October 16, 2018 Kim’s Weekly Garden Blog

Hi Gardeners

The soft light of fall

Well it’s nearly over.  We had our first frost last night and it was a hard one.  It got down to 29 degrees F. here last night. I went out into a chilly but sunny morning to see the dahlias and zinnias blackened and the water hyacinth and sweet potato vines a wilted heap.  Some things did survive, petunias, calibrachoa, the woodland nicotiana and salvia appeared to have little damage. The roses, mums, coneflowers, toad lilies, anemone and garden phlox are fine.  But we have several cold nights ahead so that may change.

The weekend weather was nice here.  I took the dogs out to the back of the property to check on the evergreens and see if I could find one that might make a Christmas tree.  We have a lot of autumn olive out there and they were full of robins eating the berries.  They are probably migrating through.

My bird feeders are filled-are yours?  Start feeding the birds now and you’ll have more around all winter.  Unless you are in the south it’s time to put the hummingbird feeders away so they don’t freeze and break.

I dug up one of the Chinese foxgloves, a small one that came up as a runner, and brought it inside to try and over winter it.  And despite not having enough room and telling myself not to do it, I caved and brought in my prettiest New Zealand Impatiens and two colors of wax begonias.  They are just so darn pretty in the fall.

I still have to dig tuberose begonias, dahlias, glads and canna before a hard freeze but that’s about all that’s left to save now.  I only got to see one bloom on the Tropicanna canna and never got to see Hibiscus abelmoschus Manihot Sunset bloom although it got very tall.  I thought about bringing it inside but for a plant that large there was just no room. It is a tender perennial, but it was six feet tall – and there just was no room.

I am still moving things around inside.  Boy, do I need a heated greenhouse.  But my tropical hibiscus, the pomegranate, the streptocarpus, geraniums, and fuchsia are blooming nicely inside so I still have flowers to enjoy.

Remember when I said I gave two jade plants away?  I broke some pieces off a big jade I was moving so I now have 2 new plants started. I had to rescue the pieces from the trash where my husband threw them. It just seems a shame to throw them out when they are so easy to start.

While most of you can’t grow nutmeg in the garden I like learning about all kinds of plants.  Something in an archeological article I read got me interested in the history of nutmeg so I did some research and this week I have an article about the fascinating history of the plant.  Its near the end of the blog.  I hope you enjoy it.

                                                                                                      After the killing frost- garden chores

After frost or a freeze has ended the growing season there are still things that need to be done in the garden.  We generally have pretty good weather in October, and even November, and it’s an ideal time to do some garden chores.  While the weathers not too hot hard labor seems a little less daunting and sometimes the beautiful fall weather just invites us to work outside.

In the vegetable garden clean out all plants after they have been killed by frost.  It’s a good time to add manure or compost to the garden.  If you feel you have to rake leaves pile them on the garden.  It’s also a nice time to build additional garden beds or enlarge the garden.  Put away all the stakes and cages.

Harvest all fruit that is ripe even if you don’t want it and pick up all fruit on the ground under trees.  This does two things, it takes animals like deer away from your trees and it helps keep insects and disease from over wintering.  Compost these fruits or pile them far away from the house. You may want to scatter old fruit far away from your trees if deer are around.

In the flowerbeds add bulbs for spring color.  Trumpet and species lilies do best when planted in fall and other bulbs can be planted until the ground freezes.  Do not add bone meal to bulb holes as many older books tell you to do.  Recent research suggests squirrels and other animals are attracted to the smell and will dig up bulbs to eat where they smell it.  If animals eating bulbs remains a problem, cover planting areas with wire that can be removed in early spring.   The bulbs of alliums and daffodils are generally left alone.

Pull out and compost annuals killed by frost.  For color you can still add pansies or mums to planters.   Ornamental cabbage and kale are cold hardy and can add bright and unusual color.  Most perennials are better cut back in the spring.  Neatniks out there could trim dead growth back to a few inches above ground.  Deadhead plants that don’t provide food for birds or winter interest.  October is a little late to add new perennials but if you find a bargain plant them, water and mulch and hope for the best.

Do not mulch plants, such as strawberries, for winter protection until the ground has frozen solid.  You want the ground to stay frozen to protect them from freezing and thawing cycles, which heave them out of the ground.  If you protect broad leaf evergreens with burlap shields, put the stakes in before the ground freezes but add the burlap after all warm weather seems to have passed. 

