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Post by Gianna on Dec 18, 2017 18:14:19 GMT -5
We have a nice current thread about what we might want Santa to bring us this year notjusttomatoes.proboards.com/thread/3740/question-12-17-2017
But is anyone giving any garden gifts this year? Either tools or seeds, or things we've made from our garden like jam, or ??
I have a friends who garden marginally. They generally only put in plants/seedlings I bring to them, and they do get a harvest that pleases them. Organic, bla, bla, bla.
For a long time, I've wanted them to put up a salad table so I could bring them more of my over-planted seedlings. They have a nice high-enough metal frame that's perfect, and have put some pots on it, but it is not very functional.
Fortunately I found online some nice large, sturdy trays that can be used as mega saucers. I ordered 3 for them for their table, and they arrived today. I am so impressed that I'll probably order some for myself. I like to keep extra water in my trays so I don't have to water as often. And the lettuce and basil and others adore having their feet in water. Passive hydroponics, lol.
Now I'll be able to give them a broader assortment of my extras. Win-win.
These are the trays I found online. They come in different square and rectangular shapes and depths.
www.greenhousemegastore.com/product/maxi-garden-tray/s
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Post by brownrexx on Dec 18, 2017 18:57:56 GMT -5
I always share a few seeds in Christmas cards and this year I received some Black Cherry Tomato seeds that I wanted to try.
Last year I gave mixtures of my dry bean in clear bags and the instructions for making soup.
This year I gave some of my home made pear jam and the pears were from my trees.
Of course I also gave honey from my beehives to a couple of friends too.
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Post by spike on Dec 18, 2017 21:09:41 GMT -5
I make a lot of jams and jellies. I also can a lot of veggie soups from veggies out of my garden. Along with homemade spaghetti sauce from tomatoes from my garden. I send packages of those as Christmas gifts.
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Post by paquebot on Dec 19, 2017 0:29:23 GMT -5
Already expended all of my spare garlic at the Thanksgiving Day feast. Have 3 times as many Makó onions and sweet potatoes so I'll make up some bags for the Christmas feast. (Won't exactly be Christmas as it will be i January.) Local Jung's employees will be getting carrots on the 23rd. Still have two big pots of them in the basement. I don't want them to start growing and there's more than we can use.
Martin
The truth is more important than the facts.
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Post by bluelacedredhead on Dec 19, 2017 9:34:36 GMT -5
Last year I gave Amish Christmas jam and Caramelized Onion Jam. This year, I'm giving Pumpkin Granola (using pumpkin from my garden) as well as Cookie in a Jar mix that has absolutely nothing in it that I grew, haha
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Post by paulf on Dec 19, 2017 10:15:34 GMT -5
Someone is receiving a harvest basket and a Felco pruners and leather holster. I noticed they have been shipped. That may be a gift for me or a gift for my wife or maybe for some other relative. We shall see. My garden gift giving happens in May.
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Post by ladymarmalade on Dec 19, 2017 10:42:40 GMT -5
I'm giving jams and salsas that I've put up this year, but other than that, I don't think any of my giftees are receiving anything garden related.
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Post by september on Dec 19, 2017 11:10:31 GMT -5
I'm giving my sister a pair of elbow length leather protective gloves for pruning her rose bushes. She grows hedges of old fashioned wonderful smelling roses. I gave her a similar pair of gloves a few years ago, which she admitted were mislaid and chewed up by her dogs.
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Post by Gianna on Dec 19, 2017 12:15:08 GMT -5
In years past I've also given dried fruit. My own blueberries, plus fruits I've gleaned elsewhere, mainly apricots and persimmons. Dried persimmons have been an unexpected surprise. Peeled, cored and dried in thick slices, they are like candy. They are not hard as other dried fruits can be. I've also put a few slices of these on plates of Christmas cookies too.
To especially health conscious friends, I've also given dried, flaked kale that they can sprinkle on everything. But not everyone would appreciate this as a stocking stuffer however, lol.
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aqua
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Post by aqua on Dec 19, 2017 19:47:15 GMT -5
Gianna, what a wonderful thread! I enjoyed reading every one of the posts. Also- I wish I knew that we could dry persimmons. My 84yo mom used to have a persimmon tree, but it was destroyed by Irma. I give dried cherry tomatoes, sprinkled with a little Greek seasoning from Penzey's. They are like little pizza chips. Everyone loves them. When there's a surplus of peaches in the area, (meaning the edible sweet ones are affordable) - folks might get some dried peaches, too.
