Featured tip
Winter Squash, saving seed
Winter squash has harder skin than summer squash does; their flesh is firmer too and so needs to cook longer. The seeds are fully developed when the squash is ready to eat, whereas summer squash needs to be left on the vine well past the eating stage to complete the development of its seed. The seed from winter squash can easily be saved to plant next year.
-
Winter Squash, storage tips
When buying squash for storage, it is important to find the unblemished fruit. Any little ding will only get worse in storage, and will affect the quality of other squash as well. Most varieties store well in the pantry through much of winter. Squash are easy to grow in Vermont too, if you have the space for them. And if you don’t, not to worry because undoubtedly someone you know grew too much.
-
Winter Squash, cooking tips
Squash makes fall and winter meals so sweet and colorful. Here are some cooking tips to help you get the most out of these abundant fruits!
-
Whole Grain Porridge
Whole grain porridge is warm, yumm,y & good for you — as long as you know how to prepare it!
-
Chiffonade
It’s easy to chiffonade greens & herbs!
-
Planting garlic
The best time to plant your garlic is in late September to early October as the nights begin to cool and the light fades. We plant garlic early so that it will grow strong roots before the freeze to help sustain healthy and vigorous spring growth. Seeing the first garlic shoots in the spring is one of our earliest spring green pleasures on the farm.
-
Removing Tomato Skins
To can or freeze tomatoes, or to make sauce or soup it is best to remove the tomato skins (and seeds) before doing so. Tomato skins and seeds are harder to digest and they do not cook down like the flesh does and will appear as seeds and strips of skin in your finished product. Blanching loosens the skin so that it can be easily removed.
-
Sundried Tomatoes
These dried tomatoes make a great snack as is or chopped up and added in to an omelet, quesadilla, stir fry or grain salad. They rehydrate easily in soups, stews, or sauces. Dried tomatoes retain their flavor well and can be stored in glass jars in the pantry.
-
Drying Peppers
Peppers, hot or not, can be dried in many ways and they store well. Removing moisture from peppers will magnify and intensify the heat, flavor, and natural sugars it contains. Dehydrated chiles pack more fiery punch and ferocity in both food and hot sauce recipes than fresh peppers. Plus, if you grind or crush dried peppers, you can use it as an all-purpose flavoring and seasoning for any occasion.
-
Why We Love Lactofermentation
The benefits of eating raw lactofermented foods like our krauts and kvasses are many! Natural fermentation (or lactofermentation, named for the lactic acid it produces) is a wonderful traditional method of preserving organic vegetables and enhancing their nutritional value. It uses only salt, nature, and time.
-
Harvesting and Curing Garlic
Bottom five leaves on your garlic brown, with a few green leaves toward the top? It’s time to harvest!