Do not put cones over roses until the ground freezes and only trim them enough to fit inside the cones.  Hardy landscape roses do not need cones.    If you don’t use cones you may want to mound some soil over the base of rose plants.  Use soil dumped from containers or bring soil from another place, don’t scratch it up from around the plant.  Mound soil up to a foot high around the base of canes.

Weed your flower beds and edge them.  It’s one less job to do in the spring.  Dump out and clean bird baths, if you have ceramic or thin plastic baths they need to be turned upside down or put away, so they won’t freeze and break, ditto for clay and ceramic pots.  Put the hummingbird feeder away.  Fill suet and other bird feeders.  Make sure they are in places where you can see them from the house for winter bird viewing.

In planting zones 7 and higher, grass seed can still be planted.  New trees and shrubs can be planted in zones 5 and above.  Trees do need some time to establish roots before the ground freezes. Needled evergreens often do better if planted in early spring.

Trees and shrubs that are small or have thin bark, including fruit trees, should be protected with rings of small wire mesh around the trunk.  This keeps rabbits and voles from girdling trunks over winter.  Mesh openings should be no larger than 1/2 inch and plastic mesh doesn’t work for this use.  The mesh should be about 3 feet high.

Don’t rake leaves, run over them with a mulching mower several times.  Leaves return valuable nutrients to the soil and chopped leaves break down quickly.  Oak leaves are great to pile in flowerbeds whole, since they don’t matt, other leaves should be chopped first.  Never burn leaves or send them to the landfill!  If you must rake leaves put them into the compost pile.

If your lawn grass is very high- over 3 inches long, and you aren’t cutting it when you mulch those leaves, mow it to about 3 inches high.  Long grass tends to matt and get fungal diseases under the snow. 

Little touch ups such as replenishing mulch, making paths, painting benches or fences can be pleasant fall tasks.  Don’t forget to take some notes about what grew well or didn’t grow this year, so you can refer to it in spring.  If you planted bulbs, note what kind and where. 

Get a soil test done now if you feel you may need one due to poor plant growth this season.  Fall is a less busy season for labs and you won’t have to wait in the spring for the results.  Check with your local Extension office about how to do a soil test and what they need to get it done for you.

Planting flower seeds in the fall

If you are out collecting flower seeds to save for next year, consider this: you may be able to save some time and effort by planting them now.  Some seeds can just be left where they fall, or you can scatter them on the ground where you want them to grow.  Many seeds need a period of cold to germinate and may need the freezing and thawing cycle to crack a hard seed coat and allow moisture in for germination.  Others will simply survive being lightly covered with soil or mulch to germinate in spring.

Seeds that can be sown in the fall include: bachelor's button, coreopsis, cosmos, echinacea, flax, hollyhocks, larkspur, moss rose, marigolds, milkweeds, morning glory, nasturtium, nicotiana,  pansy, poppy, strawflower, sunflowers sweet pea, verbena, viola and zinnia.  Buy the seeds or collect dry seeds from friend’s plants if you don’t have them.  Some of these may also be planted in early spring.  Some wildflower and grass seed may also be suggested for fall planting.  Check the label, plant description or a reference.  Chances are if nature drops the seed in late fall it likes fall planting.

When you are collecting seed from the garden remember that seeds from hybrids, like most marigolds and zinnias you purchased in a garden center last spring, will not come true from seed.  That is, they will probably not look like their parent.  But that said they are often just as pretty although you may get a range of sizes and colors.  And you could get something unusual and exciting if you experiment.

You may want to collect and store some back up seed though, in case nature isn’t kind to you.  You may want to start some inside early or use your stored seed to plant in the ground in the spring.  With seeds of plants that I want a lot of I store some seed and add it to the area I want them to grow in after frost has passed in the spring.  And you may want to collect some seeds for seed swapping.

What to do

One lazy way of planting flower seeds in the fall is to cut the frost killed plants, rake the soil to loosen it, and scatter their seeds on the spot where they were growing. Then lay the dead plants back over them to protect them.  This is basically what nature does. If you want the flowers in a spot they weren’t growing in before remove existing vegetation and loosen the soil.

