Sunday 12 October 2014

Monster from the deep

We harvested the first parsnip this week. It took us 20 minutes to get it out; the monster weighed in at 2.2kg.

Monster parsnip next to normal-sized parsnip and carrots
Monster parsnip next to normal-sized parsnip and carrots
This is how it scrubbed up
This is how it scrubbed up
It's not going to win any beauty contests, that's for sure. Since most parsnip wine recipes call for 2kg of parsnips, the fate of the monster seems preordained.

The weather's turned chilly, the wellie season has begun and it's only a matter of days until the Rayburn gets fired up for the winter.

Autumn weather
Autumn weather
Our autumn raspberries (Autumn Bliss, Fall Gold and All Gold) are cropping well in their first year already and we have delicious raspberry porridge every morning.

I harvested most of the pumpkins and squashes and transplanted some herbs and salads into pots to keep them going in the greenhouse. The courgettes are still going strong. I wonder how long they'll keep going.

Metro gourds and Jack be littles
Metro gourds and Jack be littles
We didn't have much damage from our first two autumn gales, but the rocket got a funky haircut:

Rocket after 60mph
Rocket after 60mph
The garlic is ordered. No skimping this time. I've already planted some supermarket cloves, but have also treated myself to 40 cloves from the Real Garlicky Company.

Heard on Farming Today last week that there is a company growing tea in Scotland and that they are looking for more producers. Now there is a project for next year!

3 comments:

  1. Looks like that parsnip could feed a family of four for a week! On my 'must crack' list as we love parsnip. If you've Inverewe you'll know you can grow just about anything in Scotland if you have the patience.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yes, love Inverewe. We used to drive up there a lot when we were students. Still working on the patience part though. Did you get any parsnips this year? I tried a normal size one of the Tender and True and it was very tasty, even though there is no sign of frost yet. The monster is looking at me, daring me to tackle it. Maybe tomorrow I'll start the wine-making process.

    ReplyDelete
  3. No parsnips for me I'm afraid or else they are hiding in the weeds. I'm going to try Tender and True next year. I'm also toying with germinating between paper towels and then planting out. Not had much success with White King sowing directly into the ground. I'm working on the patience thing myself.

    ReplyDelete