Most important to Grow in the garden for food

[Britesea]

I've started growing Tepary Beans (https://www.nativeseeds.org/collections/tepary-beans ) because they are very drought tolerant, and the first beans I've ever found that reliably gave me dried beans in my short growing season. I also tried Ute squash ( https://www.beyondorganicseed.com/products/ute-winter-squash ) this last year, and it appears to not need as much water as other squashes. I planted six seeds and got something like 300 pounds of squash, and it holds so well that we STILL have one last squash sitting in storage. These two varieties are definitely staying in MY garden!

 

[Mini Horses]

Interesting squash, that Ute. How have you used an what tastes, textures?

 

[Britesea]

Well, I made a pie first, using a recipe for pumpkin pie, but I had to reduce the sugar by a third because the squash was so sweet. I've also made hash using squash cubes and onion with leftover ham- that was a good one. I've used it in a chowder with sausage. Basically, I use it in any recipe that calls for squash or pumpkin. It's got a nice taste and texture. I've freeze dried some and canned some also,

 

[CrealCritter]

Well, I made a pie first, using a recipe for pumpkin pie, but I had to reduce the sugar by a third because the squash was so sweet. I've also made hash using squash cubes and onion with leftover ham- that was a good one. I've used it in a chowder with sausage. Basically, I use it in any recipe that calls for squash or pumpkin. It's got a nice taste and texture. I've freeze dried some and canned some also,

I'll have to try UTE Squash sometime soon. I've never seen any squash like it before, very unique and interesting. Thanks for sharing about UTE with us

Jesus is Lord and Christ

 

[wyoDreamer]

This is an interesting topic, and now that the growing season is done, I will give my 2 cents.

The most important thing to grow in your garden is what you and your family will eat.

For instance: We grew peppers this year. Green and Red bell peppers; jalapenos, salsa and Anaheim chiles. Why did I bother? I am intolerant of bell peppers, and anything that I would cook with them-DH doesn't want for supper. I have 5 bells on the counter getting wrinkly and there are still over a dozen rotting out in the garden. Since I can eat a little bit of chile peppers without getting sick, I have a small bag of each of the other types diced and in the freezer for quick additions whenever I feel adventurous, lol.
Next year - only 2 pepper plants.

 

[CLSranch]

Stitching britches refers to stringing up bean pods to dry for making "Leather Britches". See here https://www.farmersalmanac.com/string-beans-leather-britches-137792

Quite a bit of info on that site. I'm still reading on some of the planting, getting ready for what I can do for the winter garden.

 

[flowerbug]

...
The most important thing to grow in your garden is what you and your family will eat.

very much agree with this. i use the space and my time to grow things we both will eat as much as possible. i would like to grow a lot of other things for just me to eat but then it makes more work and i get too short on time for harvesting and processing anyways. like this year i could have had free apples but i just didn't have the extra time to go pick and then process them.

 

[Britesea]

For us, it is what we will eat, but even more importantly, what will grow in our crazy mountain climate, and since my space is limited, I won't be wasting it anymore on "one-shot" plants like cauliflower, even though we love it.

 

[flowerbug]

For us, it is what we will eat, but even more importantly, what will grow in our crazy mountain climate, and since my space is limited, I won't be wasting it anymore on "one-shot" plants like cauliflower, even though we love it.

when we grow that we're growing it for groundhogs as we'll not have any chance at all of getting a harvest.

 

[FarmerJamie]

This is an interesting topic, and now that the growing season is done, I will give my 2 cents.

The most important thing to grow in your garden is what you and your family will eat.

For instance: We grew peppers this year. Green and Red bell peppers; jalapenos, salsa and Anaheim chiles. Why did I bother? I am intolerant of bell peppers, and anything that I would cook with them-DH doesn't want for supper. I have 5 bells on the counter getting wrinkly and there are still over a dozen rotting out in the garden. Since I can eat a little bit of chile peppers without getting sick, I have a small bag of each of the other types diced and in the freezer for quick additions whenever I feel adventurous, lol.
Next year - only 2 pepper plants.

Yes, I overdid the zucchini this year.