Sprinkle the seeds over the area you want planted. You may want to sprinkle them thickly as some will not germinate.  You can thin in the spring.  Very small seeds like poppy seed should not be covered but press them against the soil.  Larger seeds like morning glory seed should have a loose layer of soil about a half inch thick placed over them.  Don’t water the seeds; it tends to wash them into clumps or away from your prepared area.  Nature should take care of the watering for you. 

You can apply a very thin layer of mulch such as pine needles or chopped straw and leaves but don’t use whole leaves or anything that mats over the seeds.  Don’t make the mulch deeper than a half inch.  (Poppies, larkspur and moss rose will germinate better if not mulched.) Make sure to mark the spots where you sow the seeds.  Some may wait until warmer weather to emerge so don’t be in a big hurry in the spring to plant over them, thinking they didn’t sprout.  If you have trouble with birds pecking at your seeds cover the area with netting.

Seeds planted in the ground in fall or spring may take a bit longer to mature and flower than if you started them inside or bought transplants.  Many species, however, will quickly catch up to the earlier planted seedlings.

 

It’s not too late to plant the seeds until the ground freezes solid.  After all nature will still be dropping them, even after the snow falls in some cases.  It’s an easy, inexpensive and effective way to get more plants into your garden.

Houseplants- not just for the windowsill

If you think you can’t have any more houseplants because you don’t have enough window space or any windows - think again. Houseplants need sufficient light for their growth and the amount of light they need varies by the type of plant.  But there are many houseplants that don’t need to be restricted to the window sill.  Plants that need lower light levels will also do well in spots farther from windows, on tables or stands or even in large floor pots.  If you can read a book in the light there that spot will be fine for some type of plant.

If you have a regular source of bright artificial light you can probably place plants there.  Office or classroom lights that are on 8-10 hours a day or more are a good example.  Many plants that thrive in low light will do well in offices or on desks that aren’t near a window. 

In general, the closer to a source of artificial light the plants are the better they will do. Place plants on top of file cabinets and under desk lamps.  Light colored walls and reflective surfaces increase the light available to plants also.  You might want to consider replacing a regular light bulb in a desk lamp with a grow light bulb. I even use grow light bulbs in overhead fixtures.

As well as better light for plants the light from many grow lights is easy on human eyes.  There are all kinds of grow light bulbs on the market now, many fit regular fixtures. I don’t like the red-blue LED spectrum lights, which give off a purple light and those might not be appreciated in an office setting. However, there are “natural” looking full spectrum grow light bulbs available.  Even regular “daylight” bulbs work well for most plants.

This office pothos thrived for years without a window

Good plants for low light levels are Sanseveria (snake plants), spider plants, pothos, philodendron, Aglaonema (Chinese Evergreen), Aspidistra (Cast Iron Plant), Dracaena, fittonia, Hedera (English ivy),peperomia, staghorn fern, Frosty fern ( Selaginella) and Asplenum (birds nest fern). Other plants such as some orchids, may also be suited for bright light situations that aren’t sunlit windows.

There are commercial grow light stands but these can seem unnatural looking for plants in the home or office .  They are great for starting plants or growing hobby plants in an unused room.  But you could incorporate a grow light fixture under a shelf in a bookcase and situate plants on the shelf below it.  Or if you have track lighting put a grow light bulb in the light fixture closest to a plant.   

Keep a grow light stand or a window in an unused room to hold plants that need a little extra time and attention to look good.  This can also be a place to start seeds and cuttings.  Plants can be rotated from poor light conditions to under the grow light or in the “hospital” window to keep them healthy.

There’s just no excuse for not having houseplants, window or not. 

Storing the harvest

For most of us the garden season is winding down.  We need to start thinking about storing some of the crops we have harvested.  Some crops can be stored for a considerable time, even all winter if storage is done correctly.

Unfortunately, most of us no longer have root cellars.  Root cellars kept stored produce cool but above freezing, 35-65 degrees, moist and dark.  When I use the term root cellar conditions in the article this is what I mean.

In modern times an old refrigerator might replace the root cellar, maybe tucked into the corner of a garage or porch. This will have to be kept running. I’d set it at 45 degrees. People have even buried old chest freezers in the ground.  They are well insulated and except in the coldest climates will keep produce cool and dark without freezing it, while keeping pests like mice away.

Don’t put moldy or rotting produce in storage, use it up or compost it.  And the produce you are storing must be checked frequently for signs of mold or rot and those pieces discarded.  The saying goes “One bad apple doesn’t spoil the whole bunch” but it will if you don’t get it out of there, and that applies to more than apples.  (It’s perfectly fine to eat the produce that has been close to the spoiled item as long as it looks good.)

