Vegetable Storage - Self Sufficient Gardening

The table below indicates if our vegetables can be frozen, canned or stored.  This is very important when planning your garden.  Your list of vegetables and the amount you would plant my be somewhat different but the principal is the same.  If you know of a different way to put up a vegetable email me at email@thebayougardener.com

Visit the Home Canning links page.

Tim C. from Mississippi writes ...... I routinely freeze both squash and egg plant.  The squash can be sliced and frozen raw, but I generally cook mine a little, either by saute or boiling, then cooling and freezing.   I usually cook some onion and bell pepper in with it to help season it.  The eggplant is cooked lightly then frozen so that i can make dishes later.
To me, snap beans are better canned than frozen.  Just make sure you remember to add the canning salt before you can them.
I didn't see peas on your list.  I prefer pink eye over black eye, but my favorite are Purple Hull Crowder peas.  They can be blanched and then frozen, but I normally cook mine and freeze whatever we don't eat the first night.  I haven't tried to can any, but my grandmother used to can them and they were really good. Have you ever pickled any Okra?  I don't care for it, but several of my friends love it.
My neighbor spreads out his corn crop so that he has fresh corn all season long, he just harvested his final batch a week or so ago.

Extending the Harvest

Most vegetables can be planted in both the spring and fall gardens.  Some can be planted all summer.

The above information should be a good start in helping plan our Self Sufficient Garden.  Please submit your ideas to the following address:    email@thebayougardener.com

Tom McCarthy from NJ writes ......

1) Onions  - Best results come from transplants. I take a solid, plastic, "flat bottom" (actually any container would do) and fill it with soil. Scatter the whole pack of seeds in it and let the onions grow together until  very small bulbs are noticeable. They will be all clumped together like wild garlic or onion grass. Soak the planter with water and then pull out a bunch. Separate the plants by gently pulling them apart. They are ready for planting. Now you can see what you're doing and you don't tie up garden space as long. If started in the house don't forget to harden off and gradually expose them to sunlight.

2) Lettuce - I simply work the soil and rake it smooth. Scatter the seeds on the surface and then tamp with an 8" X 8" tamper. That's it! That's the only way I've been able to grow lettuce. As the lettuce sprouts and starts to crowd each other out thin the patch and enjoy some "baby lettuce" as we call it. What's neat about this method is that you don't need a nice long row. We plant several small patches wherever we find room and continually thin until there is proper spacing to let some plants grow to maturity. Easy to save the seeds. Just let them flower, dry on the plant and pick. Separate by at least 25 feet from other lettuce. Not known to readily cross pollinate. Once your lettuce flowers, you will have volunteer lettuce throughout the garden forever! Doesn't need as much sun either.

The Plan

Note:  The recommended planting dates are merely a guide and not chiseled in stone.

My area in Louisiana is Planting Zone 8.  Therefore, you'll have to adjust your dates to your area.

Starting Date:  October 1, 2008