Curcubits

A lot growing here, July 2023

I sowed my own saved squash seed as usual this spring, but additionally a packet of a new to me variety;  my own squash has made a couple (hoping for more) but the new variety hasn't even formed any female flowers, let alone started growing any squashes (not very promising).  Oh well.  The original squash was a large green kuri type, but has had several generations of crossing with other people's varieties at the allotment, so I never quite know what I'm getting--but that's part of the fun.  Last year it was big and yellow (and one vine I planted at the allotment is again producting yellow fruits).  It's always been tasty;  it's also usually big (growing conditions permitting), and has always kept well.  The above photo has a little green squash right in the center, but it's already doubled in size since I took the picture last week.

Also in the photo growing up canes (maybe hard to tell with all that greenery) are my pickling cucumbers.  I've got four plants at home and about 12 at the allotment.  I may have mentioned before that I've not had much luck with them in the past but this year has been great so far.  I've had a 500mL jar of pickling vinegar on the go in the fridge:  cucumbers go in, a few days later pickles come out.  However, in the past week the harvest has gone up a notch and I've had to break out the big guns:  my two 1.7L kilner jars, which hold 12-15 cucumbers each.  They are both currently brining on my countertop--the recipe from National Center for Home Food Preservation suggests fermenting at room temperature for about a month (then keeping in the fridge for up to six months).  In fact, the cucumbers have been such a success I'm going out to buy a few more big kilner jars.

And also pictured on the left in front of the cucumber canes:  my zuc patch.  This is the year!  I finally have more zucs than I can use, and it's wonderful!  I'm cooking with them most days: diced up into soup, stir fried, grated into bread, sliced thinly onto pizza and more;  I'm of course dehydrating the rest, both grated and in cubes.  I actually have four varieties growing though I'm still waiting on my first patty pan (finally formed a fruit, but not yet big enough to pick);  I particularly like the pale yellow kind below which is very long and narrow.  I also have a bright yellow one, shorter but fatter; and a pale green one, teardrop shaped.

Keep them coming! July 2023