Tuesday, September 5, 2017

September 5, 2017, Kim’s Weekly Garden Newsletter



"The breezes taste
Cosmos
Of apple peel.
The air is full
Of smells to feel-
Ripe fruit, old footballs,
Burning brush,
New books, erasers,
Chalk, and such.
The bee, his hive,
Well-honeyed hum,
And Mother cuts
Chrysanthemums.
Like plates washed clean
With suds, the days
Are polished with
A morning haze."

-   John Updike, September

Hi Gardeners

Have you ever walked by your garden and saw something you didn’t know was there?  This has been my year for that.  I think of myself as an observant person when it comes to nature and gardens but I guess I’m getting old.  Today when I walked by the akebia, chocolate vines, covering the fence on the east side of the vegetable gardens, I noticed the fat sausage like fruits clustered in the vine.  This is exciting- it’s the first time I have had fruits from the plants.

I have been picking blackberries close to the vine for the last month and never noticed the fruits.  The fruit looks like light green bananas right now so it isn’t ripe yet and I sure hope it gets a chance to ripen before frost.  I planted the plants, 2 varieties ‘Silver Bells’ and Violet’  five years ago and they have bloomed every year but never had fruit.  There’s not a lot of fruit but hey, I feel quite thrilled I have any.  I have an article about the plant below.

Well it’s September, how did that happen?  The garden is looking very mature.  The annuals are still going strong, sweet autumn clematis is in bloom, and the clematis by my barn door has a new flush of blooms.  The toad lilies are blooming, the little white asters are peaking out here and there around the garden. 

I have big buds on my hardy hibiscus but they haven’t bloomed yet for some reason.  Also left to bloom are the spider lilies, they are peeking up out of the ground now.  I have them potted because they aren’t hardy here.  At least I can bring them inside if they don’t bloom before frost.

I ordered bulbs this week.  You can’t have enough tulips.  I also ordered a couple new bulbs I haven’t had before, I try new things each year.  I ordered Fritillaria camschatcensis (Black Lily),  Fritillaria persica, and some Camassia quamash.  What have you ordered?

Colder weather is on the way here.  I have been getting prepared to move the houseplants back inside.  At least I am not racing to save them from a hurricane.  You folks on the east coast and in Puerto Rico take care and remember plants can be replaced.  Maybe you’ll get lucky and Irma will fizzle out but it’s not looking good so take care.
 
Fruit of the chocolate vine
September almanac

The Harvest moon occurs this month on September 6th. It’s called the harvest moon because farmers often used the light of this month’s full moon to complete their harvest.  It’s early this year and I doubt few harvests will be complete. Moon perigee is the 13th and apogee is the 27th.

The autumn equinox, the start of fall is September 22nd.  We’ll be down to 12 hours of daylight then, give or take 8 minutes, depending on where you are.  On this day the sun sets exactly due west and rises due east of your home.  Go outside and position a marker or note it on a landmark if you are into marking astronomical events.  Then you will always know the true directions around your home.

The birth flower for September is the aster or in some places, the morning glory.  Asters are said to symbolize powerful love and morning glories just affection so choose the flower you give this month accordingly.  The September birthstone is sapphire.

September is Hispanic Heritage Month, National Chicken month, Honey month, Classical Music month, National Preparedness month, and International Square Dancing month.

Besides Labor Day (4th) holidays in September include Grandparents day the 10th (who honors us grandparents anyway?) Patriots day on the 11th, the 13th is National Peanut day, the 14th is Pet Memorial day, the 19th is National POW-MIA day, 21st is International Peace Day, the 26th is Native American Day and the 28th is both Good Neighbor Day and Ask a Stupid Question day. 


