In The Veg Store & Putting Globe Artichokes To Bed
A cold and wet weekend is an ideal time to get into the vegetable store. Veggies kept under cover in a frost-free place require regular inspections, and anything going rotten or ‘on the turn’ must be either discarded to the compost (except potatoes, which should be binned) or used immediately. Dirty Nails keeps a keen eye on his stash of stored winter veg via thorough monthly check-ups. He handles everything, turning and pressing gently.
Garlic, shallots and onions
Garlic and shallots are fairly reliable storers, although uneaten winter garlic varieties could be starting to sprout. A handful of shallots may go soft and need removing from storage trays. Red onions are much poorer storers than main crops and should be on the menu regularly until supplies are gone. They are wonderful roasted, caramelised or raw, and their seasonality simply amplifies their deliciousness. Some main crop onions get chucked at each checking. Dirty Nails gets rid of any gone soft or showing green shoots, and is ever-watchful around their roots. The odd one rots from here, oozing a reddish-brown slime that hollows out the middle. Early detection is vital as the dripping goo may contaminate other onions and smells appalling.
Natural History In The Garden: Redwings And Fieldfares
Over-wintering thrushes are in the area about now. Redwings and fieldfares breed in northern Europe and Scandinavia, but journey to the warmer climes out of season, where the living is not so harsh. Redwings are brown on top with a red sash along their flank and under the wing. At 10 inches (25 cm), fieldfares are nearly 2 inches (5 cm) larger than their cousins, and display slate-grey heads and rumps with a rusty brown back and dark tail. Both species show classic thrush-mottled breasts.
They like to feed communally, scrounging around the country larder for hawthorn berries and windfall apples. Flocks may be heard at nighttime passing overhead, keeping in close contact via plaintive, hissing calls.
These losses are inevitable. It is always sad to condemn any food crops, especially after lovingly tending them through the summer and making every effort to provide the best storage conditions. But Dirty Nails takes heart nevertheless, as every rotten onion removed prolongs the keeping quality of the others, and he cultivates enough to withstand these losses.
Potatoes
Potatoes demand to be smelled as well as handled. Those in sacks can suffer heavy losses if just one spud rots and it spreads. A deep inhalation, head down in the sack, is what Dirty Nails does. He knows from experience that he’ll sniff out a rotten spud if there is one, because the unforgettable smell is truly ghastly. In spite of meticulous preparation, washing and drying, avoiding heavy losses is all part of the fun! If the veg store develops any unusual aroma, check the tatties first. Those stored one-deep in plastic fruit trays are far easier to check, but must be kept in the dark. Coats draped over the tray stack is a good option.
Squashes
Squashes store differently according to variety. Dirty Nails has always struggled to stop his butternuts from going mouldy much beyond this time of year. If a failing butternut is caught early, most of it can be saved if eaten at once. It is a fantastic ingredient for winter-warmer soups. Acorn and spaghetti squashes, and other thick-skinned orangey and bluish onion-shaped types store for far longer. With luck they could be fine well into New Year and saved until the other varieties have been eaten.
Globe Artichokes
Outside, globe artichokes don’t relish severe weather. With this in mind Dirty Nails has put his to bed for the winter. He cuts down fresh growth to about 8 inches (20 cm) and applies a thick mulch of leaves around the base of the plant, but not over the crown. On top of this he criss-crosses twigs and sticks, then one or two layers of horticultural fleece which is pegged down and held with heavier planks of wood. This should keep the globes nice and cosy even in extreme conditions, but still allow air to circulate and prevent the crown from rotting.
This job was undertaken in biting cold and persistent heavy rain, in stark contrast to the beautiful, hot conditions of midsummer, when the heads are fat and ready for cutting. These extremes really are the spice of life for Dirty Nails who loves being out in the weather whatever it is up to.