[Roger Tonkin]

What with warms days, cold nights, no rain things are crazy.

Had to mow the lawn twice in the last week, it's growing so quickly (OK,
I only just took the top off, but it soon regrew!)

Had to get the hose out today to water all the seeds I planted in the
veggie plot (peas, broad beans, parsnips (second lot), carrots sprouts
and cabbage. Just hope the frosts are not too severe for the next week
or so.

Rhubarb is almost ready for a first picking (which is sad 'cos I go away
for a month next week). Looking back, I've never picked any before the
middle of April in the last 12 years that I've got records for.

Over wintered lettuce plants (yes they survived the -14 degrees in the
greenhouse) do not seem to be growing very quickly despite the high day
time temperatures in there. The ones that I've transplanted out from the
greenhouse into the open seem to be doing a bit better!

Autumn fruiting raspberry plants only just started pushing out their
shoots. No details, ut I think they are usually up to about 2 inches
when the clocks go forward.

Garlic is growing well, but onion sets took a long time to shoot, but
are begining to move now.


--
Roger T

700 ft up in Mid-Wales

Roger Tonkin wrote:
Rhubarb is almost ready for a first picking (which is sad 'cos I go away
for a month next week). Looking back, I've never picked any before the
middle of April in the last 12 years that I've got records for.

Our rhubarb looks pretty much ready to pick.
How does one know when it's 'ok' to pick?
Iirc, it gets poisonous when it's older, so a too early picking is ok other
than potentially damaging to the plant - nothing to stop me making an early
crumble tonight?

[Janet]

In article ,
says...

Roger Tonkin wrote:
Rhubarb is almost ready for a first picking (which is sad 'cos I go away
for a month next week). Looking back, I've never picked any before the
middle of April in the last 12 years that I've got records for.

Our rhubarb looks pretty much ready to pick.
How does one know when it's 'ok' to pick?

We've been picking ours for a fortnight. For an established patch.
"when" is as soon as you can break off stems about 6" long.


Iirc, it gets poisonous when it's older,

It always is slightly toxic but later on in the season the concentration
of oxalic acid is higher (not good for people with gout, arthritis, kidney
problems, or toddlers or frail older people). I don't pick it after the
end of July. Anyway, the first few months of growth are tender and tasty;
after August it's tougher and bitterer


so a too early picking is ok other
than potentially damaging to the plant - nothing to stop me making an early
crumble tonight?

Young plants in their first season should be allowed to keep their stems
so the leaves can photosynthesise and build up a strong root system. Once
a root system is well established and being well fed, nothing short of a
direct nuclear hit will damage it.
Your boys might enjoy a favourite pud of my boys; stewed rhubarb mixed
with a packet of raspberry jelly cubes and allowed to set.

Janet.

[Bobbie[_16_]]

On 29/03/2011 14:32, Janet wrote:
In ,
says...

Roger wrote:
Rhubarb is almost ready for a first picking (which is sad 'cos I go away
for a month next week). Looking back, I've never picked any before the
middle of April in the last 12 years that I've got records for.

Our rhubarb looks pretty much ready to pick.
How does one know when it's 'ok' to pick?

We've been picking ours for a fortnight. For an established patch.
"when" is as soon as you can break off stems about 6" long.


Iirc, it gets poisonous when it's older,

It always is slightly toxic but later on in the season the concentration
of oxalic acid is higher (not good for people with gout, arthritis, kidney
problems, or toddlers or frail older people). I don't pick it after the
end of July. Anyway, the first few months of growth are tender and tasty;
after August it's tougher and bitterer


so a too early picking is ok other
than potentially damaging to the plant - nothing to stop me making an early
crumble tonight?

Young plants in their first season should be allowed to keep their stems
so the leaves can photosynthesise and build up a strong root system. Once
a root system is well established and being well fed, nothing short of a
direct nuclear hit will damage it.
Your boys might enjoy a favourite pud of my boys; stewed rhubarb mixed
with a packet of raspberry jelly cubes and allowed to set.

Janet.


No idea if Vickie's boys would like it but I do know who would, and I
have been looking for more things to do with the rhubarb glut we have
had since the plants have been a couple of years old. It makes a lovely
sorbet to go with a rather rich dinner.
Getting back into making *proper* fresh fruit jelly again, and this
sounds delicious.

Bobbie

Janet wrote:
Our rhubarb looks pretty much ready to pick.
How does one know when it's 'ok' to pick?
We've been picking ours for a fortnight. For an established patch.
"when" is as soon as you can break off stems about 6" long.

Lovely, I'll go out later and pick some, then.

Young plants in their first season should be allowed to keep their stems
so the leaves can photosynthesise and build up a strong root system. Once
a root system is well established and being well fed, nothing short of a
direct nuclear hit will damage it.

*nod* It's a very well established pair of plants. Nick was meant to split
it over the winter, but it started to regrow earlier than predicted, so he
missed his chance.

Your boys might enjoy a favourite pud of my boys; stewed rhubarb mixed
with a packet of raspberry jelly cubes and allowed to set.

They probably would, but I don't give them jelly, so they'll have to live
with crumble and ice-cream for now.

[Dave Hill]

On Mar 29, 3:30*pm, wrote:
Janet wrote:
Our rhubarb looks pretty much ready to pick.
How does one know when it's 'ok' to pick?
*We've been picking ours for a fortnight. For an established patch.
"when" is as soon as you can break off stems about 6" long.

