Allotment Update - Autumn Harvest

Over the last few weeks we have been steadily harvesting produce from the allotments we tend.  It is so rewarding being able to eat what we've grown ourselves, the product of much hard work.  Here's a sample of the harvest we bought back from just one session, there has been such a bountiful harvest we are very grateful and feel very fortunate to have had successful crops.  I've made many jars of jams, bottles of cordials and containers of compote from the fruit trees and various berries grown in the fruit cage as well.

We spent a couple of hours at the allotments both days of this weekend. My husband battled the nettles and grass with a strimmer which made both plots much easier to work on and they looked a lot tidier after he'd finished. I had a go with the strimmer as well, I do rather like power tools! We harvested a lot of produce, weeded nearly all the beds and covered most of them over for the winter. Only those with winter hardy greens and vegetables not quite big enough to harvest were left uncovered. The weather was sunny but crisp with a brisk cold wind at times, thankfully no downpours.

On Saturday we harvested 12 leeks, 4 cauliflowers, 4 cabbages, 10 swedes, 5kg of potatoes and loads of chard. On Sunday we harvested more chard, 3 broccoli, 10kg potatoes, 8 beetroot and 3kg of some rather large carrots which had been obscured by some of the chard, ooops!

We've kept some of our harvest and also gave some away to friends and neighbours, there was a bit too much for us to use.  None will be wasted though, I've already cooked and frozen some in soups, stews and on it's own.  Luckily we have a chest freezer which comes with our rented house, so handy when we have a huge harvest like this.  We've thoroughly enjoyed the 6 months we've been able to work the allotments and look forward to more tending and harvesting.  I still need to prune the plants in the fruit cage, hopefully will get it done over the next week or so.