Brush dirt off produce before storing but don’t wash it.  Washing produce produces a wet surface that mold can easily colonize.  You wash the produce just before you use it.

Do not store produce in plastic bags long term.  This usually keeps them too moist.  Use baskets, cloth or burlap bags, net bags, crates, even cardboard boxes are better than plastic bags.

Apples are a crop where the variety of apple makes a difference on how well it stores.  The apples marketed for fresh eating usually don’t store as well a those for cooking.  Fuji, Red Delicious, Gold Delicious, Goldrush, Granny Smith, and Gala are some good varieties for storing.  Most apples will store for some length of time though. Expect the better types of storage apple to stay good for up to 4 months.

Apples are a crop that should be stored by themselves because they give off a gas, ethylene, that causes some other crops to sprout or soften. Make sure rotten and badly bruised or damaged apples are removed before storage. Apples require root cellar conditions; cool temperatures above freezing, moderate humidity and darkness for best storage.  Even if apples soften or wrinkle they are still good for cooking.

Pears don’t ripen in storage and ripe pears only store for a short time. Pears that are mature but still firm can be stored like apples.  Take them into room temperatures above 60 degrees for a few days to soften them before using or eating them.

Peaches, plums, and cherries don’t store well for more than a week.  Freeze or can them for storage, or turn them into jam and jelly.  Grapes can be stored by turning them into raisins by drying or into juice and jelly.  They can also be frozen.

Potatoes like root cellar conditions, cool temperatures around 45 degrees, dark, moderate humidity. Too cool conditions will cause the starch in potatoes to turn to sugar and make them taste a bit different.  They are fine to eat however. Light will cause potatoes to sprout and turn green.  Sprouts can be knocked off and the potatoes are fine to eat unless they are green. Green potatoes should not be eaten.  When potatoes turn green they are high in solanine – a poison. 

Never store potatoes near apples or they will soften and sprout.  Don’t wash them before storage and remove any molded, cut or soft potatoes before storage.  Periodically check potatoes for rotting – your nose will tell you before you see it.  Remove rotting potatoes so they don’t cause others to rot.  Potatoes in good storage conditions will last up to 6 months.

Carrots, turnips, rutabaga and beets should be stored in root cellar conditions.  You can leave the tops on or off.  If they will be stored for more than 8 weeks I’d remove the tops and if you leave the tops don’t pile them, spread them out or hang them in small bunches. Don’t wash before storing, check for and remove rotting roots frequently. Expect these root crops to store for 3-4 months.

Many homesteading type articles tell people to leave these root crops in the ground, put some kind of mulch over the top and then harvest as needed.  That works if you don’t get a lot of snow and bitterly cold conditions.  But it’s very inconvenient and what happens is that most people don’t harvest them after messing with it a few times.  And stored this way root vegetables may feed the critters, not your family.  Even deer will dig them up to eat.

Onions can be stored for various times based on variety, the small yellow ones generally store the best.  Let onions dry in a sunny place for a few days before storing them in dark, root cellar conditions.   Leave as much of the papery “skin” on onions as possible. Don’t pile them deeply, using net bags and hanging them will keep them best.  Check frequently for sprouting and mushy onions.  Usually an onion is fine to eat when sprouts are still small but will be mushy as sprouts get longer. In good storage conditions some onion varieties will store 6 months.

Onions can also be chopped or sliced and frozen for storage. This lets you store a lot of onion in a small amount of space.  They can also be dried or canned.

Pumpkins and winter squash actually require warmer and drier conditions than other produce to store well.  Light conditions don’t matter but they should be kept between 60-75 degrees and dry for best storage.  My grandparents always stored them under the beds.  In storage these crops last about 3 months.

Pumpkins and some squash can also be dried for storage.  Clean out the seeds and slice them in rounds about an inch thick.  String the rounds over a rope in a warm, dry place, keeping the slices slightly separated. When they are dry and leathery store the pieces in a warm dry place.

Cabbage can actually be stored for several weeks. Leave the roots and outer leaves on and hang or prop them in root cellar conditions. The outer leaves will wilt and brown but the inner head will stay good for weeks. Alternately remove the outer leaves, wrap the head in plastic tightly and store in the refrigerator.

