RubyRedTomato's Blog

2008 06-29 Finally have the garden started!
Jun 29, 2008 | 12:34 PM PST
Tags: tomtoes , green beans , pepper plants , gardening , vegetables
It is almost July and we only have been able to put out tomatoes and onions so far this year.  The rain I spoke of in an earlier blog, has kept us from planting anything else.  In addition to the rain, our 16 passenger van broke down, that my husband uses to transport the Amish Community around.  Due to those two things, we just have not had time to plant anything else.  I had pepper plants bought and they have not survived.  We still have more onion sprouts to plant.  I have green bean seeds, among other seeds yet to plant.  Please pray that my garden gets set out before it gets to late in the summer to plant any more vegetables.  Well, God bless everyone on this website.  I pray your gardens, whether vegetables or flower gardens prosper!  Thank you for reading my blog.

2008 Spring Time Gardening
Apr 7, 2008 | 9:49 PM PST
Tags: spring , srping time , spring time gardening , lettuce , cabbage , cauliflower , broccoli , spinach , peas

Now is the time to start the spring time gardening.  Here in IL, we have received so much rain that there has even been some flooding.  We are fortunate to not have had any flooding right where we live, but all the rain has slowed us up in being able to till the garden and plant our seeds and small plants.  I am so looking forward to being able to get out into the garden.  I just love gardening.   And last years garden was such a success, that I am praying this years will be as great, if not greater!  I want to plant similar things as I did last year, like lettuce, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, spinach (which I think I love the most of all the spring crops), peas and so forth.  In addition to my garden being a success, I pray your is a success as well.  God bless all who read this post.

RubyRedTomatop>

2007 08-12; All my 2007 Gardening and Canning Photos
Aug 12, 2007 | 8:41 PM PST
Tags: vegetables , peppers , tomatoes , corn , squash , onions , lettuce , cucumbers , water melon , cantaloupe , okra , peas , pumpkin , radishes , green beans , spinach , cabbage , jalapeño , Habanero peppers , banana peppers

I currently have uploaded all of my photos online that I have taken during the 2007 gardening season.  I have taken photos from the spring time to the present.  You will be able to see my husband’s and my progress in the garden, including some of the canning that we both have recently completed.  This year, we grew roma, beef steak, and Better boy tomatoes; jalapeño, chili, bell, Anaheim, banana and Habanero peppers; cabbage, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, and broccoli; Sugar Snap peas, carrots, and radishes; spinach, Romaine, Black Seeded and leaf lettuce; red and white onions, green beans, okra, and corn; cucumbers, summer, and zucchini squash; pumpkin, water melon, and cantaloupe.  Of my entire garden, the only vegetables that did not produce, due to insects were the brussel sprouts, cauliflower and broccoli.  We did have only one head of broccoli and that is all.  Otherwise, our garden was truly blessed by the Lord.  Our neighbor’s gardens were blessed, as well.  This year has been a great year for planting and harvesting!   Please feel free to take a look at all my 2007 Garden Photos and enjoy what I have enjoyed this year! 
 

P.S.  As I finish my canning season, I may add a few more photos of the vegetables and fruits that I can during the 2007 Gardening Season!

Blessings given and received!
Jul 25, 2007 | 1:50 PM PST
Tags: give , it shall be given , more blessed to give , vegetables , garden , Word of God , Scripture , zucchini , squash , yellow squash , yellow sweet corn , cucumbers , zucchini squash , vegetable , veggies
I have been truly blessed this year by all the vegetables that we have harvested out of our garden, that we have had plenty to share with family and friends!  Also our family and friends have shared with us out of their gardens, as well.  They have given us things like yellow squash of which I thought I had raised, but found it out that it was summer squash in stead, yellow sweet corn, of which we bought but for a very inexpensive price; cucumbers, zucchini and more!  I truly believe in the Scripture that says "it is more blessed to give than to receive" and when you give you will receive more in abundance than you have given out!  The Word of God says, "give and it shall be given you, good measured, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will men give unto your bosom."   In the Old Testament it also speaks of giving away the first fruits of your garden,  to the storehouse, which would be the church that you attend!  If you want to see your garden prosper try giving some of your veggies away!

Bred and Butter Beets
Jul 19, 2007 | 4:44 PM PST
Tags: Beets , Bread and Butter Beets , Bread and Butter Pickles , Cucmbers , Pickling , Pickling Spice , Pickling Spices , Homemade Pickled Beets

Some of you have requested my homemade pickled “Bread and Butter Beets.” In response to the request, I have posted it to this blog:

Bread and Butter Beets by RubyRedTomato

(Makes approximately 16 pints or less)

Bring to boil the following vinegar solution: (just boil enough to dissolve sugar, do not cook it or it will become like syrup and won’t fill 16 pints more or less)

• 2/3 c. sea salt
• 16 teas. pickling spice (if yo prefer a smaller amount of seasonings, use 8 teas)
• Measure out 6 c. organic* raw cane sugar.** Then grind sugar to powder and add to solution. (I used 10 cups sugar and found it to be too sweet)
• 6 cups organic* apple cider vinegar

(Harvest enough beets*** to fill 16 pints.) Cut beets stems to inch, removing leaves. Wash. Put 1 ½ cups water in pressure cooker. Add beets. Pressure beets at 15 pounds pressure for 6 minutes. Cool canner under running water. Drain water. Cover beets with cool water. Slip off skins. Quarter beets, put in pint jars, leaving ½ inch head space. Add hot vinegar solution, with spices. Then process beets according to manufacture instructions for the canner you are using. ENJOY!

*You can use regular raw cane sugar and cider vinegar, instead of organic. Organic is quite a bit more expensive.

**If you are using raw cane sugar, Measure out the sugar, prior to grinding it to powder for the vinegar solution. If you measure it out, after it is in powder form, it will be too sweet. Raw cane sugar is somewhat sweeter than white processed sugar.

***You can use cucumbers if you want "Bread and Butter Pickles, instead of beets!

Here is a link to a photo of my "Bread and Butter Beets"

http://my.gardenguides
.com/members/RubyRedTomato/pho
tos/2487/id/22481

My 2007 Garden!
Jul 14, 2007 | 9:37 PM PST
Tags: red seeded leaf lettuce , regular leaf lettuce , romaine leaf lettuce , sweet snap , Jalapeñ Peppers , Banana Peppers , Cayenne Peppers , Vegetable , vegetables , Ruby Dunaway's Gargen , corn , zucchini , okra , Sweet Snap Peas , water mellon , pumpkin , brocolli , Green Bell Peppers , cabbage , cantaloupe

My 2007 Garden has been doing great, up to this point! I have harvested several kinds of vegetables out of my garden such as red seeded leaf lettuce, regular leaf lettuce, romaine leaf lettuce, sweet snap peas, carrots, onions, spinach, radishes, tomatoes, green beans, squash, zucchini, cabbage, broccoli, sugar snap peas; and peppers of all kinds such as; Green bell, Jalapeño, Banana, Cayenne, Chili, and Anaheim peppers, and more!  I have yet to harvest carrots, corn, cantaloupe, watermelon, pumpkin, and then okra (which is due to be picked any time now)!  I also have started canning and freezing my vegetables already!  I have frozen squash, green beans, and cabbage.  In addition to freezing I have also, canned tomato juice with my husband’s help.  Then with the help of my friend Marlene, I canned home made bread and butter beets!  I am enjoying my gardening experience so much that I can hardly wait until I have even a bigger garden in the year of 2008!!!  Here is a link to my 2007 Garden, with photos for you to look at:  http://my.gardenguides.com/
members/RubyRedTomato/photos/2
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