Growing Chocolate Vines- Akebia quinata

Do you need a hardy vine for a sunny or partly shaded spot that’s unusual?  Do you want something pretty that covers an eyesore or arbor quickly? Try a Chocolate vine or as it’s sometimes called, Raisin vine or Five Leaf Akebia.  Chocolate vines grow quickly, have sweet smelling flowers and produce an edible, decorative fruit.  They are hardy in planting zones 4-8.  The plant is native to Japan and other parts of Asia.  There are several species in cultivation.  Named varieties include “Silver Bells”, “Violet” and “Purple Bouquet”.

Why this vine is called Chocolate vine is unknown.  The vine has leaves consisting of 5 rounded leaflets. There is a variety with white variegated leaves but it is hard to find. The vines can keep their leaves all winter in warmer zones but usually shed them in the fall in colder zones.  In hard winters the vine can die back to the ground but will quickly recover in spring.  The vines can grow 40 feet in a year and quickly cover a trellis, fence or out building.  They will grow in sun or partial shade.

Akebia, Chocolate vine flower
Some southeastern states are labeling the Chocolate vine as invasive, but in colder zones it is no more invasive than wisteria or trumpet vine.  If you are a gardener who has either of those vines you can guess that Chocolate vine is a vigorous grower and it is when it’s in a good spot. It can spread by runners and will cover a lot of ground if unchecked but in northeastern states it rarely spreads to the wild.  Vigorous pruning and keeping runners mowed or chopped down will contain the plant.  In northern zones plants rarely propagate naturally by seed.

Chocolate vine flowers and fruit

Chocolate vine has tiny flowers in mid-spring to early summer in dangling clusters.  The sepals of the flowers look like petals and can be white, pink, yellow and shades of purple. Older plants in full sun are loaded with flowers in spring and quite attractive. Depending on the weather and species chocolate vines can flower before leaves emerge or when the leaves are still small. They have a sweet scent but its more lilies of the valley or lilac smelling than chocolate.  The smell isn’t overpowering but will pleasantly scent a garden or yard.

If the flowers of Chocolate vine get pollinized they turn into fat, sausage shaped blue or purple seed pods about 5 inches long which are attractive on the vine.  These ripen in late summer-early fall. The pods are filled with a creamy white roll of thick jelly-like material studded with tiny round black seeds.  The jelly is edible, but once again it doesn’t taste like chocolate. It’s the texture of marshmallow or custard and is sweet but bland.  In Japan jelly is made from the pulp.  The pods are sometimes filled with rice and meat and deep fried.

Pollination of the Chocolate vine can be a problem. Some gardeners get tons of fruit pods, others none.  Bees don’t seem too interested in the plants. It may be that beetles or some other insect pollinate the chocolate vine in Japan. In the north the flowers may occur before many pollinators are out or be frost damaged. It may also be that some plants are just more fruitful than others.

While each Chocolate vine flower has both male and female parts they don’t self-fertilize and at least two plants are needed to get fruit. Many growers recommend two different varieties or species for best pollination and offer two species in pairs to buyers. However other growers feel that two plants, whether the same species or not will be enough for pollination.  If you aren’t getting fruit pods it’s suggested that you can pollinate flowers with a paintbrush, moving pollen from one plants flowers to another plant’s flowers. 

Planting Chocolate vine

Chocolate vine will grow in most places but prefers a light or sandy loam soil. Best flowering and fruiting occurs in full sun but Chocolate vine will grow in partial or even full shade in some cases.  Indirect bright light such as on the north side of buildings is fine.  Chocolate vine doesn’t need fertilization unless your soil is very poor.  It prefers moist but well drained soil but can withstand dry periods.

Plant your Chocolate vine next to a sturdy support as it can overwhelm and topple flimsy supports.  The different vines needed for pollination can be at least 20 feet apart perhaps more.  Some people have used Chocolate vines as a sprawling ground cover for preventing erosion with great success.
 
Prune Chocolate vine after it flowers if you want flowers and fruit pods.  You can prune it hard to keep it in bounds or shape it.  If it gets too large and ungainly you can prune it right back to the ground and it will recover quickly.  Watch that Chocolate vine doesn’t climb into trees as it can quickly smother them. 

