crops you find worth growing

biffvernon · Post by **biffvernon** » 17 Sep 2011, 19:18

Excellent. The Quinoa we use comes from Suma - I think it may be pre rinsed. Is that possible?

alternative-energy · Post by **alternative-energy** » 17 Sep 2011, 20:54

Nicko wrote:Yes, we have grown Aramanth.It did well here in Lincolnshire. It is dry but we haven't threshed it yet.Looks good at the moment though and I don't think it has the saponin problem that quinoa does.

Nick

I have grown this also but the flower spikes are not dry at all at the moment and as a consequence I am worried that it will go mouldy before it's dry. However I do have a large polytunnel so first sign of mould and it will be harvested and hung to dry. On first impressions lots of small seed and probably will be harder to thresh than the quinoa. Will keep you posted as to progress.

Looks like you have cracked the cooking of the quinoa, fantastic!

Biff, the grown quinoa looks a lot darker than the bought version, researching on-line it is often steamed to remove the saponins.

biffvernon · Post by **biffvernon** » 17 Sep 2011, 21:13

That makes sense - it is a very pale brown, almost white. When we use it we just add boiling water - treat much like cous-cous - so I think this must be pre steamed with the saponin-rich coating removed.

alternative-energy · Post by **alternative-energy** » 08 Oct 2011, 12:51

Just harvested one of my yacon plants from the forest garden.
Masses of tubers and a lovely delicate, watery sweet taste a little like watermelon crossed with pear. The plants have been easy to grow no watering or weeding. Lots of little offshoots ready for increasing my stock for next year.

Came across this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDrOM7-yBKA

or you could watch them

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkLnTTdO ... re=related

Your choice!

featherstick · Post by **featherstick** » 08 Oct 2011, 22:47

I have had great results from my winter squash this year - Turk's Turban and Anna Schwarz. About 40kg in total of lovely squash with a firm orange flesh which is creamy and delicious, and versatile in soups and curries. Lovely stuff.

alternative-energy · Post by **alternative-energy** » 10 Oct 2011, 19:49

featherstick wrote:I have had great results from my winter squash this year - Turk's Turban and Anna Schwarz. About 40kg in total of lovely squash with a firm orange flesh which is creamy and delicious, and versatile in soups and curries. Lovely stuff.

Great stuff! I love squash but normally go for Crown Prince. Maybe I should try these next year. Only problem with CP is it's an F1 so can't save the seed ( though saving squash seed is quite difficult in practice to get the seed true to type). Was caught out last year in the cold weather all my squash got frozen in my shed and I lost quite a few - won't be making the same mistake this year!

Nicko · Post by **Nicko** » 10 Oct 2011, 20:40

I think there may be a few different sorts of 'Crown Prince' out there.

Suttons do a 'F1 Crown Prince', and the Organic Gardening Catalogue do a 'Crown Prince'(other squash from the OGC are listed as either F1 or not)

I have grown one version of it for the last 6 or 7 years having bought the seed once as an open pollinated variety and saved seed every couple of years.Seems the same as the first ones I grew.
Great cropper and stores really well.

Nick

featherstick · Post by **featherstick** » 10 Oct 2011, 20:50

Thanks for the tip on Crown Prince. I decided to concentrate on winter squash this year after a stored butternut dissolved in my hands one December. I love squash - horticulturally, aesthetically, culinarily. Lovely things.

alternative-energy · Post by **alternative-energy** » 10 Oct 2011, 21:03

Nicko wrote:I think there may be a few different sorts of 'Crown Prince' out there.

Suttons do a 'F1 Crown Prince', and the Organic Gardening Catalogue do a 'Crown Prince'(other squash from the OGC are listed as either F1 or not)

I have grown one version of it for the last 6 or 7 years having bought the seed once as an open pollinated variety and saved seed every couple of years.Seems the same as the first ones I grew.
Great cropper and stores really well.

