tea after it is dried. I powder it with a large stone mortar and pestle before brewing it.
appliejuice says
I have heard of a chocolate green tomato cake. Never tried it, though. Everything looks good, even those green tomatoes. 🙂 Those grape tomatoes are the best. 😛
You sure have been busy. I have missed you.
Donna Young says
Thank you Applie and CC. I have missed you all too.
Those grape tomatoes are so good. I grew two varieties and the ones shown in the image make tiny ones.. around the diameter of a finger nail. The other kind were larger, around an inch to inch and a quarter in diameter.
I have never heard of a chocolate green tomato cake. 😛
Elaine says
I’ve missed you as well, Donna. I really need to go to your site to see what you’ve done there, or is it up yet?
The produce from your garden looks divine
Donna Young says
Hi Elaine 🙂
The work I am doing on the site isn’t there yet. It’s all on my computer still being worked out. 🙂