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New at Beier's for 2010: Heirloom Vegetable Seeds - by Evelyn Fielding
Looking for heirloom vegetable seeds? Pick up some interesting and delicious varieties from Beier's this season and treat your family to some little known heirloom edibles. We're proud to add these Baker Creek Rare Seeds heirlooms to our large assortment of hybrids and common veggies, and the new varieties include:
McCaslin 42 Pole Bean The venerable McCaslin family of Georgia developed this heirloom variety of green pole beans in the late 1800s and it has been a treasure of vegetable gardeners ever since. The pods are stringless, which makes them perfect for drying whole or throwing right into a steam bath for a quick side dish. The creamy white beans inside also dry well. McCaslin 42 pole beans are tastier than the usual Blue Lake variety, and resist pests almost as well as hybrids. Wait to plant until the soil is thoroughly warm (65 degrees). Provide a trellis or woven fence for climbing, or allow pole beans to climb cornstalks. Plant 2 inches deep in hills or rows, and space seeds about 3 inches apart. Harvest begins in about 62 days. Pole beans enjoy growing near carrots, corn, chard, peas, potatoes, and eggplant. Don't plant McCaslin 42 pole beans right next to cabbage and onion. Pick pole beans frequently so they keep producing. Keep fresh McCaslin pole beans in the refrigerator for about a week, or dry whole pods in a food dehydrator to keep for nine months. Blanch whole pods for 1 to 3 minutes (depending on the size), allow to cool, and freeze for up to six months. To dry just the beans, shell and place in the dehydrator. Chioggia Beet What makes the Chioggia Beet different from the usual beet varieties? They're clear red on the outside, rather the color of a Radio Flyer wagon, but when you slice them to serve they have red and white rings inside. This makes for a stunning visual presentation in summer salads. When pickled, the white stripes turn a slight pink—jewel tones for the winter table. The Chioggia beet is perfect for picky eaters because the flavor is very mild and sweet. Beets don't mind being planted before the soil is thoroughly warm, but wait until soil temperatures reach 40 degrees. Sow successive plantings at 3 week intervals for continuous harvest. Plant individual seeds a half inch deep and 1 to 2 inches apart, and space rows 12 inches apart. When the beets develop 6 to 8 inches of greens, thin the rows and enjoy the greens lightly steamed (with the baby beet still attached, of course). Chioggia beets reach full maturity in about 60 days. If your soil test reveals the garden is low on potassium, amend with bonemeal or seaweed fertilizer. Beets love a boost of potassium. A little good compost never hurt the garden, either. Beet greens should be eaten the day they're picked, or they make a lovely dried green. Fresh Chioggia beets keep for a week in the refrigerator, but cut the greens off before storing there. Blanch mature whole beets until they're al dente, dice or slice, and place directly in freezer bags. This beet makes an excellent pickle but you may want to reduce the amount of vinegar in the recipe slightly. Chantenay Red Core Carrot A carrot is a carrot, right? Not to true culinary connoisseurs, it's not. The Chantenay red core carrot is incredibly sweet with no bitter overtones like regular carrots. These are excellent steamed whole with a little butter and salt, or juiced to make a healthy and flavorful drink. Do your best to scatter Chantenay carrot seeds as far apart as possible within the row to reduce thinning later. Lightly pat about a quarter inch of soil over the top and cover with straw to retain moisture. Once the seedlings emerge, you may want to add more straw mulch to keep weeds down and even out soil temperatures. Sow another round of seeds in 3 weeks if you'd like to extend harvest time. Chantenay red core carrots reach full maturity in 75 days. Avoid fertilizing carrots too much, as excess nitrogen causes misshapen or stunted roots. Chantenay red core carrots grow well in sandy soils but they do require some nutrition; add compost. Carrots store very well in the refrigerator. If you have access to a dry, unheated basement, they may be packed in sand in cardboard boxes for longer term storage. Blanch briefly before freezing, if that's your preferred method of storage. Chantenay red core carrots dry well and retain their sweet flavor when rehydrated, but you'll experience better success if they are partially cooked before drying. Heirloom Greens: European Mesclun Mix and Rocky Top Lettuce Mix Two excellent greens mixes can be found in European Mesclun and Rocky Top Lettuce. Bright colors mean better flavor and nutrition, and since these lettuce mixes produce a variety of leaf shapes they make salad fun, too. Lettuce