Lovely, I'll go out later and pick some, then.

*Young plants in their first season should be allowed to keep their stems
so the leaves can photosynthesise and build up a strong root system. Once
a root system is well established and being well fed, nothing short of a
direct nuclear hit will damage it.

*nod* *It's a very well established pair of plants. *Nick was meant to split
it over the winter, but it started to regrow earlier than predicted, so he
missed his chance.

*Your boys might enjoy a favourite pud of my boys; stewed rhubarb mixed
with a packet of raspberry jelly cubes and allowed to set.

They probably would, but I don't give them jelly, so they'll have to live
with crumble and ice-cream for now.

If you can find it try Apricot jelly with the rhubarb

[echinosum]

Originally Posted by Roger Tonkin

What with warms days, cold nights, no rain things are crazy.

It's worryingly similar to March 2003, which, at least in our neck of the woods, was followed by some very sharp frosts in the second week of April (with daytime temps up to 20C under clear blue skies), which were horribly damaging so late in the season when the plants were out of dormancy, and fruit trees were in flower. The other worrying thing is that in 2003, where I lived, we didn't get any significant rain for 7 months from mid March to mid October. There were summer downpours, but they all missed us, on one occasion by about 400yds.

Martin wrote:
Vegetarian jelly exists
http://www.dooyoo.co.uk/food/just-wh...stals/1269203/

It does, there are even a couple of different types. Agar-agar and
caraggean are, iirc, both seaweed based. You can also get a cornstarch
based one which is used as quick setting jelly that you are meant to use in
flans.

Unfortunately* none of them are quite the same texture or insane flavours as
the meaty version.

(Speaking of insane flavours - anyone heard the Dylan Moran quote along the
lines of "in the 80s we didn't eat food unless it glowed in the dark!!" -
reminds me of a brand of jelly in the mid-80swhich didn't flourescent
colours, including dayglo blue)

Martin wrote:
Vegetarian jelly exists
http://www.dooyoo.co.uk/food/just-wh...stals/1269203/

I'm sure it does but possibly not something in the nearest supermarket
for a busy, working mum.

but available if she wants it enough.

To be honest, I think I've got some in the cupboard. I may try it, but I
don't think it will do Janet's suggestion justice.

['Mike'[_4_]]

"Martin" wrote in message
...
On 29 Mar 2011 22:13:57 GMT, wrote:

Martin wrote:
Vegetarian jelly exists
http://www.dooyoo.co.uk/food/just-wh...stals/1269203/

It does, there are even a couple of different types. Agar-agar and
caraggean are, iirc, both seaweed based. You can also get a cornstarch
based one which is used as quick setting jelly that you are meant to use
in
flans.

Unfortunately* none of them are quite the same texture or insane flavours
as
the meaty version.

That's one of the problems of being a vegetarian after being a
carnivore, nothing is quite the same as real meat :-)



I can't get my head round why anybody would want to be vegetarian!!

Mike


--

....................................
Don't take life too seriously, you'll never get out alive
....................................




(Speaking of insane flavours - anyone heard the Dylan Moran quote along
the
lines of "in the 80s we didn't eat food unless it glowed in the dark!!" -
reminds me of a brand of jelly in the mid-80swhich didn't flourescent
colours, including dayglo blue)
--

Martin

[Janet]

On 29 Mar 2011 22:15:33 GMT, wrote:

Martin wrote:
Vegetarian jelly exists
http://www.dooyoo.co.uk/food/just-wh...stals/1269203/

I'm sure it does but possibly not something in the nearest supermarket
for a busy, working mum.

but available if she wants it enough.

To be honest, I think I've got some in the cupboard. I may try it, but I
don't think it will do Janet's suggestion justice.


I'm quite curious why you eat icecream but not gelatin.

Janet

Janet wrote:
I'm quite curious why you eat icecream but not gelatin.

Why would I not?

[Janet]

In article ,
says...

Janet wrote:
I'm quite curious why you eat icecream but not gelatin.

Why would I not?

animal product? Male calves die to ensure lactation?

Janet

[Barney[_3_]]

"'Mike'" wrote in message ...



"Martin" wrote in message
...
On 29 Mar 2011 22:13:57 GMT, wrote:

Martin wrote:
Vegetarian jelly exists
http://www.dooyoo.co.uk/food/just-wh...stals/1269203/

It does, there are even a couple of different types. Agar-agar and
caraggean are, iirc, both seaweed based. You can also get a cornstarch
based one which is used as quick setting jelly that you are meant to use
in
flans.

Unfortunately* none of them are quite the same texture or insane flavours
as
the meaty version.

That's one of the problems of being a vegetarian after being a
carnivore, nothing is quite the same as real meat :-)



I can't get my head round why anybody would want to be vegetarian!!

Mike


--

....................................
Don't take life too seriously, you'll never get out alive
....................................


I think it helps to have a sadomasochistic streak, no pain no gain! ;-)

Janet wrote:
I'm quite curious why you eat icecream but not gelatin.

Why would I not?

animal product? Male calves die to ensure lactation?

But they don't actually put the male calf into the ice-cream.
Not unless you're getting some awfully odd flavours up there.