November--The Garden is still Going

It seems absurd because we set aside lots of canned and frozen vegetables for the winter but in truth the time we set it aside for is more like spring. The reason being that the garden produce really last longer than what is commonly thought, even right here in the frozen north.

Now, it is true that it is not really very frozen anymore. I mean, we have not really had much cold weather yet and it is moving on to mid November. There are things still growing in the garden, and they are not really working at it. I mean they are still growing. It is not like they are just sitting there sucking their thumbs waiting to die, they are still, as of today, actually putting on new growth.

A couple of weeks ago I pickled all the Brussel sprouts (and they ain't that hot) thinking the year was done but in truth, they could have been left out in the garden and continued to grow---they were growing. I just thought that the night time temperature of 17 degrees would do them in. It doesn't. As long as the day gets above freezing they still power on.

 

I am sure that all of the cabbage family would still be growing as is the chard (not cabbage family) and the cilantro, and the celery root. What it comes down to is that at the moment there is no real need to start hitting the reserves. We can still eat fresh stuff.

This is just the goods still growing in the garden and believe me that could include the beets and carrots under the leaves. Why, hell the rutabagas are still growing as well, just that everybody I know considers them to be famine food and won't touch them until their ribs are showing. Losers. Not many ribs showing in Wisconsin.

We still have dandy squash as well. Why, we could go until mid December on the stuff that is still fresh. It is easy to give up early. I just have to keep my eyes open and trust the garden. Caught 3 walleyes a few days ago. Life is good for the scavenger.