First Frost

November 11, 2011

I was hoping it would hold off just a tad bit longer.........Our first frost came last night, the coldest night we had so far this season in south Louisiana.   I still had cucumbers growing and still flowering, and so was the zucchini.  I wasn't set up to build hoop houses around what i had growing, maybe next year.

This WAS my cucumbers that were growing up a trellis. This fall crop did better than my spring crop, guess is was too hot and dry this summer.

I had two zucchini plants that did pretty well as a fall planting also.  The bees and butterflies were all over this garden site, this plant just kept flowering.  I will definitely make note of the plantings i did this fall, and be better prepared with hoops next fall. 

I'm satisfied with what we got out the garden this year, stretching out the growing season definitely payed off.  We still have swiss chard, pak choi, mustard greens, turnips, kale and shallots growing at this time.  Lots of greens to get us through the winter!!!!!!!

This morning i picked what was left of the cucumbers and decided to make a batch of Refrigerator pickles.

I found this easy refrigerator pickle recipe on http://www.myrecipes.com/  it's quick, and no need for kettle steamers, and vacuum tight lids.  It takes about 4 days to pickle and can be stored in the refrigerator for one month. 

Ingredients:

6 cups thinly sliced pickling cucumbers

2 cups thinly sliced onions

1 1/2 cups white vinegar

3/4 cups sugar

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp mustard seed

1/2 tsp celery seed

1/2 tsp ground turmeric

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

1/4 tsp coarse ground black pepper

4 sm cloves garlic thinly sliced

I layered the sliced cucumbers and onions in a 2 1/2 qrt glass jar.( i repurposed an old pickle jar that i had)  Combine vinegar and remaining ingredients in a saucepan, stir well and bring to a boil for 1 min. until sugar is dissolved.  Pour over cucumbers in jar.  Cover and let cool on counter.  Refrigerate after cooled and let it pickle for 4 days or so.  Will keep for about a month.   In this house those pickles won't last that long.

Don't worry about the liquid portion, it looks like it's not enough, but as it sits in the refrigerator, the vinegar pulls the water from the cucumbers and the onions, and it will eventually cover up the cucumbers as they pickle.

Can't wait to taste these............

I'm linking up to Deborah Jeans Dandelion House for Farmgirl Friday and Lil' Suburban Homestead for Ole" Saturday homesteading trading post to share some farmgirl skills  Click the farmgirl link and the trading post link and join me in reading about some amazing women.

                                   Live Simple..............................Sheryl