ON THE GARDEN PATH

by Carolyn Herriot

Each month, Carolyn writes about what she is doing in the garden, the orchard, the greenhouse, with seed saving and soil building, with the intention of helping gardeners of all levels realize they can have the most healthy, productive and beautiful garden without resorting to substances harmful to humans, animals, plants, or the myriad of soil-dwelling organisms.

Freezing corn
Freeze corn fresh. Fresh corn is the sweetest, as sugars convert to starch after it is picked. Peel off the outer wrapper layer, leaving the remaining light husk layer, and freeze the corn in a plastic bag. To cook, strip off the husk layer and drop the still frozen corncob into boiling water for exactly 10 minutes. The corn will taste as good as the day it was harvested.

Prevent celery droop
Cut off the stalk ends and stand in a jug of cold water in the fridge until they get crispy again. Celery can be stored in airtight containers or plastic bags, until eaten.

Take the heat out of peppers
The seeds and placenta of peppers contain capsaicinoids, which give peppers their mouth-searing pungency. Use hot peppers with extreme caution. If your head is about to blow off, eat dairy products or starchy foods, such as bread or rice. Avoid cold water, which actually increases the heat.

Extend the life of lettuce
Remove damaged outer leaves and seal lettuce in a clean plastic bag without air holes; natural moisture keeps it fresher longer. Leaving the roots on when harvesting extends the life of lettuce when refrigerated.

Onions make you cry?
Keep tears away when preparing onions by chilling them before you cut. Cold slows down the movement of the volatile “tear gas.” If you are already weeping, place your wrists together and run cold water over them, which immediately clears the air and stems the tears.
Storing half an onion
If you only need half an onion, use the half that sprouts. Store the root end because it will keep longer in the refrigerator. Store in an airtight container to keep the strong smell from spreading.

Get the gas out of beans
Soak the beans and throw the soaking water away (or water your houseplants with it), then cook the beans in fresh, boiling water. Alternatively, purchase a bottle of Beano. A drop of this in the first mouthful of your bean dish will help prevent any embarrassing after-effects.

For the tastiest beans
Use the freshest beans possible (avoid cracked and shrivelled dried beans). Do not add salt to the boiling water until they are cooked thoroughly, as it interferes with the tenderizing process.

For garlic lovers
Soak garlic cloves in boiling water for five minutes so the skins will slip off easily. Mince peeled cloves into small chunks, spoon into a jar, cover with olive oil and refrigerate. Garlic in oil keeps refrigerated for up to three weeks.

Ripen green tomatoes
Seal green tomatoes in a brown paper bag with an apple. Apples release ethylene, which helps speed up ripening.

Freeze tomatoes whole
Freeze cherry tomatoes or smaller tomatoes whole in freezer bags. Larger tomatoes are best quartered. There’s no need to thaw them before using; frozen tomatoes are best if added directly to the recipe.

Preserving speared potatoes
If you accidentally spear potatoes when harvesting (and who doesn’t?) clean them up and refrigerate in cold water in an airtight container. They’ll keep this way a long time.

Best time to harvest herbs
Aromatic oils are strongest in the morning, so gather herbs early in the day after the dew has dried off, but before the midday sun disperses the oils.

Best way to freeze herbs
Put fresh leaves into ice cube holders, then fill with water and freeze. When you need fresh herbs for a recipe, just throw in some herb ice cubes. Use borage for a beautiful effect in summer drinks,
and basil cubes for tomato recipes.

Best way to dry herbs
Put bunches of herbs upside down in a brown paper bag; tie string around the stems and the neck of the bag. Hang in a warm, dry place. The bag keeps light out so the herbs retain their aroma as they dry.

Excerpted from A Year on the Garden Path: A 52-Week Organic Gardening Guide by Carolyn Herriot. $29.95. Earthfuture Publications, Victoria, BC. Available at Banyen Books, Duthie Books or at
www.earthfuture.com/gardenpath/.

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