Harvesting Zucchinis and Jalapeños
July 28th, 2021
Though our last succession of patty pan squash didn’t last long thanks to the last push of rain, our zucchini just made its way back into season! We’re harvesting two different zucchini varieties: Dunja and Green Machine. Dunja yields a dark green zucchini while Green Machine is more of a medium green with light flecks. Just like many cucurbits, zucchini produce both male and female flowers on the same plant. Once pollen from the male flowers pollinates the females with a little help from our pollinators, the zucchini fruit begins to grow and swell until we harvest it at about 6-8 inches in length.
Our Armenian cucumbers are slowly but surely starting to fruit. Though they look and taste like a standard cucumber (Cucumis sativus), the Striped Armenian, Cucumis melo, is technically a melon! It has a curved shape and distinct dark and light green stripes. During the baby phase, these cucumbers have more of a fuzzy rather than prickly appearance making them easily distinguishable from most other cucumbers. We can’t wait for you to try this beautiful summer crop!
The first peppers of our jalapeño crop are starting to reach harvesting size. Generally, jalapeños can be harvested when they are between 3-5 inches in length. Did you know that capsaicin, the chemical that gives peppers their spice, is concentrated around the seeds and ribs of each pepper? If you prefer less heat, simply remove as much of the seeds and ribs as you want before using them in a recipe. Since we still have a lot of babies on our plants, they will be available in limited quantities at the farm stand for now so if you want some, make sure to get there early!
