Monday 21 October 2013

They've Had Their Time

I picked all the remaining peppers off the plants yesterday. I figure they've had their time to ripen now, it's not often we're getting to see the sun, so it's highly unlikely that this lot will ripen outdoors. There were a couple of nice sized red ones but all these green ones will lie on the conservatory window sill in the hope that they'll ripen. I'm not sure if I can eat them green, I don't suppose they'll be as sweet if they're not red. I didn't bother with the smaller fruits, I just collected any which were a good size. My peppers have actually done really well this year. I started off with five plants of Corno di Torro Rosso but one broke, and from the four remaining plants I've had a steady supply of ripe peppers. The plants were started off in the greenhouse but eventually moved outdoors when the plants grew really large.

Another crop which has done really well are the cucumbers. I grew three varieties but Mini Munch is the one which has done the best. They've just about given up the ghost now, so they've also been cleared. I'm going to have a tuna and cucumber sandwich for lunch today and savour the taste of that very last cucumber of the season.

Hubby managed to get the grass cut yesterday, it had grown so long and I feared we wouldn't have chance to cut it again before winter sets in. It was a little wet still, but I'm really glad he managed to get it done as it's pouring down with rain again today. I'm sure that will be the last cut of the year.

34 comments:

  1. I need to pick our peppers today!

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    1. I hope you manage to dodge the rain. The sun's just come out here, it's been raining all day up to now.

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  2. I have grown a few peppers this year, mainly because I was given some seeds for them and not because I like them (which I don't!). I find that they take a very long time to ripen! Much longer than my beloved chillis. I think I will soon be following your example and bringing the remaining peppers indoors to ripen, because frost can surely not be far away.

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    1. Sweet peppers do take a while to ripen, it's best to sow the seed early to give them a good long season. I've just read that we're in for a month of bad weather, better get all those little jobs which need doing out of the way.

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  3. This season I really unsuccessful in planting cucumber. I didn't know why. Maybe the seeds quality is not good enough. I got cucumber plant - variegata from the seeds. Actually I love your peppers, look so fresh.

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    1. A shame about your cucumbers. This year has been my best ever, I've had years where they haven't done very well at all. There's nothing fresher than home grown, the photo was taken as soon as they'd been snipped from the plants.

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  4. I'm sure that you will enjoy your peppers red or green Jo! Hope you enjoyed that sandwich. xx

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    1. I've been adding the peppers to a vegetable mix I've been roasting and then freezing, it will make a lovely meal when winter is up on us. The sandwich was delicious.

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  5. The season really is coming to an end isn't it. Flighty xx

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    1. The season is definitely coming to an end, though it won't be long before we're off again.

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  6. Our peppers are turning red very slowly.
    Love from Mum
    xx

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    1. Everything's slowing down now. I'm hoping that it might accelerate the ripening process on the conservatory windowsill.

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  7. The forecast for this week is dreadful down here. I suspect we will be done mowing too, if only because the lawn will just be too boggy.
    My peppers are just starting to turn.. the banana skins must have worked!

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    1. I'm so pleased that we managed to get the grass cut this one last time, it was really long so it wouldn't have been good to leave it like that over winter. I hope my peppers will manage to ripen now that I've removed them from the plants.

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  8. I think your peppers look very delicious, Jo! I tried growing Corno di Torro Rosso last year but, with all the rain, it just wasn't the right year for it. I probably won't try again as the weather is so unpredictable - wet and mild here today so it really feels like it's all come to an end!

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    1. It's the best year I've had for peppers, the sunny summer must have helped. I'm not bothering again though, the plants just get so big and as my greenhouse is only tiny, they have to grow outdoors. It was ok for them this year, but as you say, the weather is so unpredictable that I won't chance it again. Our weather today sounds the same as yours.

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  9. hi jo
    your peppers look wonderful!!!!
    hope you enjoyed your sandwich.
    best wishes,
    regina

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    1. I just hope that the peppers ripen. I did enjoy my sandwich, there's enough cucumber left for another one.

