Summer Lovin' and ginger propagation.
It's that time when I start to get the first round of goodies to put back (can, preserve, ferment) from the garden. Saving new seeds for next year and harvesting lovely flowers from the garden to beautify the inside of the house.
There is nothing so fulfilling to an earthy person as freshly grown produce and flowers to work with in the kitchen. I've got a good amount of elderberries getting ripe to make a tincture of for the winter months as a remedy for colds and illnesses. My mulberries are starting to yield and the raspberries are still producing about a pound a day.
I'm getting ready to can a bunch of root crops and make a big batch of kimchi today. Summer is such a glorious time of abundance. This last year was my first go round with growing ginger root and I already have a large amount to harvest for kitchen use -- it amazes me how easy it is to regrow some foods, like ginger root, onions, lettuce; celery, and others... you should give it a try sometime. I am growing my ginger root in containers as I am not sure they would make it in my zone during the winter, so I put them in the basement during the cold months.
Get some organic ginger root from the market and let the eyes start to grow. Cut off a good chunk with each eye and plant them (eye pointing up) in a deep and wide pot (I use those old plastic ones I have piled up from buying stuff at the nursery) and place in a warm spot with indirect light. The hardest part is waiting as they can take a very long time to push spouts up, so be patient and know that you will never have to buy ginger root again.
Eat something fresh today and revel. :)
All I am growing right now is tomatoes (7 plants) and pumpkin. I threw my Halloween pumpkin from last year into the garden when the bottom got rotten. It stayed strong until April or May, and I didn't want to throw it away while it was still good. The time frame is weird, but maybe they'll last till next Halloween. I want to make toasted pumpkin seeds this time.
Mmmmm, I love toasted pumpkin seeds and they are so good at helping to clean out your intestines and colon. I always let a pumpkin or two rot in the ground as they always send out new shoots (in my zone) every year, it's like they live to live... ahaha. If you like ginger, give it a try, it's really rewarding. Your tomatoes look awesome from the post you made about them.
I still rave about your chicken noodle soup with fresh ginger. I am inspired by everything in your garden and kitchen, such a lovely summer bouquet! i have mullberries, i didn't know to preserve them, do you make a jam? How wonderful it is to have you share your wisdom and passion for permaculture and finding connection to the food we eat. <3