Corn and popcorn can be left on the cob to dry.  Frost and freezes won’t hurt it but bring it in before snow is on the ground.  It should be thoroughly hard and dry before picking.  Bring the ears in and husk them or pull the husks back away from the kernels. Let those ears dry for at least two more weeks in a warm, dry place.

After corn is thoroughly dry it can be removed from the cob and stored in tightly closed containers.  Corn can also be stored on the cob in baskets or hanging from the husks strung on strings. 

Beans must be left on the vines to dry completely before harvest, the pod should be brown and dry. In cool wet falls the whole plants can be pulled once the pods are filled and the beans at mature size and hung in a dry warm room upside down for a week or two to finish drying. Light frosts won’t hurt drying beans, but freezes may harm beans that aren’t quite mature, making them less likely to store well.

Beans should be removed from the pods before storing.  I think it’s best to spread them out on papers or a screen in a warm place for another week or two after removing them.  Then store beans in tight containers in warm 55-75 degree, dry conditions.  If any moisture collects on the sides and top of containers dump the beans and spread them out for more drying.

Tomatoes- yes, they can be stored for fresh use for a few weeks anyway. Before frost pick any tomato that’s green but just starting to lighten in color to nearly ripe.  Put the ripest on a sunny windowsill to finish ripening.  Wrap the rest in individual pieces of newspaper or paper towel and store in a cool place.  They will still ripen slowly.  Check them frequently, discard any turning moldy and move the ripest to a sunny windowsill for a few days before eating.

You can have fresh tomatoes for about 6 weeks after you bring them in this way. They won’t taste as good as those ripened on the vine, but  taste as good as most supermarket tomatoes.

At the link below, you will find articles on canning, freezing and drying produce.

http://gardeninggrannysgardenpages.blogspot.com/p/on-thispage-you-will-find-directions.html

Nutmeg Myristica fragrans 

In the fall you probably have tasted this ancient and mysterious spice because it’s an ingredient of the infamous pumpkin spice flavor that permeates everything this time of year.  You probably don’t think about nutmeg very often and it may not be in your kitchen cabinet spice rack but this spice and a second one from the same plant, mace, have fascinating histories and played intriguing parts in the exploration and colonization of the world by Europeans. 

Many types of spices played large parts in world history as spices were as valuable as gold or silver and highly sought after.  Trade routes grew up around the spice trade, spreading diverse cultures around the world.  Wars were fought over controlling the spice trade and indigenous peoples were driven to slavery and near extinction by those seeking spices and the control over their trade.  The Americas were discovered by Europeans looking for new and faster ways to get to the source of exotic spices.

According to archeological evidence nutmeg has been used in cooking for about 3,500 years. ( https://muse.jhu.edu/article/704187 ) Nutmeg comes from the tree Myristica fragrans which grows on the Banda Islands, a group of Indonesian islands east of Java.  That’s where the earliest record of it’s use comes from.  It was probably traded between the various Indonesian Islands and India for thousands of years. 

The mystical and sordid history

The Banda people were aware of the value of nutmeg and actively tended and harvested orchards of the trees for hundreds of years before Europeans discovered them.  The spices were traded for rice and other foods, cloth and other goods. The Banda people had a governmental system, and were considered to be shrewd traders and aggressive in resisting outsiders trying to take control of their lands.  At the time Europeans discovered the islands the Banda population was believed to be 15,000- 20,000 people.

At some point in the 14^th century Arab traders found the islands and began a trade of nutmeg, mace and cloves with the Venetians, who in turn traded the spices to various European countries. The location of the “Spice Islands” that produced these spices was kept a closely held secret, so the Arab traders could enjoy the exclusive profits.  Europeans became very fond of the spices and began actively trying to find their source.

After conquering an Arabian city, the Portuguese learned the source of nutmeg, mace and cloves.  In 1512 a Portuguese ship was sent to the Banda Islands.  The islanders weren’t too happy to see them and although the ship was able to be filled with spices for the return trip the rough reception kept the Portuguese away until 1529 when soldiers on a return voyage struggled to put up a trading post / fort under vigorous opposition from the Banda people.  The Dutch soon followed Portuguese ships to the islands and for about a hundred years the Portuguese and Dutch had a bumpy trade relationship with the island.

