Grow what you fancy growing

[Chris]

Hi

I'm sorry this section has not been as well used as some of us hoped. But worth continuing with it.

I've been looking back at my first veg. plot notes from the mid 1970's. Just 2 pieces of advice. Grow the things that you really want to grow and keep a record so that you can learn more each year.

Good luck

[PLUMPUDDING]

As well as thinking about what you like to eat, it is also a good idea to think how much of each vegetable or fruit you are likely to need.

I've been trying to cut down on quantities since my sons left home and I've only got to feed two of us most of the time. I do tend to grow too many brassicas, but at least the hens can enjoy the spares.

[Nature's Babe]

Getting a new big chest freezer so i can stash surpless away for next winter. Food is more expensive every time we shop lately!

[PLUMPUDDING]

I agree NB, I've been delving in the bottom of my chest freezer this morning to try and use up some of the veg and soup, and I also found a tub of poached pears, so dinner is sorted.

By autumn the freezer is full to bursting, but I have to make an effort to use up the things from the bottom. I de-frosted it and sorted everything into sections for veg, fruit, soups and others but it soon gets re-arranged.

[Monika]

Yes, I, too, find the home frozen vegetables most convenient. We still have lots of frozen broad beans, peas, runner beans and broccoli as well as other bits and bobs and certainly, other than a few carrots, a celeriac and a butternut squash, I don't buy any vegetables at this time of the year. We don't have fruit because we can't grow fruit successfully here.

By the way, nice to see you back, NB!

[Primrose]

I think it's essential to keep some kind of freezer inventory and adopt some menu planning if you grow & freeze all your surplus fruit & veg as it's so easy to lose track of what you've got. We have a kitchen fridge/freezer & a large upright freezer in the garage, and the stuff out there can tend to be "out of sight, out of mind" unless one is really disciplined about using it up. I still have unused soft fruit from 2 years ago simply because I keep forgetting about it and our eating patterns tend to vary over the seasons. But vegetables can be used in so many ways, including soups, that it's always worth storing your surplus.