• The forum upgrades are now largely complete.
    Please read this thread for more details.
    New user registrations are currently disabled.

Calling SMB veg growers

  • Thread starter Thread starter Deleted member 5265
  • Start date Start date
gasman said:
I asked the mother in law to call into the chickens when we’ve been away for a week, got back in the early hours and it turns out she’s fed them nearly half the pumpkins I’ve been growing.
I honestly can’t believe it. 😡🤯
Click to expand...
There is nothing quite like the lasting anger when someone messes up months of hard work.

I remember in autumn of my first good year of growing, a nice selection of leeks and root veg. I added some barley, bits of ham and ham stock to make a nice broth, dumplings on the top, got it nice and thick with chunky veg. Had a little taste after it had been simmering all afternoon and it was good. Said to the wife, "right, just going to nip to the loo and then I'll dish up". 2 minutes. I'm a bloke, it is never more than 2 minutes. As I got to the top of the stairs I heard a buzzing sound, thought nothing of it. Surely nothing bad can be happening in 2 minutes while my back was turned. It is a pan of broth, what can go wrong?

Came back down to find this orange gloop. She had decided to "help". 'Oh, I thought veg broth was just another name for soup so I blended it for you'. Rather than nice chunky veg broth with a range of tastes in each mouthful, we had babyfood with every mouthful tasting the same. Months of growing, with traditional veg broth in mind, a fair amount of time cutting and preparing this, really looking forward to it and just took my eye off it for a minute and ended up with a very different meal.

It was many years ago and she has not dared do anything like that again. I still remember.

Another one was "I have read you can eat courgette flowers, lets try some". Ok. Turns out one way is to batter them and deep fry. Came in to find this massive pile of deep fried flowers. Far more than we could eat. They didn't taste of much and because of the empty structure, they held a lot of oil and were a bit too much. We had to throw most away because there is no way two people can eat over a dozen of these and they are not small. Went out the next day, she had picked all the flowers. No courgettes that year.
 

DaveH said:
There is nothing quite like the lasting anger when someone messes up months of hard work.

I remember in autumn of my first good year of growing, a nice selection of leeks and root veg. I added some barley, bits of ham and ham stock to make a nice broth, dumplings on the top, got it nice and thick with chunky veg. Had a little taste after it had been simmering all afternoon and it was good. Said to the wife, "right, just going to nip to the loo and then I'll dish up". 2 minutes. I'm a bloke, it is never more than 2 minutes. As I got to the top of the stairs I heard a buzzing sound, thought nothing of it. Surely nothing bad can be happening in 2 minutes while my back was turned. It is a pan of broth, what can go wrong?

Came back down to find this orange gloop. She had decided to "help". 'Oh, I thought veg broth was just another name for soup so I blended it for you'. Rather than nice chunky veg broth with a range of tastes in each mouthful, we had babyfood with every mouthful tasting the same. Months of growing, with traditional veg broth in mind, a fair amount of time cutting and preparing this, really looking forward to it and just took my eye off it for a minute and ended up with a very different meal.

It was many years ago and she has not dared do anything like that again. I still remember.

Another one was "I have read you can eat courgette flowers, lets try some". Ok. Turns out one way is to batter them and deep fry. Came in to find this massive pile of deep fried flowers. Far more than we could eat. They didn't taste of much and because of the empty structure, they held a lot of oil and were a bit too much. We had to throw most away because there is no way two people can eat over a dozen of these and they are not small. Went out the next day, she had picked all the flowers. No courgettes that year.
Click to expand...
You’re right mind, just got back in now and the green ones are still green on the plant and I’ve just put the empty ‘perfect’ orange halves on the compost.
Mind I think your story tops mine. 🤣
 
Forgive my ignorance on this. And for the only slight allotment related question.

I just found the rest of a bottle of herb snaps I made five or six years ago (40% snaps and lemon thyme). Smells divine. Is it still drinkable you reckon ?

Edit: Might be just 38% now that I think about it.
 
Last edited:
alexander said:
Forgive my ignorance on this. And for the only slight allotment related question.

I just found the rest of a bottle of herb snaps I made five or six years ago (40% snaps and lemon thyme). Smells divine. Is it still drinkable you reckon ?

Edit: Might be just 38% now that I think about it.
Click to expand...
Get it down ya man.
It'll be champion .
 
Georgewhitt said:
Not herbs, but we get Sloes every year in our hedgerow. Mrs makes Sloe and Blackberry gin.
Keep it for 2 years before we drink it.
Fookin hell man. Brilliant.🤪
Click to expand...

That sounds glorious.

Remind me again what sloes are ? They are berries, right ? I wonder what the name is in Danish.

Edit: Ah, they are blackthorns. Lovely.
 
Last edited:
When are you meant to pick leeks? Mine look a bit small but its getting cold, can they take much more cold?

on a side note has anyone ever set up one of them self tapped bee hives? they look good and I like the idea of a home for bees with fresh honey without disturbing them?

You must be logged on to see external links
 
Wild Card said:
When are you meant to pick leeks? Mine look a bit small but its getting cold, can they take much more cold?

on a side note has anyone ever set up one of them self tapped bee hives? they look good and I like the idea of a home for bees with fresh honey without disturbing them?

You must be logged on to see external links
Click to expand...
Leeks will overwinter no problem. Just heap some soil up around them and throw a bit mulch over to stop the frost getting into them. Some gardeners think leeks and parsnips sweeten up after a winter session.
 
Wild Card said:
When are you meant to pick leeks? Mine look a bit small but its getting cold, can they take much more cold?

on a side note has anyone ever set up one of them self tapped bee hives? they look good and I like the idea of a home for bees with fresh honey without disturbing them?

You must be logged on to see external links
Click to expand...
Mine arnt to big either. In fact nothing in mine has been anything to shout about... apart from potaties which were ok.
 
bobthebandit said:
Mine arnt to big either. In fact nothing in mine has been anything to shout about... apart from potaties which were ok.
Click to expand...
Same here, must be the dry summer. Leeks and parsnips pretty small. I don’t usually pick either until about November time anyway, but not worth picking at the minute. Similarly my onions have been pretty small. Though left whole in a beef and ale stew they taste fantastic.
 
DaveH said:
Same here, must be the dry summer. Leeks and parsnips pretty small. I don’t usually pick either until about November time anyway, but not worth picking at the minute. Similarly my onions have been pretty small. Though left whole in a beef and ale stew they taste fantastic.
Click to expand...
Ive also not had a single cauliflower, my broccoli is big but nothing to pick as yet. Also my sweetcorn cobs have all burst open. On the plus side my turnips / swede are looking good on the the tops and if the underneath is as good they do me fine. Never pull them till we've had a frost though. Also my pumpkins were poor this year.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top