Here at my farm, I'm still enjoying some of the last harvests of the season.
Recently, I picked a good amount of black walnuts from under a large tree growing near my pond. Black walnuts are the wild walnuts native to North America and related to hickory nuts and butternuts. They have thicker, harder shells than the English walnuts traditionally found in stores, but they also have a richer, bolder, earthier flavor.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
Sitting on my servery counter just off my kitchen are glass containers filled with black walnuts. The wild American black walnut, Juglan nigra, is native to 32 states and is the official tree nut of Missouri. The flavorful nuts contain the highest protein of any other tree nut and are hand-harvested and used as a popular ingredient in both savory and sweet recipes.
Here is one of my black walnut trees, located near my pond and grove of weeping willows. In its natural setting, the black walnut tree can reach an average height of about 50 to 75 feet or taller. It favors areas between rivers, creeks, and denser woods and does best under full sun. The black walnut is known as an allelopathic tree – its roots, which may extend 50 feet or more from the trunk, exude a natural herbicide known as juglone which inhibits the growth of nearby plants. If you plant one, give it a lot of room.
Look closely, high up one can still see one of the black walnut fruits.
The bark of a black walnut tree is dark gray to black with deep furrows and a distinctive diamond-shaped pattern. The tree is also prized for its durable dark wood, often used for furniture and veneer.
Black walnuts have a yellow-green husk that turns dark brown as it ages.
During dormancy, the black walnut can be identified by looking at the nuts that have fallen around the tree. The area around my tree is filled with these flesh covered walnuts.
The husked nuts are about two inches in diameter. The nut inside is also more round, while the nuts on its butternut tree cousin are more egg-shaped and smaller.
The best time to harvest these black walnuts is from late September to October for most of the United States.
The husks are very soft at this stage and can be broken easily. Black walnuts also contain tannins, a juicy substance that stains clothing and skin.
Here, one can see the black walnut still encased in its husk, the husk broken, and the shelled nut exposed.
Once the husks are removed, the nuts are separated and the empty husks are thrown away – in the trash and not the compost pile because of the juglone chemical. It is important not to let that spread to other plantings.
What’s left are the walnuts in their hard shells – the hardest shells of all the tree nuts.
After all the nuts are picked, they are placed in cold water to remove any remaining black husk coating. Any nuts that float are discarded. This is a sign that the nutmeat did not form properly.
Here are two nuts that floated right to the top. The good black walnuts will sink.
To open black walnuts, place them on the ground pointed end up, and hit them with a hammer until they crack.
Once it is cracked, it is opened carefully as much of the nutmeat will likely be broken in small pieces.
Here is a nut still in its shell.
Because the black walnut shell is tougher than other nutshells, the nutmeat may be a bit challenging to remove. Another option is to soak the nuts for a couple of hours before opening – the shell will absorb water and soften, making them less likely to break apart inside.
Here is a bold and flavorful black walnut – the fruit of labor.
Black walnuts can be displayed on a fall counter, used for baking or cooking, stored in the fridge for up to a year, or for two or more years in the freezer. I love that all of these black walnuts were grown right here at my farm. And the pretty mums behind them too!
My garden just keeps on giving. Here at my farm my gardeners are still able to pick some wonderful vegetables from my large outdoor garden - at least until the first hard frost.
A hard frost is when temperatures drop below 28-degrees Fahrenheit for at least four consecutive hours. So far we've had a pretty mild and pleasant fall, but nights are getting cold fast and there's still a lot of delicious produce growing in my garden, including peppers, eggplants, leeks, parsley, herbs and more.
Enjoy these photos.
It may be late October, but there’s still a lot of wonderful garden produce to pick. I always keep close track of the weather so we can be sure to harvest all those vegetables that wouldn’t survive a hard frost. Here are some of my sweet bell peppers – I love to serve them stuffed. And remember, while all bell peppers do begin their growth cycle as green, some varieties are bred to mature in colors like yellow, orange, or red.
The leek is a cultivar of Allium ampeloprasum, the broadleaf wild leek. The most edible parts of leeks are the bottom white and light green parts because they are tender and have the most flavor. Leeks are mild and sweet and taste similar to onions, shallots, garlic, and chives.
After pulling from the ground, remove the outer leaves all the way down to the white base.
Using garden pruners, trim the roots to about an inch in length.
On the other end, cut off the tough green leaf tops to about six inches long.
Here they are all trimmed and ready to be cleaned and stored until used. Leeks will usually last about 10 days wrapped with a moist paper towel in the refrigerator.
And my parsley is still going strong. I always grow parsley – I use it in my daily green juice. Parsley, or garden parsley, is a species of flowering plant in the family Apiaceae. It’s great in sauces, soups, and stews. It may be finely minced and rubbed on meats before cooking. It is often added to pesto and salads and it is commonly used as a garnish.
The globe artichoke, Cynara scolymus, is actually a flower bud, which is eaten when tender. Buds are generally harvested once they reach full size, just before the bracts begin to spread open. When harvesting artichokes, cut off the bud along with about three inches of stem. Artichoke harvest starts in late July or early August and continues well until frost.
