IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER

They’d been hanging around way too long.  The last of the chosen. They were like the little children who were selected last in a game of tug-of-war. Are they going to be durable enough to withstand the heat and produce for the team?

As time passed, white sprouts began to appear and something had to be done with them. These woefully wrinkled, soft baking potatoes.

The white sprouts were potato “eyes”. Looking at their eyes through four eyes, they were no longer suitable as an edible vegetable. Old Mother Frugal decided to cube the potatoes and plant them in the garden.  Let’s see what happens!  At best, a crop of potatoes will be on the table for dinner.

[If you have read previous posts on this blog that would be the same garden that seems to feed the deer and the squirrels every summer].

Weeks passed before greenery popped up from the soil. Stalks eventually appeared with the green leaves.  Since potatoes grow beneath the soil, surprises awaited this frugal farmer.

A few lessons were learned from this frugal experiment. 

First, allow plenty of space for potatoes to grow.  Allow more time for potatoes to develop into larger potatoes.  Lastly, think twice before throwing food away. It may live to grow another day. 

A crop of a dozen small potatoes were harvested, cooked and served on Old Mother Frugal’s kitchen table this summer.  All from one potato with too many eyes.

Sound the Bugle!  When potatoes sprout, the starch in them converts into sugar. Research has suggested that if the main part of the potato is still firm, remove the sprout as it has most of its nutrients intact and can be eaten. However, if the potato is shrunken and wrinkled, it should not be eaten and consider planting it in your garden, sprouts facing upward!

                                              A CROWDED GARDEN

FIRST HARVEST