In the 1600’s the Dutch were aggressive conquerors and colonizers around the world and in 1621 well-armed Dutch soldiers were sent to Bandaneira Island to conquer it and then other nearby “spice islands”.  They murdered and enslaved the indigenous people.  They then divided the islands into 68 large plantations and gave them to Dutch citizens to run.  The remaining 1,000 or so Banda people were forced to work as slaves on the nutmeg plantations.  Since this was not enough labor to run the plantations and build elaborate mansions for the owners, the Dutch imported slaves and indentured servants from other countries.

The English, French and other countries were envious of the nutmeg trade and one solution was to get seeds or trees and start their own orchards in other places.  The Dutch began to dip any whole nutmeg seeds leaving the islands in lime juice to prevent them from sprouting. They retained control of the market for many years and many people became very rich from the trade.  Of course, that didn’t include the original inhabitants of the land.

In 1810 the English captured the islands and for a brief time before the Dutch recaptured them they quickly removed hundreds of trees and seeds and sent them to other tropical islands and countries they controlled, such as Ceylon, to establish plantations. This shortly ended the Dutch control of the market and dropped the price of nutmeg and mace.

Today about 15,000-20,000 tons of nutmeg and 1,500 to 2,000 tons of mace are produced annually.  About 75% still comes from Indonesia, but nutmeg is also grown in Grenada, India, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Sri Lanka, and Caribbean islands.

The tree that produces the treasure

Nutmeg trees are large evergreen trees that grow in tropical climates.  Trees can reach 65 feet in height. The leaves are thick, oval shaped and glossy green, they remind me of citrus leaves.  Nutmeg trees are dioecious, they produce male and female flowers on separate trees.  Only females produce fruit so today most trees are started from cuttings of female trees and grafted onto rootstocks.

Nutmeg fruit showing  crimson mace and the nutmeg seed
Photo credit Vanlaphauong-Flickr

Nutmeg flowers are creamy white to yellow, globe shaped with a small opening on the bottom and produced in clusters. When fertilized they turn into fleshy, apricot like fruits.  When the fruit is ripe it splits open, revealing a crimson aril or tentacle like covering wrapped around a single hard brown seed. Nutmeg trees begin producing fruit around 8 years of age and can produce fruit for 60 or more years.

Where the trees are grown the fleshy outer part of the fruit is also eaten.  It’s made into jams and jellies, crystalized into candy, dried and powdered and mixed with sugar as a topping for desserts and pickled.  The fruit is juiced and drank fresh or boiled to make a sweet brown drink.

How the spices are made

After the fleshy part of the nutmeg fruit is removed the aril is carefully peeled off the seed and laid out to dry. It changes from crimson to a yellowish tan as it dries. This becomes mace, with a lighter, sweeter flavor than nutmeg.  When sold whole it is in flat, hard irregular pieces, but most people will buy it as a powder.

The nutmeg seed is covered by a thin shell.  It is left out in the sun to dry for 6-8 weeks until the seed rattles in the shell. The shell is then broken off and the “nut” taken out.  The inner “nutmeat” is oval, gray-brown about an inch long and has a furrowed surface. It’s usually ground into a powder for cooking.

Ground nutmeg can also be distilled unto an essential oil. The oil is yellow and smells and tastes like nutmeg.  The oil is used in soaps, perfume and cosmetics, and sometimes in cooking delicate desserts and other dishes and in drinks.  The oil must be used carefully as it can be toxic in large doses.

Nutmeg seeds can also be pressed into a reddish-brown soft butter. This is generally used industrially as a replacement for coco butter.

Culinary uses of nutmeg and mace

Americans generally think of nutmeg in desserts like pumpkin pie and rice pudding and in sweet drinks. However, in many cultures nutmeg is used in meat and vegetable dishes. In Indonesia it’s used in spicy soups and gravies, stews and as a rub for meats. In India it’s used in meat dishes and desserts. It’s also smoked as in cigarettes- more on that later.

In various European cultures nutmeg – and mace- are used on potato dishes and in soups and stews and in sausage. It’s also used in baked goods and puddings.  The Dutch use nutmeg on vegetables like brussels sprouts, green beans, and cauliflower.  In Scotland nutmeg and mace are used in haggis. In Italy it is used in meatloaf, tortellini, and various meat stuffings.

In the US nutmeg and mace are used in baked goods like doughnuts, in seasoning winter squash dishes and of course pumpkin pie. Nutmeg is used in a variety of drinks around the world such as mulled cider, mulled wine, rum punch and other alcoholic drinks.