Chocolate vine has few pests or diseases and deer and rabbits seem to leave them alone.
Akebia fruit

Propagating Chocolate vine

Chocolate vines are easily propagated from soft new growth cuttings about 6 inches long, generally taken in late spring- early summer.  The seeds can be saved from ripe pods but they must be planted immediately as they don’t store well.  Plant them in a fine potting medium inside, in a warm area.  They will need to grow overwinter in a warm bright area.  This is probably why Chocolate vine does not spread well by seed in northern areas as the seedlings would be killed by cold.

Medicinal uses of Chocolate vine

Akebia is used in Chinese/Japanese herbal medicines as a diuretic and to increase the milk flow in nursing mothers.  For this purpose stems are chopped in fine pieces, dried and powdered then used in teas and decoctions.

Sources for Chocolate Vine

Bulbs that bloom in fall

Gardeners are aware that they need to plant spring blooming bulbs in the fall but they may not know that there are some bulbs to plant in the fall that will actually bloom in the fall.  These bulbs often bloom when other garden plants have faded and provide a needed burst of color to the garden.  Most of these bulbs are easy to grow and once established will multiply and provide you with reliable show each autumn.   Gardeners from zones 3 through 9 will be able to grow at least some of these bulbs.

Tiny cyclamen flower

There are four main types of fall blooming bulbs that are hardy in zones 5-6, the Cyclamens, the Colchicums, the Fall Crocus, and Sternbergia.  Nurseries that sell other fall planted bulbs that bloom in spring will usually sell some of the fall bloomers, although some unusual species may be hard to find.

Cyclamen family

The Sowbread Cyclamen, C. hederifolium, sometimes sold as (C. neopolitanum) and the rarer Cyclamen cilicium are two members of the Cyclamen family that bloom in the fall.  Other species of Cyclamen bloom in early spring or are grown in pots for the florist trade.  Sowbread Cyclamen is much prettier than its name and is hardy to zone 5.  It has pretty triangular shaped dark green foliage with silver spots and streaks that may appear before or after the plant blooms.  The foliage often persists well into winter.  In zone 5 C. hederiflolium usually blooms in September.  The flowers are tiny pink “shooting star” versions of the familiar florist cyclamen.  They will be put up in succession and last a long while in cool weather.

Sowbread Cyclamen corms (bulbs) are large- good bulbs will be 4-5 inches across.  The bulbs are round with a slightly flattened top. They can be offered for sale in the spring or fall.  Bulbs planted in the fall probably won’t bloom until the following fall.  C. hederifolium doesn’t reproduce by splitting off new corms, rather the bulb itself gets bigger each year, eventually forming a large clump of foliage and flowers.

Cyclamen cilicium has heart shaped foliage of green mottled with a lighter color.  The undersides of the leaves are purplish red.  The tiny flowers are variable shades of deep pink to lighter pink with a red blotch at the center.  If you can get close enough the tiny flowers smell like honey.  C. cilicium is only hardy to Zone 6.  Both Cyclamen species prefer light to partial shade and rich organic soil.  They like to be dry in the summer.

Colchicum Family

Colchicum
There are numerous species of Colchicum that can be grown in the garden including C. autumnale. C. bornmuelleri, C.Byzantium, C speciosum, C.cilicicum.  There are also numerous hybrids and species variations.  Most are hardy from zones 5-9 but some are hardy to as far north as zone 3.  Some species have narrow crocus type foliage and others have broader, more strap shaped foliage.  Depending on species the foliage may appear in spring and summer or after the plants bloom in the fall.

Colchicums have flowers similar to crocus but much larger.  However there are double flowered varieties that look like either small peony flowers or water lilies.  The flowers appear from the bare ground on long stems ( about 6 inches high).  They range in color from white through shades of pink, carmine, mauve and lilac.   Some species such as C.bornmuelleri and C.speciosum are fragrant.   Flowers may be produced in succession and last well into freezing weather.  Large groups make a fine show of fall color.