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Post by bluelacedredhead on Dec 19, 2017 22:15:53 GMT -5
I've also given dried, flaked kale that they can sprinkle on everything. But not everyone would appreciate this as a stocking stuffer however, lol. Ooooo, I have powdered spinach that I could give.
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Post by Gianna on Dec 19, 2017 22:59:03 GMT -5
I wish I knew that we could dry persimmons. My 84yo mom used to have a persimmon tree, but it was destroyed by Irma. Sorry to hear about your mom's persimmon. Maybe it will come back from the base. The Japanese have been drying persimmons forever. Many are dried whole. I tried that a couple years ago, but prefer the taste and texture of the ones I do faster in the dehydrator. Of course maybe my first time ones weren't the best. If you want to see a lot of cool photos of 'drying persimmons', do a google image search. Just beautiful. Very inspiring. Too bad the season is just over.
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Post by Gianna on Dec 19, 2017 23:02:34 GMT -5
I've also given dried, flaked kale that they can sprinkle on everything. But not everyone would appreciate this as a stocking stuffer however, lol. Ooooo, I have powdered spinach that I could give.
Lol, you've got weird family and friends too.
Or is it us?
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Post by bluelacedredhead on Dec 20, 2017 8:43:46 GMT -5
Or is it us? Just us I have to hide it in soups and stews as if it were something edible, like parsley!
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Post by brownrexx on Dec 20, 2017 9:08:55 GMT -5
I put chopped, frozen spinach in most of my soups. I don't think that it really tastes like much, but it looks pretty and adds nutrients.
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Post by Gianna on Dec 20, 2017 10:26:33 GMT -5
This is a habit I need to get back into - adding greens in fine bits to dishes. Chopped spinach is so easy to use in soups/stews. Same with dried/powdered spinach, kale and collards. I added the various powders to all sorts of dishes, not just savory ones. And except for seeing dark flecks, the taste was not (or only minimally) detected.
I was surprised how much kale/collard flakes I could add to spaghetti sauce. I once make a baked apple dish - sliced apples, raisins, nuts, sweet, cinnamon,... and kale powder. Except for changing the color, it still tasted great. If you closed your eyes while eating it, you couldn't tell, lol.
I expect nutritional value of dried chopped greens is lower, but when you consume more of them in general, it's better than not. IMO. Dehydrating and chopping them fine is also a good way to use up all the extras that grow.
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Post by daylilydude on Dec 20, 2017 16:10:33 GMT -5
I'm guilty of using chopped collards and mustard greens in soups and spaghetti, lasagna all kinds of things...we told our kids the green stuff is parsley or oregano just so they would eat it... does that make us bad parents??
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Post by ladymarmalade on Dec 20, 2017 17:21:51 GMT -5
Lol! My kids know it's chopped up kale or chard in every soup, stew and casserole. BUT, as long as I promise it's not collard greens, they will eat it without complaint.
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Post by Gianna on Dec 20, 2017 19:49:55 GMT -5
BUT, as long as I promise it's not collard greens I don't notice much difference between kale and collards. What am I missing? I prefer to grow collards because the leaves don't have nooks and crannies for critters to hide in, so it's easier to prepare them. Rignt now I have a dehydrator full.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 20, 2017 21:02:21 GMT -5
I've given some home made raspberry jams out, but the raspberries weren't from my garden.
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Post by guruofgardens on Dec 21, 2017 0:56:03 GMT -5
Pickles and jam as gifts to my brother.
Sun shirt and organic fish emulsion as gifts to a fellow community gardener. For his birthday 2 week’s ago, I gave him 2 pr. Garden gloves.
A whole batch of 12 jams to a friend - Spiced Blueberry Honey, her favorite.
Jam and Cowboy Candy to my daughter's friend.
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Post by ladymarmalade on Dec 21, 2017 11:03:07 GMT -5
BUT, as long as I promise it's not collard greens I don't notice much difference between kale and collards. What am I missing? I prefer to grow collards because the leaves don't have nooks and crannies for critters to hide in, so it's easier to prepare them. Rignt now I have a dehydrator full. We notice a big difference between kale and collards, tastewise. Collards have a much more prominent sulfuric quality that we can both smell and taste.
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