Despite the horrifying state the tomato plants are in, they continue to ripen. I think the saucing days are over now, but still getting enough to make stewed tomatoes or salsa.
Upon seeing how many peppers were on these plants, I decided to pick them all and get rid of the plants for the year. Below are the Sigaretta di bergamo peppers, I will not be growing these again since they are sweet peppers and are pretty to look at, but small and thin and really a pain to process for long term keeping, just too labor intensive for seeding and freezing.
Below are the Sigaretta di bergamo and Pepperoncini plants that got tossed. There were only a few new blooms and quite frankly, I have enough of them!
The end result - madness! Several pounds of pepperoncini and sweet peppers came out of that little planter box - I had 2 of the Pepperoncini plants on the left side, and 3 of the sweet Sigaretta di bergamo plants on the right side. You definitely don't need much space for peppers.
I still have other pepper plants that I will continue to let go until they decide to stop. The center garden contains Poblanos that are just starting to ripen, my regular size Quadrato di Asti bell peppers, and jalapeno and fish hot peppers. Actually, I'll probably rip out the fish hot peppers soon, as I already have several strings of them drying in the kitchen.
Below, clockwise from the top position: Sigaretta di bergamo sweet, Poblano (Ancho), Quadrato di Asti Rosso bells, Jimmy Nardello Sweet Frying Pepper, Pepperoncini, Fish Hot pepper, Mini Stuffing bells.
After a long days' work...
Pickled Pepperoncini Rings and Sweet Pepper & Onion Relish, bring on the Panini Sandwiches this winter!
Still haven't started in on the tomatoes on the counter, I'm a little upset that it appears that we have another day today of nice temps and I'll be stuck inside doing those as well as squeezing blood out of turnips - that is - paying bills :) At least hubby is off today and he is outside right now getting started on some of the chores that have been neglected in the past 6 weeks of torture chamber temps. I'm actually getting a bit excited to rip out the summer garden, but I need to keep on preserving what is still coming in. I know I'll be glad I did come winter!
Looks like some great harvests on the peppers. I have ONE sweet pepper plant and it has TWO peppers on it and thats pretty much what I use for the whole year. Yes. You read that right. Hubby despises them and so I only need a few for the few times I eat them. Yes-we live dull!
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I am still amazed at just how many hot peppers you eat. I would swear you were from New Mexico, not Minnesota!
ReplyDeleteI know how you feel. I have so many hot peppers that I don't know what to do with them. How do you can your pepperoncinis? I have canned them a couple of different ways and am trying to find the perfect way for me.
ReplyDeleteI wish we had that many peppers in the garden...
ReplyDeleteOh wow that is a lot of peppers. Are most of them hot peppers? I should have planted some hot peppers this year but didn't. Now all we have are four failing green pepper plants. I saw one small pepper on one plant and nothing on the others although they have been blooming. Not sure what the problem is but it could have something to do with the tomato jungle that is almost overtaking them.
ReplyDeleteThis post made me tired thinking of you in the kitchen all the day long. Isn't this weather wonderful. We actually had our ac off the night before last as it dipped down to 58. Weird.
ReplyDeleteErin, how do you cook and or put up the yard long beans? Do you stir fry? This is the first year I have grown them and it's a good thing, as the bush beans and pole beans haven't done much.
Now, sit down, put your feet up and have a ice cold beer. You deserve it!
Hey, girl, you can send them all out to me. I'll take care of 'em! I have some large ones trying to ripen, but also beginning to sunburn. I'm afraid this year is not only going to be a bust for tomatoes, but peppers, too. Well, at least I didn't have to spend my summer slaving over a hot stove!
ReplyDeleteOh my lord! Pickle pepper maddness! Wow
ReplyDeleteThe results of all that work look totally delicious! How are you going to manage keeping your family from dipping into those jars too soon?
ReplyDeleteThis past week has been beautiful weather here too and I found myself sulking around the kitchen more than being outside too! I felt resentful as well! But I did finally can up my first maters right as yours are going kaput! I am truly admiring your peppers. I thought I had a good plan for them this year...but Mother Nature had other ideas. Bummer!! See - this is why we all need a co-op of bloggers!
ReplyDeleteWow, such a great variety of peppers. You have a gift! We hope you enjoy them to the fullest.
ReplyDeleteYou be da Pepper Queen! Next to you I feel totally pepper-illiterate. Can't wait for you to move back to MN so you can educate me on how to grow, preserve and USE all the peppers! Zingy peppers are supposed to be very good for us as far as cleansing blood and as an anti-oxident so I really need to learn how to use them. We've never been into hot peppers at all but all of your preserves look soooo good to me!
ReplyDeleteWow. All I can say is wow!
ReplyDeleteSue, I'm trying to get my fill before I move north!
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Jane, those large piles of peppers were all sweet peppers! But I did spend some time in Southern CA so I do have a taste for the spicy stuff!
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Robin, I've done them different ways, too. I have some I pressure canned with a light vinegar mixture, haven't tried those yet, I think the pressure canning might overcook them so I'll let you know on those. I mostly do a refrigerator pickle for the pepperoncinis with a 2-1 vinegar to water ratio and some red pepper flakes added in. They keep for a year in the fridge and stay crispy when raw packed that way. If they were really a nutritionally significant thing I would put them away more for pantry keeping, but since they are pickles I figure if the power goes out and we are in danger of losing the pickles, we'll just have a hurricane party and get rid of them quickly LOL
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Anke, I always plant too many - always!
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Sparkless, most are sweet peppers - they just look hot because they are long and skinny!
Lorie, the weather is SO nice, I hope this is a trend now. I end up throwing a lot of those yard long beans since I've found they are best stir fried fresh. This year I tried the Red Chinese Noodle variety and I'm not too happy with them as they get too big very quickly and aren't as "snappy" as the green variety I grew last year, think I'll go back to the green next year. I admit that I love them for the look they give the garden growing over the archway :)
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Gran, this year has been a very trying year for our gardens for sure. I'm anxious to get on with some lettuce plantings but it is still too hot for that, I'm looking forward to how "neat" the fall garden looks in comparison to the diseased, sunburnt mess that's out there now :)
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meems & agwh, they will go though the pepperoncini quickly but the kids won't touch the relishes I'm sure!
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Jody, I'm hoping all this work will be worth it later in the season! Even though it's tons of work, I want to make the most of those peppers, I am fortunate that they grow really well here.
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APG, a co-op would be awesome LOL!
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Mama Pea, if I can get any to grow up there, I'll be sure to drown you in peppers too LOL! I make sauce too, I love hot sauce on my eggs or potatoes whenever we have them for breakfast, and we eat lots of quick burritos with beans or eggs in them so there's always a way to use up peppers or hot sauce here. Must be my time spent in Southern CA or here, since I certainly never grew up watching Minnesotans use hot sauce all over their breakfast! You are right about them being good for you, there's more Vitamin C in a little pepper than most anything else, and they have a lot of other benefits too.
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Mama Tea, "wow" is a good term, although I think a 4-letter word might have slipped out of my mouth as I was harvesting all that and trying to figure out what to do with all that!
my posts just keep disappearing or something but my sons would agree with you on the hot sauce,sometimes they try to out do each other with there friends at work. they will send away for the hottest hot sauce and see who can eat it. my grandson just failed at the wing joint eat them all FREE
ReplyDeleteThat is a whole lotta peppers there girlfriend!
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