Marianne’s feathers have pretty much all grown back in after her molt. She still has some fluff left, but she looks like her pretty self again. No one else was molting and I was beginning to think maybe they’d all skip it this year, but nope. As soon as our highs dropped from the 50sF/10C to the 30sF/1C, Margaret decided it was time. Now there are black feathers everywhere.
James was at the urban farm store earlier in the week picking up feed and bedding and asked why chickens molt when it gets cold. The farm store person laughed and told him because they wanted to make us worried. If that is the case, they are succeeding!
The garden is done for the season, the seeds saved for next year are dried and sorted into envelopes. James dug up half of a 5 gallon bucket-full of sunchokes and could have dug up a lot more but didn’t for fear we would not be able to eat them all before they got squishy or we got tired of them. We have been enjoying roasted sunchokes and sunchoke chips and oh, are they marvelously sweet this year.
We also harvested some horseradish for the first time. The plant has grown enormous. We quickly discovered though that it’s not easy to dig out a chunk of root. James really had to work hard with a big fork to dig in and hack off a piece.
And we happily ended up with five pepita pumpkins! The vines died before the pumpkins got completely ripe so we have them sitting indoors in front of our sliding glass door where they can get some sun—on the rare minutes that we have had sun lately. They are slowly ripening.
James was in the kitchen recently washing dishes and he heard a loud thunk! He thought maybe a bird had flown into the sliding glass door. When he went to look it was no bird but a squirrel! And as he watched, the squirrel flung itself against the window again where the pumpkins were sitting on the other side of the glass. The squirrel gave up after its second failed attempt to get through the window. The squirrels have eaten so many of our pumpkins this year that I wish I had been home to see this so I could stand there and laugh and taunt the critter—nah nah nah nah nah!
Perhaps this was the not so bright squirrel I had seen previously grab a piece of the leftover popcorn we gave the chickens, run a few feet down the garden path, and then bury it. Clearly the poor fellow had no experience with what happens to popcorn when it gets wet, or took notice that the Dashwoods spend their time scratching and digging all over the garden and would happily eat the popcorn should they dig it up.
There is nothing left to do in the garden this season other than pull up the remaining carrots before the ground freezes, and clean all the leaves off the sidewalk in front of the house every weekend until all the trees are leafless. Most of them are, but a few seem to be holding on to their leaves for as long as possible. With my luck, the leaves will drop during the week and we will get a heavy snow overnight so I will get to scrape frozen leaves off the sidewalk the next day.
In the kitchen, James and I are attempting to make our own apple cider vinegar. I looks like it should be super easy. I found a recipe that uses apple “scraps.” Taking zero waste to a whole new level! We will know by next weekend if we have been successful. Cross your fingers!
It is interesting that you grew horseradish. I have never grown it boy I like it and would like to grow some. Maybe I will give it a try next season. I also want to try to make my own vinegar.
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Brian Joseph, horseradish is a perennial and a stately garden plant even if you never harvest any roots. It’s super easy to grow and will tolerate light shade. After you plant the root, you will need to wait 2-3 years before you can start harvesting so you don;t kill the whole plant.
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Your pumpkins are safely gathered in!
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They are Jeanne! 🙂
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And how is my Elinor? I hope she’s warm, and not trying to worry you!
I look forward to hearing about the apple cider vinegar. What do you mostly use horseradish for. We mainly use it for beef, but since I don’t eat beef, then I haven’t used it for decades. However, I do like the flavour.
I hope your winter is not a hard one.
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Elinor is as fat and sassy as ever Whispering Gums. She always has to come investigate what is going on every time James or I walk out into the garden. Mrs. Dashwood started molting today so Elinor probably won’t be far behind now.
I have never had horseradish, James wanted to grow it. I suspect it will go on things like burgers or some sort of tofu or seitan dish.
As for winter, if we believe the long-term forecasts, it will be especially cold and snowy. But then today was supposed to be dry and it has been off and on snowing so I guess we’ll just wait and see!
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Good on Elinor.
Ah yes, horseradishish could go well with tofu.
Good luck with the weather!
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Good luck with the vinegar! When I read your difficult to dig up horseradish roots, the image of the traditional folks tale about digging up the huge turnip came to my mind. Do you know it?? Not that you are as old as the farmers in the tale! (*blushing*) I love a bit of horseradish sauce with meat, but since you’re vegan, what do you eat it with?
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Thanks Smithereens! I have not heard the turnip tale so I went and looked it up, and oh how wonderful it is! Now I am going to think about it every year when we try and dig up horseradish! 🙂 Our horseradish will go on burgers/sandwiches and probably James will figure out a tofu or seitan dish to add it to 🙂
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Is horseradish the same thing as wasabi? Or pretty close? Thinking of it that way might open up the possibilities for people. 🙂
The squirrel tales are hilarious.
I clicked through to the ACV. Looks very doable, particularly as we eat a lot of apples. I liked that fact that she said you could use it as toilet cleaner if it didn’t turn out so well.
Good luck to the Dashwoods with their returning feathers. What are Waldo and Dickens up to these days?
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Maggie – yes kind of. Wasabi is made from Japanese horseradish, a different variety than the horseradish I have. I hope mine is not that hot!
I have a love/hate relationship with the squirrels that visit my garden.
Heh, yeah vinegar works great as a toilet cleaner. And if we can make big regular batches–we eat lots of apples at my house–we might be able to supply both our culinary and cleaning needs 🙂
Waldo and Dickens have reach senior status–they are eleven–and follow me around waiting for my lap to appear. Currently Waldo is draped across my arm trying to push my computer off my lap so he can take its place. 🙂
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I LOVE the tale about the squirrel and the glass window! Thanks for the laugh.
I may have said this before but I’ve never had a sunchoke. I will have to try it sometime.
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Glad to provide a good laugh Laila! Sunchokes are awesome. If they are going to appear at your grocery store, it will be in spring or fall for a brief window of time. They will grow great in your garden. They are perennial and related to sunflowers. The birds and bees love the flowers.
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Apple Cider at home? Stefanie, I am truly floored by your attempts at sustainable living!
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Heh, cirtnecce, don’t be floored yet. We’ll see how the vinegar turns out first! 😀
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I thought we’re the only ones having temperatures around 30F (and below)! Looks like you’re very busy preparing for the winter months. Enjoy your harvest!
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Oh my goodness Arti, we had a colder than average October and November is continuing the trend. I think it is going to be a long winter!
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I’ve made apple cider vinegar from scraps! It worked great. I’ve made red wine vinegar too. Cheap and tasty! I hope yours works!
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How did you make the red wine vinegar? Let red wine turn to vinegar? I guess it would be that simple. The ACV making is going well!
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Yay for your first crop of horseradish, exciting. And I didn’t know making apple cider vinegar could be easy too, I’ve clicked on the link you’ve added as I’d be interested in trying it myself. Yes, do let us know how it goes!
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The vinegar making is going well! It is just about done and so easy to do!
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very nice
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