With temperatures at night forecasted to dip into the forties for the next several nights we harvest the zucchini and squash that we have allowed to get larger than normal for seed saving.
I then split them taking out the very middle where the seed compartments are. I remove the largest and most developed seeds from the zucchini for drying on a plate for next year. Once they are dry they will be transferred to paper envelopes for winter storage.
The outer flesh I shred and freeze for zucchini bread, muffins and casseroles. There are plenty, so once I save the seeds I want, the remainder of the giant zucchini are cut up and go to the chickens.
Below seeds drying from zucchini, squash, cantaloupe and okra
What yellow squash that aren't needed for seeds are fed to the chickens if large or if small kept for eating fresh.
This variety above is the heirloom yellow crookneck squash. I have grown them for decades and they are reliable and hardy. In a good year bearing huge amounts of squash throughout the summer until frost. Below are the okra pods that have been allowed to remain on the stalk for seeds. This variety is the Cajun Cowhorn heirloom . This is the same okra and squash varieties that my parents grew for years. The stalks on the okra now reach 7 foot. Soon those pods will turn brown and the small black seeds wil be collected from them.
These varieties seem to perform well in our area producing dependably from year to year. Therefore every year we save seeds for the next always having enough seeds for atleast 2 years in case of crop failure. Just as my parents and grandparents did before me. These old heirloom varieties may not be fancy but they are the backbone and workhorses of the garden here in Hickery Holler.
Blessings from The Holler
The Canned Quilter
You're very lucky to have them, too, I think.
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful day!
I believe they put a fancy word on how you keep your food source continuing from year to year..... sustainability! It's funny how things our parents and grandparents did is suddenly a cool new idea. :D
ReplyDeleteThis year I even saved seeds from purchased crop! Last year I saved seeds from some beautiful yellow crooked neck squash, they grew, flowered and then just died without producing! We don't know what happened, but this years crop really didn't mature or grow, we are thinking it was lack of rain ..Ginny
ReplyDeleteGreat post, I also save my seeds, from whatever fruit or veggie I can. Had a bad couple of years with blight on my tomato's lost the whole crop for 2 yrs in a row ;(
ReplyDeleteHow do you store your seeds, I've always dried them, then put them in baggies, labled each one and put them in my seed drawer (kitchen).
I hope you don't mind If I add your blog to my favorites, I'd love to come back.
Mel