grows best in cooler temperatures. Plant these seed mixes where they will be shaded by other plants and you'll get a longer growing season. Lettuce is incredibly easy to grow: scatter the tiny seeds over the soil, press gently, and wait a couple of weeks. Harvest at will and eat immediately. Purchase some extra packs of lettuce mix to grow in the house during long winters and have fresh greens all the time. Pink Beauty Radish Think you don't like radishes because they're too “hot”? Try the Pink Beauty radish and you'll be amazed. Sweet taste with just the right amount of bite at the end. Pink Beauty heirloom seeds are rare and hard to find but this radish is wildly popular with gardeners in all growing zones. All radishes are cool weather growers and are harvested early, so you may interplant them with other crops that take longer to grow. Plant seeds half an inch deep about 1 inch apart and gently press the soil down. Cover with straw mulch to even out soil temperatures. Rows may be 6 inches apart if you're only planting radishes in the area. Pink Beauty radish is quick to germinate, usually poking up through the soil in 3 or 4 days. Harvest when the radishes are marble-sized to golf-ball-sized. Most gardeners eat Pink Beauty radishes right out of hand, but don't overlook cooking them into a stir fry instead of bamboo shoots. Make a quick refrigerator pickle by simply covering sliced radishes with white vinegar cut 50 percent with water. Dried Pink Beauty radishes are quite excellent; cut quarter inch slices, dry them until they're crispy, and eat like chips with a little ranch dressing. Summer Squash: Early Golden Crookneck and Early Prolific Straightneck Ahh, the summer squash. Skip the usual zucchini and plant Early Golden crooknecks and Early Prolific straightnecks. These two heirloom summer squash varieties have been grown in the Americas for more than 600 years—for good reason, because the plants are hardy and the fruits don't get hollow and pithy like more common zucchini. Plant squash seeds directly into the garden when the soil is thoroughly warm (65 degrees). You may choose to do two plantings so you're not blessed with 10,000 pounds all at once. Plant one inch deep in hills, 5 seeds to a hill with 4 feet between. Summer squash likes rich soil, and mulch to protect the shallow roots from heat. Early Golden crookneck squash is ready in 50 days; Early Prolific straightneck squash is ready in 45 days. Take steps to control vine borer beetles before they become a problem. Growing companion plants such as dill or radishes may help some, as well as sprinkling ashes or diatomaceous earth around the plants. Resort to chemical warfare if you have a severe outbreak, as these bugs are hard to control. Most gardeners grow summer squash so they can share with friends. Break out the eggplant Parmesan recipe and substitute summer squash instead—even the pickiest eaters will clean their plates and ask for more. Both crookneck and straightneck summer squash dry wonderfully in the food dehydrator. Slice half an inch thick and dry until crisp. Freezing whole is not recommended; shred and freeze for future zucchini bread recipes. Summer squash makes a passable refrigerator pickle though the texture may suffer if not eaten within a week. Connecticut Field Pumpkin The heirloom Connecticut Field Pumpkin is truly an American original. Grown by Native Americans who passed the seeds to New England settlers, this pumpkin has remained unchanged for hundreds of years. This may be the best pumpkin for pies, far better than common pumpkin varieties because it contains less moisture and more flavor. Connecticut field pumpkins benefit from a head start in the house a few weeks before the garden is ready. Peat pots work well; follow the directions on the peat pots for best results. Transplant to the garden when the soil is completely warm (65 degrees), spacing about 4 feet apart. Connecticut field pumpkins like rich soil and plenty of water, so amend with compost when you place your transplants. Other than that, pumpkins are very easy to grow. Ready for harvest in 100 days. To grow Connecticut field pumpkins with a nice shape for Halloween carving, get them up off the ground while they're still young using an inverted pie plate or something similar. Make sure they sit on their bottoms instead of their sides, and suspend the vine above the fruit if it tends to tip. Pumpkins are good keepers for winter storage. Harvest right after first frost; don't worry if the fruits still have some green spots on them. Bring into a room temperature area for a week or two before moving them to a cool, dry area (45 to 50 degrees). Cover with newspaper or canvas if they might be exposed to light. Connecticut field pumpkin may also be baked or boiled as you would for fresh use, then frozen in airtight freezer