Well we are in the 8th month and the gluts have arrived. Runner Beans, French Beans, courgettes, pumpkins, plums, tomatoes (both ripe and green), early main crop potatoes....the list goes on. From the productive veg patch or allotment there is far too much to eat fresh, and neighbours are treating fresh foodie gifts as a burden rather than a delight.
This is truly the time of the year when the preserving pans come into their own....and the growing stash of jam jars...and the spare chest freezers....but well used these will give you a fabulous selection of meals and treats all winter long! Plus foodie Christmas gifts to family and neighbours when such things are better received.
Our veg plot is run like a military operation at this time of year....allowing the runners to get woody is such a crime, as it's hardly worth bottling or freezing them when they won't taste very nice. Daily pickings, blanchings and freezings of all the bean varieties means we'll have enough to have with dinner and then a couple of bags to freeze. (and it doesn't mean long nights of preserving things)
Blanching (briefly boiling) the beans helps to preserve the vitamins so you will be able to keep the nutritional values as well as the taste in good condition.
The Taunton Flower Show is at the beginning of this month so it's a great opportunity to check out some new ideas and start the plans for next years garden....
Below is a link to an article in The Ecologist called the beginners guide to late summer foraging:
http://www.theecologist.org/green_green_living/food_and_drink/1000281/the_beginners_guide_to_late_summer_foraging.html
As always, be very sure of what you've got before eating it! Plants can be poisonous.
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