The bulbs of colchicums are large also and should be planted as soon as you receive them.  They will often bloom even before you plant them, if you delay, and this isn’t good for the plants.  Colchicums will thrive in sun or semi-shade and like good, organic soil.  They spread in good conditions by making daughter bulbs and also though self- seeding.  Ants like the seed coating and carry them into tunnels, effectively planting them.  Colchicums are poisonous so are seldom eaten by wild animals.  Make sure pets and children don’t eat the bulbs or other parts of the plant.

Crocus family

There are several species of crocus that bloom in the fall instead of the spring.  They include the saffron crocus, C. sativus,  from which the very expensive spice is made and other species such as C. speciosus, C. kotschyanus, C.laevigatus fontenayi, C. medius, C. ochroleucus.  These have foliage and flowers much like the familiar spring flowering crocus.  Most bloom in October in zone 5 and are hardy from at least zone 5-9 but check the zone hardiness when you purchase autumn blooming crocus.

Most autumn blooming crocuses have flowers that are shades of blue or purple or white.  Plant the small bulbs as soon as you receive them and some will bloom the same year.  Others will need a whole year to bloom so mark the spot.  If they aren’t eaten by mice and squirrels which like them, crocus will multiply through new bulbs and through seed.   You will get better blooming if large clumps are dug every 4 years, separated and replanted. Crocus will grow in full sun to partial shade and like sandy soil.

Sternbergia Lutea

There is only one member of this family that is fall blooming.  Sternbergia flowers have 6 petals and look much like golden yellow crocus. In fact they are often sold as yellow fall crocus.   They help to add yellow to the fall blooming bulb palette.  The foliage of Sternbergia is broader than the narrow grass-like foliage of crocus.  Sternbergia are only reliably hardy to zone 6.  They prefer to be planted in full sun in a spot that will be dry in the summer.

Where to plant fall blooming bulbs

Since fall blooming bulbs have flowers close to the ground they need to be planted where mature perennials and annuals won’t block your view of the flowers.  Rock gardens are good spots for them as is the very edge of a path.   Low growing groundcovers like small sedums or thymes may allow the flowers to peek through.  Since many won’t have foliage part of the year, even when they are blooming, you should mark the location that these bulbs are in so you won’t dig them up when planting other things.

If the fall blooming bulbs are planted under deciduous trees, watch that leaves don’t cover the flowers as they fall.  After the flowers are finished however, it’s fine to rake a layer of leaves over them for winter protection.  Fall blooming bulbs are a gardener’s special treat, something pretty and blooming when everything else is dying.   Try some in your garden soon.


Rose of Sharon - Hibiscus syriacus

If you need color in the landscape in late summer and early fall Rose of Sharon may be the plant you are seeking.  Sometimes called Althea or Rose Mallow these plants have been in gardens for centuries.  Your grandmother may have had one in her yard but even if you consider yourself a cutting edge gardener there is a Rose of Sharon perfect for your garden.



Because Rose of Sharon is in the Hibiscus family and the flowers are typical of that family there is some confusion when using common names for the plant. It should not be called hardy hibiscus. The Rose of Sharon or althea is a deciduous woody plant, forming a bush or small tree.  Hardy hibiscus are herbaceous plants, they die back to the ground each year.  Tropical hibiscus of various species are also bushes or trees but they are not hardy in the United States except in zones 8 and higher and are generally kept as potted plants.

Rose of Sharon, Hibiscus syriacus, is native to India and Asia but not to Syria.  It has been planted around the world in temperate regions and sometimes naturalizes.  The natural shape of the shrub is vase like with many long straight stems rising to a height of about 12 feet.  Nurseries and gardeners often prune and train them into a more tree like shape, with a central trunk. 

Rose of Sharon makes an excellent tall screen or hedge when planted closely.  They are also planted as landscape accents or garden focal points.  They are easily pruned to keep them within the boundaries of your garden.