bags for up to 9 months. Red Kuri Winter Squash The Red Kuri Winter Squash originally hails from Japan, where it is known as orange hokkaido or uchiki kuri squash. It is the color of autumn oak leaves and its teardrop shape and smooth skin make it easier to work with than most squashes and pumpkins. The flavor is rather like chestnuts, earthy and rich with a touch of sweetness. Squash is easily killed by cold so start your Red Kuri seeds indoors and transplant when the soil is thoroughly warm (65 degrees) and all danger of frost is past. Transplant to the edge of the garden so the vines can trail outside, or allow plenty of space—up to 12 feet between plants. If you sow seeds directly into the garden, place 1 inch deep and cover with a mini-greenhouse. Ready for harvest in 92 days. Red Kuri winter squash likes good soil and a decent amount of water but doesn't mind a little neglect once it's established. Please don't use insecticides in the garden unless absolutely necessary: insecticides kill good pollinators as well as bad bugs, and your squash and pumpkin plants need to be pollinated in order to set fruit. Bring your Red Kuri winter squash indoors right after the first frost. Let them sit at room temperature out of the light for a week or two before moving them to a 45 to 50 degree cold room or unheated basement. They'll keep for three to six months at this temperature. Don't store Red Kuri squash in the refrigerator long term or they'll quickly spoil. To freeze, bake or boil, then pack into freezer bags and squeeze out the air. Substitute Red Kuri winter squash in your favorite pumpkin pie recipe for a flavor sensation. Emerald Giant Green Pepper This gorgeous sweet pepper lives up to its heirloom name by producing tons of huge, dark green peppers. The flavor of the Emerald Giant green pepper is phenomenal—not washed out and bitter like the usual green peppers you find in the grocery store. Crisp and juicy when eaten fresh, this green pepper holds up well in chili and stir fry and is excellent roasted. Emerald Giant green peppers grow best if you start the seed early and transplant into the garden when the soil is thoroughly warm (65 degrees). Sow in any good seeding medium and keep moist with a mister until the seedlings are fully up; this pepper should germinate in a week to 10 days. Space transplants about 2 feet apart to allow air circulation around the extra-large plants. The Emerald Giant reaches maturity in 78 days and will turn red if left on the vine to ripen. Peppers love hot days and cool nights and do best in well-fertilized soil. Protect from strong winds by enclosing in a cage if needed. Grow tomatoes, geraniums, and petunias near peppers, and avoid planting near cabbage and beans. Emerald Giant green peppers are awesome right off the vine. To store long term, dry slices in a food dehydrator to keep for about 9 months. Some folks have good luck freezing peppers and others don't, so try freezing if you have an abundance. Make pickled peppers the easy way: Mix a half cup olive oil, 1 cup apple cider vinegar, and a clove of garlic in a quart jar. Fill with julienned green pepper strips. Store in the refrigerator, shake occasionally, and use frequently. Early Jersey Wakefield Cabbage The heirloom Jersey Wakefield cabbage has been grown since the mid-1800s by gardeners who want a good early cabbage. Deep green leaves layer into conical heads rather than round heads, and this cabbage stays small and compact. As a result, you can steam heads whole for a spectacular side dish or shred into some of the tastiest slaw you'll ever make. Start Jersey Wakefield cabbage seed in the house so you can transplant the seedlings after the soil has warmed to 45 degrees. You may also sow directly into the garden (one-quarter to half an inch deep) but the rows may need thinning later. Allow about 12 inches of space in all directions for medium-sized heads of cabbage. Mulch with straw and keep moist and cool. Early Jersey Wakefield cabbage reaches full maturity in 70 days. Too much heat or sudden downpours of rain cause cabbage heads to split. Harvest these as soon as possible because they are quickly ruined if left in the garden. Control cabbage moths by covering the rows with insect netting and interplanting cabbage with mint and dill to control moth outbreaks. The Jersey Wakefield cabbage is best eaten fresh, but if you have an abundance try shredding the heads and drying in a food dehydrator—it's excellent reconstituted in soups, and keeps for 9 months to a year. Make sauerkraut by shredding and layering with salt in a glass or ceramic container; push down well between layers, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and store in a completely dark place for several weeks before enjoying. Cabbage does not freeze well.
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