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  10. Awwww....it's sad when the last fruits are harvested....sighs I....

    Glad you managed to cut the grass, we've had rain every day for over two weeks, I thinking of building an ark.xxxx

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    1. I think everywhere looks very sad when the crops are cleared, but we'll soon be starting all over again. I'm so pleased that Hubby managed to get the grass cut when he did as it hasn't stopped raining since.

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  11. We like cooking with sweet peppers and we have more than enough as we don't use a lot in one dish, just enough to taste. The chili peppers called 'cayenne' look beautiful especially now they are ripe and red, but have no heat which is disappointing. We have plenty of small, hot chili peppers that have been dried and probably won't grow the other type again. We're very busy taking up half of the patio paving slabs so that we can grow more vegetables in a dedicated plot rather than in the flower beds. It's slow going because of the wet weather.

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    1. I've definitely grown enough peppers as there's only me in our house who eats them. We don't eat chillis, but I've grown them in the past for ornamental purposes, as you say, the plants look beautiful adorned with fruit. It sounds as though you're busy at the moment, but it will be worth it as you'll manage to grow more with dedicated veg beds. Hope the weather improves for you.

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  12. Sounds like you had a great harvest this year, Jo. We had our first frost last night. There is nothing left in the kitchen garden but carrots and parsnips.

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    1. Some things have done so much better for me this year than they have in the past, though there were things which didn't do quite so well too. We haven't had a frost yet but I don't think it will be far away. There's only parsnips left at the allotment now, it's all looking rather sad.

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  13. My grass needs a cut too, but there's so much rain forecast I don't think it's going to happen for a while. It is nice to get it all neat ready for winter. Your peppers look great. I did try them again this year, but they were nothing special, so I don't think I'll bother next year, especially as no-one except me really likes them. The same with chillies - I've got loads that I don't really know what to do with. But please don't remind me that I said this in February when I'm looking at packets of seeds...

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    1. I know what you mean, I've been saying that I won't bother growing peppers next year as they take up so much space, there's only me who likes them, but I'll be itching to start something off in February and no doubt it will be the peppers. I'm glad we got the grass cut on Sunday as we've had quite a lot of rain since, I can't see the grass drying out again for some time.

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  14. I prefer my peppers green as I like them on the 'tart' side. I didn't grow peppers this year, but am going to give them a go next year in the greenhouse. It might be the end of the summer veggies but now we are moving on to the kale and cabbages mmmmm lovely! xxx

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    1. My pepper plants did really well outdoors this year, it's just as well that we had some lovely sunshine otherwise I don't think I'd have had such a good harvest. I haven't planned the allotment very well this year so the only thing I've got in now are the parsnips. I'm waiting for a frost before I dig one up to try.

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  15. Your peppers look nice and shiny. I didn't grow peppers this year but maybe I'll try again next year. By the way, I like the blog you recommended in yours last post.

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    1. I had a great year for peppers, though I don't think I'm going to grow them again. They depend on the sunshine, and there's only me who eats them. Glad you like my Blog Of The Month for October.

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  16. It seems to be that time of year for lasts Jo. I used my last courgette up this evening :( Great looking peppers Jo - hope that they soon ripen and that you enjoy them.

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    1. There were a couple more courgettes developing on the plants at the allotment, I don't know if they'll come to anything or not this late in the season. I've been really pleased with my peppers this year, they've done really well.

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  17. Your peppers are impressive. It does seem to take a long time for the tender plants to ripen even in a good summer like this one. Oh I hope they are wrong about the weather. It has been so wet here already. I'd love a dry, crisp autumn and not a soggy, wet one.

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    1. I've had plenty of peppers off the plants this year, these are just the ones that were left when I came to dispose of the plants, they've done really well. It's been a gorgeous day here today, I just wish it would stay like this for a while, but we're forecast yet more rain.

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