The bark on trunks and stems of Rose of Sharon is pale gray and smooth.  The leaves are about 3 inches long with 3 distinct lobes and a coarse toothed margin. They are arranged alternately on the stems.  Leaves are green, sometimes tinged with purple or maroon.  The flowers are the fall show- the Rose of Sharon leaves fade to dull yellow brown in the fall.

The flowers of Rose of Sharon are produced profusely from late July to hard frost, depending on the variety and planting zone.  In the single flowered varieties there are 5 petals forming a circular flower up to 4 inches across.  There is a prominent protruding pistil in the center typical of hibiscus flowers.  However many cultivated varieties are now double flowered, looking more like the rose they are named for or like small peonies.

The flowers of Rose of Sharon come in a wide range of colors from white, through shades of blue, mauve, pink and purple.  There are bi-color varieties.  There are no true red or yellow flowered varieties.  Flowers remain open at night.  They are attractive to hummingbirds, moths and butterflies.

Flowers turn into brown, 5 chambered seed capsules. Older varieties re-seed freely and some gardeners consider them invasive. Newer varieties, including many double flowered Rose of Sharon are sterile and don’t make seeds.

Growing Rose of Sharon

Rose of Sharon can be grown from seed quite easily, although it may take 2 or more years for them to flower.  Some varieties are not available from seeds as they are sterile and are reproduced through cuttings.  I recommend gardeners start with plants, which are sold bare root or potted.  You will then know what color and type of flowers to expect.

For hedges plant Rose of Sharon about 6 feet apart.  Otherwise plant Rose of Sharon as you would any shrub.  They will grow in most soil situations, except poorly drained areas. Don’t add amendments to the hole when planting; plant them in the native soil. They prefer full sun, especially in the north, but can take partial shade in the south.

Rose of Sharon visited by a Japanese beetle

Rose of Sharon blooms on new wood, so prune them for shaping only in winter or early spring while still dormant if you want blooms.  Some gardeners prune each branch back to 3 buds to make the flowers larger.  If your plant is trained to a tree shape you may want to trim back any branches that grow too long horizontally and remove branches appearing at the trunk base.

A light application of slow release fertilizer in spring as plants begin new growth is helpful for good growth and flowering.  Keep plants well-watered as they get established, after that they are pretty drought tolerant.  Flowers will be larger in dry years if they are given supplemental watering.

Japanese beetles are fond of Rose of Sharon and can severely damage foliage in some years.  Whiteflies and aphids are sometimes problems also and plants should be treated with pesticides if pest numbers get high.  Rose of Sharon are occasionally hit with fungal diseases such as rust or leaf spot diseases but they rarely kill the plant.

If you have a small garden you may want to try a new Rose of Sharon sold by Proven Winners called Purple Pillar®.  While this plant gets tall- up to 16 feet- it’s very narrow and columnar, only about 2-3 feet wide.   It is covered with lilac purple flowers in late summer.

Edible and herbal uses

Rose of Sharon flowers and leaves are edible.  Leaves are cooked as a green when young or added to salad.  Flowers are added to salads and both flowers and leaves are made into tea. 

In Korean and Asian medicine there are many uses for Rose of Sharon.  Leaves are diuretic, expectorant and used for stomach problems. A decoction of the flowers is diuretic, used as an eye wash, and as a treatment for itching and other skin diseases.   

Decoctions of Rose of Sharon root bark are mucilaginous and are used for diarrhea, stomach cramps, menstrual problems, as a vermifuge, and externally to treat skin disorders.

I can find no serious toxicity or side effects listed for Rose of Sharon but as with most herbal medicines use carefully until you see how it affects you. 



Dicamba drift - Watch out for damage to your plants

This year there have been more than 1000 complaints in several states of “volatilization drift damage” on crops and ornamental plants when dicamba, a potent weed killer, is sprayed on some farm crops, notably soybeans, up to a mile or more away.  Dicamba is an older herbicide but was released this year in several new formulas to partner with a new soybean variety that was genetically engineered to be resistant to it, much like round-up ready soybeans.