Whether a recipe calls for nutmeg or mace depends on how strong the flavor needs to be.  There is a slight difference in taste, some say nutmeg is sweeter, some say mace.  Some people prefer the lighter taste of mace in various recipes.

Medicinal uses and warnings

Nutmeg and mace both contain myristicin, a potent toxin. In the small amounts used in cooking it isn’t harmful.  It takes about 2 tablespoons of dried nutmeg (and probably mace) to produce symptoms. Nutmeg essential oil is very concentrated, and it takes a much smaller dose to be fatal. These symptoms include hallucinogenic episodes and a feeling of intoxication, which is why we sometimes have fatalities from nutmeg.  People hear of these properties and want to try to get a buzz.  Every so often the fad pops up again.  There’s a thin line between nutmeg intoxication and death and even if death doesn’t occur serious permanent damage to the brain and other organs can occur.

Children are at risk from accidently eating too much nutmeg so keep it out of their reach.  But adolescents are the ones who often deliberately take too much in search of a high and this is the group fatalities often occur in. Usually its mixed with other drugs or drank in liquids. Hide the nutmeg from teens.

In prisons nutmeg is sometimes smoked, inhaled, or put in fluids for a high.  It would probably be hard to overdose by smoking and some cultures do use nutmeg in smoking mixes but it’s also not a good thing to do.

Symptoms of nutmeg poisoning include; excitement, anxiety, confusion, headaches, intense nausea, dizziness, dry mouth, redness in eyes, feeling intoxicated, and amnesia. That’s beside the hallucinations and paranoia it can cause. Nutmeg symptoms can last for days.  Death can occur from heart irregularities, convulsions and organ shutdowns.

In earlier times nutmeg was used to bring on menstruation and cause abortions, one reason it was popular in Europe. Pregnant women shouldn’t have a problem with the amounts in baked goods and most other foods but should never use it in folk remedies.

And there are many folk remedies for nutmeg, most of which are not safe and so I won’t list them. One reason Europeans wanted nutmeg so badly is that it was thought to cure plague. It won’t.  A safe use of nutmeg would be to sprinkle nutmeg in a glass of warm milk for insomnia, no more than a dusting.  Nutmeg can be used in creams and salves as a pain reliever for aching joints. There are no current modern medical uses of nutmeg.

Go ahead and enjoy your pumpkin spice latte and pumpkin pie, they won’t harm you.  And when you enjoy that spicy flavor think of the story of nutmeg and it’s role in history.

Oven Stew

Want an excuse to warm the house with the oven and have something warm and comforting for dinner?  Try this stew cooked in the oven.  The recipe calls for beef, but you can use venison or pork if you like. You could use a slow cooker- but that doesn’t heat the house as nicely. Allow about 5 hours until dinner. You’ll need a large oven safe pot with a lid for this recipe.

Ingredients

2 pounds of stew beef, cut in small chunks

2 cups of peeled and thinly sliced carrots

4 medium potatoes, peeled and sliced thinly

1 cup of chopped celery

1 cup of thinly sliced onion, chopped onion can be used

1 cup of green pepper chunks

2-15 oz. cans of diced tomatoes

1 cup of beef broth

2 tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoons tapioca

1 tablespoon salt or to taste

½ teaspoon black pepper or to taste

½ teaspoon garlic powder or to taste

½ teaspoon nutmeg- optional

Directions

Place the broth, tomatoes with fluid from cans, sugar, tapioca, salt, pepper, garlic, nutmeg in the pan and mix well.

Add the meat and vegetables and stir to blend everything together.

Put the lid on the pan and place in a 275 degree F. oven.

Cook about 4½ to 5 hours.  Do not open the pan before then. At 4½ hours check to see how thick the stew is.  If it’s not thick enough for you leave the lid off, raise the oven temp to 300 and cook another ½ hour, checking often to see if it’s thick enough without scorching.

Serve with homemade bread.

I’m planting bulbs this week- are you?

Kim Willis

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And So On….

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I write this because I love to share with other gardeners some of the things I come across in my research each week. It keeps me engaged with people and horticulture. It’s a hobby, basically. I hope you enjoy it. If you are on my mailing list and at any time you don’t wish to receive these emails just let me know. If you know anyone who would like to receive a notification by email when a new blog is published have them send their email address to me.  KimWillis151@gmail.com