We get one chilly day, and I'm convinced that winter is here. But then the next day turns bright & sunny, and while it's definitely Autumnal, it's not yet time to start worrying about the winter squash or the pumpkins.

Lettuce, sown in early August, is still growing. The Daikon (aka Mooli) are thriving. And the potato tops haven't died back yet, so I carry on weeding and nurturing, harvesting and eating.

Until I learn the art of preserving, my freezer is the repository for the excess goodies produced at this time of the year.

While my attempts to grow French beans were foiled but the slugs & snails, my runner beas were a spectacular success. The pods were harvestable towards the end of July, and they have produced in vast quantities until early September.

So all through August, at least weekly. I headed out into the garden, and stripped off all the beans that were ready, topped & tailed, and cut into largish pieces. Quick blanched them in boiling water, quick chill, drain well, into plastic bags and into the freezer. Don’t think that Captain Birdseye can do it much quicker.

Winter dinners will include these bags of beans – as a side to some teryaki chicken – maybe sprinkled with Sesame seeds. I won’t cook them much – as far as I’m concerned, they tasted pretty good after the blanching.
I’ll probably try them in stir frys too – they’re excellent fresh in the wok, but I’m not sure how the will be frozen.

Between my many freezer bags of runner bean & grated courgettes, I think that I can last until the growing season starts next year.