This is fennel. Fennel is a member of the carrot family. It features a rounded white bulb, green stalks, and feathery leaves. It’s loved for its licorice-like flavor, texture, and aromatic smell.
To pick fennel, loosen the soil around the bulb, grasp it at the base and pull up. It will emerge looking like this. Using a sharp knife, cut off the roots.
Peel off the outer layers, especially if any feel rubbery to the touch.
This is a beautiful fennel bulb. The top fronds and stalks can also be trimmed before storing.
When pulling carrots, carefully loosen the soil around the carrot and then grab the carrot near its shoulder, where the green tops connect to the root and gently twist and pull from the soil.
Most are familiar with the orange carrots, but they also come in red, yellow, white, and purple.
Dinosaur gourds have lustrous green skin with distinct ridges, giving them a reptilian look. They can grow to be quite large, typically measuring between 18 to 24 inches in length and weighing around 3.5 pounds.
These are birds beak peppers – they need a little more time. Birds beak peppers, also known as Pimenta Biquinho, are small, round peppers with a tapered tip that resembles a bird’s beak. They originated in Brazil and are known for their tangy, fruity flavor and mild heat level. Birds beak peppers can be eaten raw or used as a garnish – I like to pickle them.
Celery takes a while to mature – 130 to 140 days.but now it’s ready to harvest.
Using a sharp knife, cut the stalks at the base of the plant just below the soil line.
Trim off any shoots growing from the bottom and remove any dead stalks or leaves.
Celery is also an important ingredient in my daily green juice.
The celeriac is not ready to pick just yet. Celeriac is tolerant of a few frosts and can be left in the ground when it’s cold.
If you live in an area where the nights are getting colder, be sure to check those vegetable garden beds. You may be pleasantly surprised with what you find.
Garlic is among the most consumed vegetables in the United States. It's loved for its culinary flavor and for its many health benefits.
I plant garlic in the fall of every year. My seed garlic comes from Keene Garlic, a family owned farm in Madison, Wisconsin that sells certified organic and naturally grown gourmet bulbs for both eating and planting. Keene and Cindy Hollenbeck have been growing and selling high-quality garlic for more than 20-years, specializing in heirloom varieties and related gardening products.
Here are some photos of the planting process at Keene, enjoy.
Keene Garlic ships across the entire United States. There are two main types of garlic that can be grown – hardneck and softneck. Hardneck garlic grows best in colder climates, while softneck garlic thrives in warmer areas such as California and Texas.
At Keene, garlic is grown on two acres of the farm. A tractor starts by making all the holes. These are three to four inches deep.
The garlic bulbs are separated into cloves before planting and then soaked in a fertilization solution. This garlic variety is Chesnok Red loved for its rich flavor as an all-purpose cooking garlic. And, if you’re a little unsure of the terminology, the entire garlic is called a “head” or “knob.” And each small, individual segment of a garlic head is the garlic clove.
Every clove is planted by hand – one in each hole.
After planting, the area is topped with soil and mulch. Planting is done in October.
This is a mulching machine. The bales of straw are put through the grinder and then dropped over the soil. This will protect the garlic during the cold Wisconsin winter.
And here is Keene after the everything is planted and covered. Growing garlic from clove usually takes about nine months.
Five days after planting, the cloves are checked for root development. The pre-planting fertilization soak primes the cloves for fast root development and reduces the risk of fungal or bacterial infections from the soil.
Here is the field on a cold Wisconsin winter day. The snow also acts as a good insulator and helps to protect the crops.
And come late March sprouts start popping up everywhere.
Here they are just two weeks later. Garlic grows very fast.
By April, the garlic is a half foot taller.
Keene practices foliar feeding, which is a method of applying nutrients directly to the leaves of the garlic plants. Here is Keene spraying each row of garlic. Foliar feeding allows for fast absorption, boosts plant growth, and increases the bulb size.
And here they are in June. These crops are in excellent condition. Garlic plants can grow two to three feet tall during the peak of the gardening season.
Keene and Cindy are pleased with their harvest. Here is a tray of Chesnok Red, German Extra Hardy, and Elephant garlic, which is actually a leek that resembles garlic in growing and in appearance. It has a very mild flavor. It is most commonly found in grocery stores. It is also larger than the other garlic varieties.
The garlic is harvested in late July. Here is one crate of beautiful garlic curing. Curing garlic refers to the process of drying harvested garlic bulbs to enhance their flavor, extend their shelf life, and prepare them for long-term storage. This process takes two to three weeks.
This variety is Romanian Red – large, impressive bulbs with a rich, hot flavor.
The next step is quality control and packaging. Every bulb goes through an inspection process. The entire staff at Keene is trained to check for good quality and feel. Here, every box is checked again before it is sealed and shipped.
There are always about three or four heads in each netted pack, and each one contains at least four to six cloves – some even more.
And this is my seed garlic just before it’s shipped to my farm for planting. I will share my planting process soon. I hope this inspires you to grow your own garlic! This is the time to plant!
Martha Pins
Martha Tweets
