84-Lancaster Fanning, Saturday, August 25, 2001
On Being a
Farm Wife
(and other hazard:
Joyce Bupp
Well, this is a vine mess we’ve
gotten ourselves into.
“Gee, string bean volunteers,
how neat,” was my reaction to
the plants at first glance.
Carefully, I began threading
tips of the slender, fragile vines
with their heart-shaped leaves on
grass stalks and weed stems, aim
ing them up toward the lowest
rung of the split-rail fence. Any
thing cultivated on this bank
near the dairy bam must tolerate
daily dustings from sawdust
being dumped into the bam bed
ding cart, cats digging at their
roots and the potential of being
munched by stray cows or heif
ers.
That last possibility eliminates
lots of botanical possibilities
which could cause upsets or
worse to the cows’ four stom
achs. (Multiply a stomachache
times four and use your imagina
tion).
Two seasons ago, sugar snap
peas were the choice. It was a
“chancy” attempt, since cows
love pea vines and one wan
dering, busybody bovine could
have wiped out the entire stretch
of vines on the fence. Summer
turned droughty and sweltering;
the sugar snaps withered away.
Last year’s attempt had to be
something more heat-tolerant.
Climbing string beans fit the
criteria, and the small row of
white seeds popped up almost
immediately. Abundant rains
sent the vines climbing with pur
poseful enthusiasm. The resulting
tangle drooped oodles of long,
slender beans that were crisp and
tasty. We picked beans, ate
beans, froze beans, and shared
extras.
After debating a rerun attempt
at that success, a row of cutting
sunflowers won out instead. Not
only are they drought tolerant
and bountiful with bright color
and bouquets material, but ma
turing flower heads going to seed
would attract the beautiful gold
finches which perch on the heads
and snatch the seeds.
Soon after the sunflowers
began to send up sturdy stalks,
the heart-leaved vines turned up.
I guessed that a few of the string
bean pods had been missed in
picking, and gone to seed among
the thick tangle of jungle-like
growth. Lucky for us, that would
mean delicious pole beans for a
bonus, second season, with no
extra effort.
Except one recent morning, I
noticed that the bean vines bore
stunning, deep-purple morning
glories blossoms. Closer inspec
tion showed that another vine
nearby displayed a number of
similar blooms in a bright pink.
In a major memory lapse
(imagine that), I had forgotten
the dozen or so morning glory
seedlings planted weeks before at
intervals under the fence. Be
cause they resembled last year’s
beans, my jump to conclusion
had been a leap in the wrong di
rection.
Since a planting of bush string
beans in the garden has already
given us plenty, and a second
batch is setting buds, the fenceful
of colorful early morning blooms
a bunch‘more enjoyable anyway.
Some have jumped the fence and
are threading their way up
through the sunflowers to join
the finches while one aerial per
former is headed up the electric
transformer anchor cable.
Despite the dry, choking-hu
midity and heat of recent weeks
(or maybe because of), a vine
mess of other assorted volunteers
threatens to overrun us. A
random hill of pumpkin seeds on
the same steep bank where the
morning glories thrive has sent
thick vines and broad leaves
across a 15 by 15 foot-section of
bank and lawn, covering every
thing under a thick canopy of
scratchy leaves. We can spy at
least a dozen fat, yellow, imma
ture pumpkins hunkered down
under the thick, green cover, a
torturing tease to the grandkids
who want to start picking pump
kins “right now!”
Volunteer grape vines thread
through hosta plants in the back
Melons Are ‘Simply Delicious’ This Year
HARRISBURG (Dauphin
Co.) The hot, dry weather ex
perienced in many parts of the
state this year should mean lots
of extra sweet “Simply Delicious”
Pennsylvania cantaloupes and
watermelons this year. Melons
prefer warm weather and dry
conditions generally produce a
sweeter tasting melon. The har
vest is well under way and con
sumers can enjoy the delicious
and juicy flavor of Pennsylvania
melons fresh from a local farm
ers’ market, roadside market or
supermarket.
Pennsylvania producers annu
ally grow about 1,000 acres of
cantaloupes, which ranks the
Keystone State as eighth in the
production of cantaloupes, plus
over 400 acres of watermelons.
Many Pennsylvania growers
plant their melons in black plas
tic mulch to increase soil temper
ature and conserve soil moisture,
producing a better melon. These
tasty and nutritious fruits should
be available statewide through
September.
The fruits Americans call can
taloupes should more correctly be
called muskmelons. True canta
loupes originated in Europe and
have a rough, warty surface
yard, Virginia creeper inches
higher and higher up the east
side of our old brick house and
gourd stalks entangle themselves
into a host of sites. One 12-footer
has snaked out of a planter on
the front porch and is marching
toward the back yard.
I’d like to introduce these vig
orous vining volunteers to the far
worse, thorn-infested, mile-a
minute creeping weeds which
keep trying to blot out the peren
nial border. Trying to pull them
is like fighting with a cat.
Maybe all these viney volun
teers can be trained to go strangle
each other and save me the has-
while muskmelons have a nettled
rind. Muskmelons originated in
the Near East and were enjoyed
by the ancient Egyptians and Ro
mans. The Romans introduced
them to Europe and the Spanish
brought them to America. Water
melons are thought to have origi
nated in Africa.
Although some consumers
have their own standards for
choosing cantaloupes, there’s no
disputing some basic ripeness in
dicators. A good cantaloupe will
have no trace of a stem and a
pronounced cavity where . the
melon was pulled from the vine.
These two characteristics indi
cate that the cantaloupe was har
vested when it was fully mature,
which is important because mel
ons do not increase their sugar
content after they have been har
vested.
When buying cantaloupes, se
lect melons that have a thick net
ting and a rich golden color un
derneath. They should also have
a delicate aroma. A cantaloupe
that is still firm can be stored
uncut at room temperature to let
the flesh become softer and juicer
but, as mentioned above, it will
not become sweeter.
Watermelons should have nei
ther a very shiny or very dull
How Do You Freeze Beets?
For best results, freeze beets
that are less than three inches in
diameter. Larger beets tend to
have an undesirable texture
when frozen.
Cook beets until tender in the
skins. Slip off skins. Slice, cube,
or freeze whole.
You can freeze on trays and
package after they are frozen or
place convenient amounts in
freezer bags or boxes.
Beets are a low acid food and
must be pressure canned. If you
do not have a pressure canner.
rind, but rather a waxy “bloom.”
They should be yellowish on the
underside not greenish-white.
If they have stem, it should be
brown and dry, not green. The
traditional “thump” test, besides
almost being an art, is not partic
ularly accurate.
Melons can be enjoyed in vari
ety of ways at any time of the
day. Sliced, cantaloupe makes a
delicious breakfast feature. Diced
or balled, either cantaloupe or
watermelon make a cool and nu
tritious addition to lunch or din
ner as an appetizer or dessert.
Cantaloupe and watermelon
mixed with honeydew, blueber
ries, peaches and other fruits
makes an absolutely wonderful
summer fruit salad. Generally,
cantaloupe should be served at
room temperature or only slightly
chilled to enjoy the full flavor
while watermelon should be icy
cold to get the best flavor.
The United States Department
of Agriculture, in its Food Pyra
mid, recommends two to four
servings a day of fruit. Each serv
ing of cantaloupe contains only
35 calories and is a good source
of vitamins A and C plus potassi
um. Watermelon has only 32 cal
ories and is also a source of vita
mins A and C.
you can still can beets if you pre
pare pickled beets, which have a
much higher acid from the vine
gar in the pickling liquid.