The new weed killers are called XtendiMax, FeXapan, and Engenia.  As a gardener you won’t be using these pesticides as they are registered for certified applicator use on certain crops.   But you may be seeing the damage that they can do on your trees, shrubs and home garden plants, especially if you live in rural areas.

Last year the new soybean varieties that are dicamba resistant were being sold to farmers but the new pesticides to accompany them had not been approved by the EPA yet.  So farmers used old formulations of dicamba on the crops and almost immediately complaints began about spray drift and volatilization of dicamba affecting crops and ornamental plants nearby.

Volatilization of dicamba occurs when plants are sprayed with the weed killer and it evaporates in the sun and becomes a misty cloud in the air.  This cloud is easily moved by a light breeze and can carry the pesticide at least a mile away, I saw reports that it was suspected to have moved 5 miles in one case.  When it eventually settles on plants in another area it can cause widespread damage.

Dicamba damage in plants begins with twisted, flattened, distorted new growth, yellowing of foliage and strap like, puckered leaves.  It can cause serious stunting and plant death.  If food crops are affected by volatilization drift of dicamba they are considered inedible/toxic.  (And yet soybeans sprayed by it are considered to be safe for edible uses, go figure.) 

You can’t see or smell a dicamba “mist” as it’s drifting down on your plants. Damage can take a few days to a few weeks to show up, depending on how much dicamba the plant received and the species of plant.   All types of broad leaved plants can be affected.  Grapes, elderberries and peaches are known to be highly sensitive to dicamba.  Farmers who opt not to plant dicamba ready soybeans are having problems with volatilization drift on their crop.  But any broadleaved plant can be injured, including large trees.

And what about the damage to things other than plants? That dicamba mist can’t be good for the lungs of people and animals.  It does reduce flowering of plants, and that’s hard on pollinators.  Dicamba is listed as relatively non-toxic to bees, however all the studies were done on older formulas of the pesticides and the new formulas have other chemicals added.  Here’s a link to a pesticide fact sheet.

The new dicamba pesticides released this year were supposed to help with the volatilization problem, but it seems that they haven’t.  Across the mid-western states complaints from both farmers and homeowners about damage to their plants from volatilization drift of dicamba are being taken by state agencies.  Some states have put bans on the new products.

Extension researchers and others are scrambling to figure out why the problem is so widespread and serious. They have found that even when applicators followed the rules for dicamba application exactly, some cases of  volatilization drift occurred.  Monsanto, the developer of both the dicamba resistant soybeans and some of the pesticides says they are seriously studying the problem and are offering free spray nozzles designed for the pesticide and free training for applicators.  But they aren’t pulling the products off the market.

What to do if you suspect your plants gave been damaged by volatilization drift

If you are a gardener who lives within a few miles of agricultural crop land, particularly where soybeans or cotton are being grown, your garden and landscape might be affected by volatilization drift of dicamba.  Volatilization is different from regular spray drift caused by droplets of liquid pesticide “overshooting” their mark.  In regular drift the damage is close to the field being sprayed and generally stopped by hedges or windbreak trees.

In volatilization drift of dicamba the damage may occur some distance from a farm field. The mist can travel for miles.  Hedges and windbreaks don’t always stop the drift.  Dicamba is persistent and volatilization may occur days after the field is sprayed. This can make it difficult to trace the dicamba damage to a particular place.  And other pesticides and even some diseases and environmental problems can cause similar symptoms.  

First aid for plants damaged by drift isn’t very helpful.  Washing off dicamba gets it into the ground where root uptake may be worse than the contact damage.  You may try removing damaged areas of the plant (don’t compost) and keeping the plant watered and fertilized in hope it outgrows the damage.  Dicamba damage doesn’t occur on monocots- grass like plants like your lawn grass, ornamental grasses, corn, wheat and so on.

