Montana vegetable gardens can be a crap shoot...but this year

[MontanaMama]

I can’t even believe it. I’ve been giving away tomatoes and green beans left and right. I’ve made a crap ton of salsa verde courtesy of a bullet proof recipe from DUer Hotler. I’m looking for recommendations for a canned tomato salsa and a canned marinara. I haven’t canned in years but this year, I’ve got to get my act together. Fast. I’m grateful for this short sweet season.

[WheelWalker]

1. Growing Degree Days.

[riversedge]

2. Green beans freeze--just blanch them for 2 minutes first, cool, put in freezer bags.

I do it every year.

[MontanaMama]

4. I have a food saver...

Maybe I could use that to package them? When you use them, they’re not mushy?

[riversedge]

5. I have never used a food saver so I do not know the results. But blanching the

beans is good. Keeps the color and no--not mushy when I cook them.
I toss the frozen beans into small amt salted boiling water when cooking them.

[MontanaMama]

6. Okay...one more question if you don't mind.

Once you blanch the beans, do you put them in an ice water bath then dry them before you freeze them?

[Backseat Driver]

15. I blanch the destem-ed beans, ice water bath, drain and pat with bar towels; lay in single layer on

paper or fabric towel on cookie sheet and quickly freeze open several hours, then bag in ziploc freezer bags in portions for 2 or more and put into gallon size ziploc freezer bags. Great flavor and color on cooking w/your choice of seasonings w/butter.

[LiberalLoner]

3. Awesome!!!

😍😍😍😍👏👏👏👏👏

[fierywoman]

7. So happy for you!

[Rural_Progressive]

8. If you have a very cold freezer

like the 22 cu ft chest freezers we used for storing our lamb and pork when we were in the biz you really don't need to blanch. We made that discovery a number of years ago, seems blanching helps if your freezer is going to take awhile bringing the temperatures of the vegetables down to below freezing. Quick freezing stops cellular processes quickly and the vegetable quality is great and they hold for several years with no obvious degradation. We just put them into zip lock bags, suck the air out, and seal.

We're further west than you, in northcentral Washington at about 2900 ft. My sweetheart is a plant Deva and we've always gotten something out of her gardens regardless of the weather or smoke conditions. This year she's been taking care of her 99 year old mom in Spokane and been home very few days. I was sure the gardens were doomed (I'm not so good with plants) but no, she's just put three baking trays worth of broccoli into one of the freezers for a quick freeze. Another year of great vegetable eating all fall, winter, and spring.

She's brilliant.

[MontanaMama]

10. Spokane has been HOT this summer.

I’ve been back and forth from Missoula to Walla Walla and to The Gorge. I’m so happy you’ve been able to get some good home grown veggies from the garden. Blessings on your sweetie for taking care of her mom. That’s really hard.

[Arthur_Frain]

9. Wow, wish I could get tomatoes like that in AK

Actually harvested about 10 from 4 plants this year.

Sadly, not enough for salsa.

[MontanaMama]

12. I've never had tomatoes like this summer...

They started to come on in July which is highly unusual. I am curious about what grows well for you in AK? I hear tales of giant pumpkins and other things. What do you grow?

[Arthur_Frain]

17. I had 4 plants this summer

One Roma, one yellow pear, one burpee early girl, and a McKenzie pink. Got 10-12 off the one burpee early girl, and maybe 5-6 off the yellow pear, which are about the size of you thumbnail. I’ve wanted to try the “polar” strain, but haven’t seen it in quite a while.

I’ll experiment in the grow tent a little this winter, but I suspect come March, I’ll be starting an all Early Girl crop. No tomatoes from the other two plants.

My Siberian Garlic, on the other hand, is going gangbusters this summer.

Amazingly, we ate our first tomato on May 31st this year. But that was from a February grow tent start, and I struggled when it came time to move them into the window in May.

It’s been so wet and cool up here this year that I’ve a few mold susceptible plants that just melted away in July, it was horrible.

[LudwigPastorius]

11. It was 90 degrees at 3 in the morning the other night.

That, and the 113 heat index during the day, means no tomatoes for me.

In Texas, it's getting to where, if you want any vegetables, you have to start them inside in February.

[MontanaMama]

13. Jeez. I can't even comprehend that.

There’s probably no getting by without air conditioning, right? There are a lot of Texans that have moved up here to Montana. License plates everywhere…and that was well before tourist season. Maybe the weather is why.

[LudwigPastorius]

14. It's a beatdown, not just physically, but also mentally.

Due to the seasonal temperature lag, we're only just now approaching the hottest time of the year in North Texas...what I like to call the "heat solstice".

Ughh...

(Beautiful produce, but the way)

[MontanaMama]

16. I understand that.

When when we are surrounded by wildfires, it’s damned depressing.

[Vinca]

18. Don't you just love those little orange tomatoes? We've got a good garden this year, too.

[MontanaMama]

19. Yes!

Sungolds. They’re like little sugar bombs.