Black Krim tomato is an heirloom, beefsteak variety. It has a deep maroon to blackish to dark red color with a green at the top and shoulder. The plant grows large as do the tomatoes. The tomato is an indeterminate variety. GROWING BLACK KRIM TOMATOES …
Dragon’s tongue bean, Phaseolus vulgaris, is a bush wax bean that produces up to 8 inch pods with a pretty purple and green splotched pod. These beans also known as Merveille de Piemonte. The bean pods are a creamy yellow color when young and turn …
The black valentine bean, Phaseolus vulgaris, is a snap or dry bean that produces a 6 inch pod green bean with black seeds. This bush bean grows like a pole if trained to grow like one, and tolerates cooler temperatures.
Sow the seeds directly into the grown after frost has passed. Plant about 1 inch below the surface and 2 inches apart in an area with full sun. Use support for these beans.
Beans are ready after about 50 days for fresh, and about 80 to 90 for dried beans. Picking them throughout the season will increase yields.
The rattlesnake bean, also known as the Preacher bean, (Phaseolus vulgaris) is an heirloom pole bean that produces seeds with colored markings that resemble a rattlesnake design. The vine grows to 10 feet, and is drought resistant. Growing Rattlesnake Beans Sow the seeds directly into …
Don’t be confused by trying to tell a butter bean and a lima bean apart because they are the same bean, Phaseolus lunatus. Lima beans go by many names: butterbean, butter bean, butterpea, and sieva bean. These beans may be known by different names depending on the …
Cherries are incredibly sweet, juicy, and high in Vitamin C. There are many different cherry varieties to choose from and they are a great stone fruit for cooking and for eating straight from the tree.
Once harvested, cherries are pretty easy to preserve by freezing or drying for later use. But, since it’s hot and you’re likely spotting them all over markets right now, why not try something cool and refreshing with them. And August 26th just happens to be National Cherry Popsicle Day, here’s a recipe from the University of Washington for their Whole U Program. Popsicles with cherries and lime juice and sweetened with honey.
Healthy soil equals a healthy garden. Before you begin to add amendments, it is helpful to know what kind of soil you have. Clay soils need different things from a sandy soil. A basic way to test your soil type by feel. The University of …
Apricots are stone fruits with a velvety smooth skin and low-juice, firm flesh. The name apricot is a name given to several species of fruit from different botanical names (common names are Japanese apricot or Chinese plum, Siberian apricot, marmot plum), but the Prunus armeniaca …
There are three types of edible peas: shelling peas, snow peas, and snap peas. They all have the same sort of shape and are all planted in the same ways, but are very different vegetables. Each have their unique things to love about them.
Shelling peas come by other names: English peas, shelling peas, or simply garden peas. These peas have a pod that is slightly curved, firm, and the part that is eaten is the actual peas inside the shell. The pod very fibrous and discarded after shelling. It takes more work to process them for eating (pick, then shell the peas before using) but they offer excellent nutritional value. Shelling peas are best eaten or prepared the same day they are picked and shelled as the sugars inside of them quickly turn to starch.
Snow peas are thin, the outside pod is edible, and the inside peas are very small. Their crisp nature makes them perfect for stir fries and sauteed dishes, and can be sliced and cut up for recipes. These peas do have one prep before eating and that is to remove the string that is attached to the opening seam, which is hard and tough to chew. Snow peas that are picked very young can avoid this step.
Snap peas offer the best of both worlds of the other two peas: the outside pods are plump and edible, and the inside peas are large and flavorful. Like snow peas, they have a string at the opening seam that needs to be removed before eating, but snap peas do have varieties that are stringless eliminating this chore.
Sugar snap peas, or simply snap peas, are a fairly recent vegetable crop. It was developed in 1952 as a cross between the shell pea and a snow pea. The cross began as a way to improve the pea but resulted in a brand new …
Snow peas are a variety of garden peas with thin walls and very small pea fruit inside. The pods are flat but completely edible, unlike shelling peas which are too fibrous. The stems and leaves of the young plant are edible, too. Like all peas, …