A week ago, the latest pineapple was almost ready for harvesting. It needed a few more days to go, but hubby was worried that the garden squirrels would get to it. So he quickly harvested the fruit. However, we had to let it sit in the kitchen to fully ripen before eating it.
The trick to ensure the fruit ripens well is to hang it upside down and let gravity do the job to aid the process. So far, it is going very well. As each day passed, I could smell the fragrance of the pineapple whenever I walked past the cabinet where we hung the pineapple. Mmm, so wonderful!
See the string?
In a day or two, we should be able to savor the aromatic pineapple harvested from our garden. Lovely.
Last week, hubby finally removed the stump of our last papaya tree. It has been sitting on precious land while we are undecisive about what to plant there. Perhaps we can transfer the little papayas from the nursery, or the fig plants can have a permanent spot instead of being in a pot.
The old papaya tree
Whatever we plant in that place, we must guard the fruits of our labor when the plant starts fruiting. Or else, those darn critters in the garden will get to it first before us.
It is official. We will not have papayas from the garden anymore. Last week, hubby said we had to cut down the tree as the tree is old, sick, and no longer fruiting.
The task at hand was quite a challenge. Even the tall ladder did not help. In the end, hubby sawed two sections of the trunk so that it would break at two points instead of one. Also, with two breaking points, the tree fell at a shorter distance, thus less damage to the garden space. The tree was pulled with a rope and fell safely towards the open area.
What’s left of the papaya tree
So now, we are papaya-less. At some point, we have to remove the remaining three-foot-tall trunk and find something else to plant in that spot. Otherwise, it is a waste of precious space. By the way, the baby papaya trees are not ready yet to take over. Boo hoo hoo!
Recently the pandemic SOP restrictions for travels and visits have been lifted. So we visited my aunt and cousin – it was a fruitful visit, literally. We came home with papayas and bananas. So wonderful! It wasn’t a case of getting lemons and making lemonade, but bananas and making a bunch of yummies!
The papayas tasted very different from those from our garden, but nice nevertheless. We couldn’t figure out what species was the bananas, so we had to wait for them to ripen. And when they did, we still couldn’t pinpoint the species. Lol! Oh well.
We discovered the banana tastes best when combined with something. Eating it on its own does not taste as good. So what do you do or make when there are so many bananas?
First, there was the banana smoothie, which was so good and filling. I used lactose intolerant milk so that I could drink the smoothie too. Then there’s the banana bread baked by hubby. Delicious! After these two efforts, there were still a lot of bananas left, so I made a banana sorbet, which tasted simply heavenly.
Banana galore!
It’s such a simple recipe that I found online using just three ingredients. Bananas, which we had plenty of, and lime and honey! Blend them several times to be as smooth as possible, then freeze. Best eaten during hot days. So now you know, when life gives you bananas, make bread, smoothies, and sorbet!
The weather has been wonky the past few months. On days when it’s not supposed to rain, it pours. And when we expect rain, there isn’t any, and it’s so hot.
The pineapple tree in the pot had some hot sun at the beginning of the year. But during one stretch, it rained a lot, so hubby moved the pineapple to a warmer spot in the garden. And the weather changed again, raining cats and dogs!
So much so that it affected the stability of the fruit, weakening the stem of the pineapple tree. We had no choice but to harvest the fruit, small as it was, instead of letting it go to waste. Despite its size, the fruit still has a chance to ripen, and we may still get to enjoy it. Fingers crossed.
After several mishaps that have befallen me, there is light at the end of the tunnel. But this is as far as the garden yield is concerned, and not so much on my well-being.
The second papaya tree yielded a large fruit last week. At 2145g on the scale, it was the heaviest fruit by far. Then two days ago, we harvested another big papaya. The second one was a whopper. At 2294g, I believe this latest fruit is the heaviest papaya we’ve had from the garden.
Papaya galore!
Perhaps with this good fortune, it is a break in pattern from all the terrible things that have happened.
The latest gardening project is coming along slowly. The okra plants have settled well in the planter’s box. Out of the nine seeds, one didn’t make it at the start, and one didn’t survive after the transfer.
Growing well these babies!
And the mini brinjals in the little nursery have started to show some progress as well. Nine out of nine seeds survived! When they are more stable, we will transfer them into the other planter’s box.
Coming along albeit slowly
However, the remaining herbs and plants in the nursery have not shown any progress. These are the long okra, blue pea shoots, thyme, and bitter gourd. Oh well. Two out of six species made it, so I cannot complain.
Separately, the chilis are thriving in abundance. We have been giving them to our neighbors because it’s too much for us to eat. And finally, the second papaya tree has some fruits to show; we harvested several fruits last week. The first papaya tree is still settling down after being cut down in size.
Now, if only we have some chickens to have fresh eggs to complete our little farm! Hahaha.
The lockdown this time is endless! So much so, we have decided to do sustainable things, like recycling used items and growing our food. Besides having hobbies to keep busy, we have embarked on a new gardening project to complement our baking and cooking endeavors.
The pandan leaves, chili, and curry leaves are not sufficient to make a meal, for they only complement the flavors. Only the bean sprouts can make a meal or two. The new papaya tree has just started fruiting, while the pineapple patch still has a long way to go. So we decided to grow some vegetables that can make a meal.
Recent harvest of chili and papaya
The planter boxes, seeds, and garden soil were purchased, and we started a mini nursery to get started. A few days later, the okra sprouted. How exciting! Eight out of the nine seeds made it. The next thing we have to do is ensure enough nutrients and sunlight, and proper care to deter the snails from coming at them. So far, it is rather rewarding to see some results.
The latest gardening project
The other seedlings are taking slower to sprout. We will have to monitor to ensure success with them. And when that happens, the sense of reward will be even greater. I can’t wait!
After the recent pineapple theft right before our eyes by the garden squirrel, hubby took no chances with the latest pineapple as it is almost ripe and ready. He had put a wire mesh around the fruit as it grew to protect it from the squirrels. Of late, squirrels have been visiting us.
Last week, hubby set out a cage trap intended for a suspected rat intruder in the wet kitchen area, but a silly young squirrel fell for it instead. It wasn’t a big-sized squirrel, nor was it the scalded squirrel. He let it go because the furry critter did look rather cute but not our intention to trap it. Then several days later, two squirrels was simultaneously trapped! Two, I thought it was quite a feat.
I suspect the critters are coming around because there are fruits in the kitchen, and they can smell the enticing fragrance of ripe fruits. Thankfully, we are one step ahead of them this time, and our fruits are not compromised.
But with the whiff of the ripe fruits, we have to be careful, and since the current pineapple is almost ready, hubby decided to harvest it. I think it should be two or three days before we can savor this fruit of his labor.
And yesterday morning, the scalded squirrel had a brief encounter with me. It contemplated coming inside the house as we left the terrace door wide open. We had a short staring moment, and I won as I got up, causing it to scurry off.
Again out of pity, hubby left a piece of bread for the poor squirrel. I hope the birds will not eat it and continue pecking at their provided bird seeds. The things we do for our garden visitors.
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