Nick

That's really interesting. Bought mine from Tucker's Seeds presumed they were F1. Do you hand pollinate the female flowers in order to save the seed? Do you have a really large bed of just this one variety?
Thanks

Nicko · Post by **Nicko** » 10 Oct 2011, 21:39

Not sure about this but I think seed companies in the UK have to mark seed as F1 if it is F1.
Large bed of single varieties was the way I started. Last year I grew one in the polytunnel specifically for seed saving which came true, but it is probably safer to hand pollinate.
My beds are 1.5m by 8m and I put about 16 plants in each bed, two beds of squash in total.
I hope to average at least 2 squash from each plant and that does us(family of 4/5) for the year with about 10-20% wastage due to rot and giving a few away.
I store them in the house on every available surface for October, and then move them to the cooler top shelf of the pantry(if they all fit) for the rest of their lives, making sure they don't touch each other.

They go in most dishes cooked, in sweet cakes and pies, and grated raw into salads. We grow a range of moisture contents. The more watery ones like Thelma Sanders, work in baking better than the denser types. The watery ones are better grated in salads as well. The denser, dryer ones we find are good roasted with garlic salt and oil, and in stews and pies, and pasta/rice sauces.

alternative-energy · Post by **alternative-energy** » 10 Oct 2011, 21:54

Nicko wrote:Not sure about this but I think seed companies in the UK have to mark seed as F1 if it is F1.
Large bed of single varieties was the way I started. Last year I grew one in the polytunnel specifically for seed saving which came true, but it is probably safer to hand pollinate.
My beds are 1.5m by 8m and I put about 16 plants in each bed, two beds of squash in total.
I hope to average at least 2 squash from each plant and that does us(family of 4/5) for the year with about 10-20% wastage due to rot and giving a few away.
I store them in the house on every available surface for October, and then move them to the cooler top shelf of the pantry(if they all fit) for the rest of their lives, making sure they don't touch each other.

They go in most dishes cooked, in sweet cakes and pies, and grated raw into salads. We grow a range of moisture contents. The more watery ones like Thelma Sanders, work in baking better than the denser types. The watery ones are better grated in salads as well. The denser, dryer ones we find are good roasted with garlic salt and oil, and in stews and pies, and pasta/rice sauces.

Thanks Nick. I mainly grew CP in three large beds and totalled over 100 squash. I'll will keep a quarter of these and am selling the rest to local restaurants. I think I will save a few seed this year after hearing of your experience and see if they come true to type. However i will buy some new seed next year just in case!!
You seem like the kind of guy who would enjoy growing Yacon. Have you tried it before? I was quite impressed. I've lots of offset tubers, PM me if you'd like me to send you a few.

Nicko · Post by **Nicko** » 11 Oct 2011, 07:02

I did decide to grow Yacon last year but The Real Seed Catalogue had sold out by the time I got round to ordering. Thank you for your offer.

Nick

Keela · Post by **Keela** » 11 Oct 2011, 08:14

I have some yacon in the ground now. It got off to a slow start here.... I wonder is it time to explore the tubers yet? Or do I wait until the tops die down?

alternative-energy · Post by **alternative-energy** » 11 Oct 2011, 16:56

Keela wrote:I have some yacon in the ground now. It got off to a slow start here.... I wonder is it time to explore the tubers yet? Or do I wait until the tops die down?

Mine started slow too which I was surprised at. As I had two plants I lifted one now and will wait a while for the other. I don't think it will put on much more growth at the tubers from now onwards so I wouldn't have thought you would gain that much if you wait until the frosts takes the leaves. Depends if you have a ichy fork.
Be prepared for more tubers than you think!

Nicko · Post by **Nicko** » 07 Nov 2011, 15:27

Update on the Quinoa saponins removal tech.

The whole process is speeded up considerably by rubbing the seed together in the warm water. Far better than just soak and rinse.

Nick