Melons, Squash, and Apples Oh My

 

The apples above are the first harvest we have had of this size from our apple trees. We lost a few of our apples to damage from the birds and chip monks.  These are Haralson apples,  we also have a Fireside apple tree  but it did not produce this year.  We have had trouble with deer eating the trees so we put our trellis and arbor around the trees to protect them.  Our Haralson apples got a blue ribbon and our county fair this year.

 

Look at those melons.  The yellow ones are a Tweety Hybrid honey dew melon.  The little cantaloupe are called Li'l Sweet.  They grow small, just the right size for one or two people.

Below, Steve's hat became the perfect bowl to bring in green beans, a cucumber, yellow pear tomatoes, and a few early girl tomatoes.  

In the basket below are Patty Pan or Scallop squash, an Acorn squash, Vegetable Spaghetti squash, a Sugar baby water melon and a Desert King watermelon.  I also see an Acorn squash and another one of the Tweety Hybrid Melons.   If you have never tried Alfredo sauce on Vegetable Spaghetti, you will have to give it a try.  The patty pan squash are a summer squash.  They grow very similar to zucchini.  I have shredded the patty pan and put it in bread and cakes.  It is also very good hallowed out and filled with a stuffing.   My parents enjoy the patty pan shredded then mixed with eggs, onion, flour and your favorite spices, then fry the patties.    Our patty pan squash and sugar baby water melon also took blue ribbons at our county fair. 

Steve and I will be storing as much of the squash as we can in a cool dry area in out basement. The winter varieties have been know to last nearly to the fallowing spring. Acorn, Butternut, Hubbard, Butter cup and Vegetable Spaghetti squash are all winter varieties that store well.  Pumpkins will also last a long time stored in a cool dry area.   The summer varieties such as patty pan and zucchini won't keep for long, I will shred them up and freeze them.  Melons do not keep for a long period of time either, the cantaloupe and honey dew melons will freeze well. I am also going to do some research on recipes that can be made with the melons.