Thursday, May 20, 2010

Hakureis and Hygiene

Today we harvested turnips and radishes for weekend markets and store deliveries.  There's a sort of science to radish and turnip harvesting.  On French Breakfast radishes you have to squeeze the end of each one to check for pith, a spongy texture indicating the radish has dried out and isn't marketable.  On Easter Egg, Pink Beauty, and Red radishes each one has to be checked for bolt - when the stems are conjoined at the base of the plant - which indicates the plants were overheated at one point, leaving the vegetable with a tougher skin and woodier texture.  Similarly, while bundling and harvesting vegetables, some I find are enormous and can't go to market due to their abnormal size.  Though these traits don't always often affect the flavor of the produce on the farm, people tend to buy more uniformly-sized and textured vegetables at markets.  It seems like somewhat of a waste to me to not sell oddly shaped produce but it works out in the end -- I get to take all of the misfit vegetables I want!

Perfecting bunch-size on Hakurei turnips

 Hakurei turnip slug

 Turnip bundles ready for washing

 Rinsing for market

The cleaned product

 Hail on Hakureis!

The weather has been crazy today.  Last night we had 55 MPH winds (I got to pitch my tent in the barn), this morning it was sunny for a bit, at lunch we had a torrential downpour, and after harvest it started hailing like mad.



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In other news, I haven't used hair conditioner in two weeks, my face is covered in grime, I shower every three days, I have a semi-permanent layer of dirt under my fingernails, and my cuticles have gone to hell.  I'm not a high-maintenance kind of person - I brush my hair every other day at most and the last (and only) time I got a manicure was in the eighth grade - but my nonchalance has reached new heights.  I kind of like it.  Except for the cuticles.  Even I'll admit those are a little gnarly.
Worse in person.  Click to enlarge and zoom in for the full effect.

4 comments:

  1. Who wouldn't want to buy a ridiculously large radish?! Also, we're getting you a manicure when you get back.

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  2. They taste is slightly more spicy in larger ones, but they look impressive!

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  3. ahh! seeing all of your washington pictures really makes me miss being up there :[
    It's so pretty! it sounds like you're really enjoying it -- even if your hands are in a less than presentable state. I'm a little behind on your blog, but I'm catching up!

    p.s. - that cat is SO cute! even if it does bring you rats...

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  4. I'm enjoying it but I miss HTH!
    I'm going into Bellingham on Sunday and I'll take pictures. You had family who used to live there, right?

    Thanks for reading :)

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