If you suspect dicamba drift damage take lots of good, close pictures.  Document the date you first noted symptoms and what plants are affected.  Note where on your property the damage is, and on what side of plants the damage occurs.  You may want to contact neighbors to see if they notice damage- and to see if they have used any weed killers recently.  There are some older lawn weed killers that use a weaker dicamba formula.  Contact your local county Extension office and/ or your state department of agriculture and ask where you can send samples of plants to be tested and how to collect and send the samples.  Tell them you suspect dicamba drift.

In many states you will have to pay for the testing.  If it’s confirmed that dicamba caused the problem and you can trace the application of dicamba to a particular farm you may be able to collect damages.  Some farmers have liability insurance and most certified pesticide applicators that are hired to spray crops will have liability insurance.  You may be able to submit a claim and collect damages.  However you may have to hire a lawyer to be reimbursed for damages.

You may have to be a sleuth to find out who owns a soybean field, the most likely place a volatilization drift came from.  Try using plat maps, usually sold or available to look at, somewhere in your county government, to find the owner of the land.  Your county Extension crop “educator” or a state agricultural inspector may be able to help you locate who owns a field.  Then you’ll have to ask what type of soy they planted and what they sprayed on the field. 

Why do we need another GMO variety of soy?

So why are we having this problem?  Some weeds have become resistant to, glyphosate, (Round Up).  Farmers that are interested in improving their yield want to easily manage weeds by spraying weed killers that don’t affect the crop.  They will embrace the new technology or be pressured into accepting it.  It was estimated that 60% of the soybean crop planted this year was already dicamba resistant varieties.  And if they pay for GMO dicamba ready seeds they are going to use the dicamba products on them.

Personally I think we need to re-evaluate if we want to control weeds by GMO means.  I am not against genetic modification of plants to improve yield, increase nutrition, improve disease resistance and so on.  I am not too worried about consuming GMO plant products.  However it’s been shown that weeds quickly develop resistance to a weed killer.  More and more product has to be applied and then we head on to another product, which always seems more toxic than the last.  Dicamba is more toxic in the environment than glyphosate and much more persistent.  What will we move on to after dicamba?

Here are links to some additional reading on the dicamba problem.


Bacon and Tomato jam

This is a novelty jam that you can make to use up tomatoes.  It’s good on toast.  You need some sugar in this to thicken it but you can reduce the sugar slightly. It is a sweet product, almost like ketchup to my taste.  You can adjust the spices, but don’t reduce the vinegar. You could use bacon bits from the grocery as a shortcut but it will taste better if you cook up the bacon at home. It makes about 2 cups. 

This recipe makes a slightly chunky jam.  If you want a smooth product, more like jelly, leave the bacon out, push the cooked ingredients through a sieve and then add the bacon-of course that will be chunky but you can finely crumble it.

The jam will store in the refrigerator for several days.  You can also freeze it in small portions for up to 2 months.

Note: to easily peel tomatoes dip them in scalding water for a minute or two and then into ice water.  The peel will easily pull off.  It takes about 8 good sized tomatoes to make 4 cups chopped.

Ingredients

½ pound of bacon, (maple bacon is great), fried crisp, drained and crumbled.
4 cups of very ripe, cored, peeled and finely chopped tomatoes
1 medium onion, finely diced
1 cup of sugar
2½ tablespoons vinegar
1½ teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon garlic juice (optional)

Put all the ingredients except the bacon in a pan and cook on low heat, stirring occasionally. 

When the jam begins to thicken add the cooked bacon and continue to cook and stir more frequently as the jam thickens.
Cook the jam until it’s thick and glossy.  This jam will take at least an hour of cooking.

Remove the jam from the heat and let cool, then refrigerate or freeze.


"For man, autumn is a time of harvest, of gathering together.  For nature, it is a time of sowing, of scattering abroad."
-  Edwin Way Teale

Kim Willis
 “He who has a garden and a library wants for nothing” ― Cicero

© Kim Willis - no parts of this newsletter may be used without permission.

And So On….
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1 comment:




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