Popcorn Seedlings Up!

As a self-confessed vegetable geek, my excitement (and little dance) at the sight of my popcorn seedlings will be most understandable. Popcorn is easily one of my favorite foods. It's also a little bit difficult to get here in Japan. I don't believe in microwave popcorn - too much other stuff in there plus the assorted health issues even with the organic types - to the same degree that I believe the air popper a prime example of human folly.

I've grown my own at home in Michigan, and loved it. Our last year there I grew three different varieties - an heirloom from Project Grow, a strawberry cob from Seed Savers Exchange, and Tom Thumb from Johnny's - which blended beautifully on the cob. This year I'm growing Dakota Black Popcorn from Seeds of Change, which should produce lovely dark kernels. As always, fingers crossed that all goes well...

Comments

Anjuli said…

So you will grow your own corn and then pop it - that is wonderful!

May 22, 2010 at 4:06 PM

Joan Lambert Bailey said…

I'm so excited about this...if it works. Fingers are crossed for the growing season to go well! I'll keep you posted.

May 23, 2010 at 9:18 AM

Sue Dickman said…

That's fabulous! I love popcorn too, but have never thought to grow it. My boyfriend (a former farmer) grew regular corn for awhile (both as a farmer and a gardener), and I loved it, but eventually it got eaten by some combination of raccoons, skunks and a bear, and that was a bit discouraging. I'm very curious to hear how this turns out. Keep us posted.

May 23, 2010 at 10:09 AM

Joan Lambert Bailey said…

Hi Sue, Will do! The first year I grew popcorn the majority was taken by raccoons. In the years after, I kept a closer eye on things and have had good luck. No bears (yet) in our part of Michigan or roaming Tokyo, for that matter. My only concern here is the drying process. It's going to be ready to harvest during typhoon season or just after. This will be the biggest challenge, easily. Think good thoughts!

May 24, 2010 at 9:27 AM

Finding Heirloom Seeds in Japan

Drying pods of heirloom Hutterite Soup Beans. Since moving to Japan eight years ago, one of my greatest challenges as a farmer-gardener has been to find heirloom or open-pollinated seeds. The majority of seeds available are not GMO (genetically modified organisms) as Japan, at this point, doesn't accept this material. Most seeds, though, are nearly all F1 varieties. Heirloom and F1 Varieties In plant breeding, F1 is the name given to the first generation of a cross between two true breeding parents. For example, if I decide to cross an Amish Paste Tomato with another heirloom variety tomato such as Emmy, in hopes of getting a gold paste tomato, the resulting generation of fruit is F1. In order to get that tomato of my culinary dreams, I'll need to choose members of that first generation that are headed in a direction I like - early ripening, medium-sized fruit, good taste - and save their seeds. I'll plant them and repeat the process again and again over time unti

Kamakura Farmers Market: Giant Buddhas and Good Vegetables

Kamakura Farmers Market entrance A little more than an hour train ride south of Tokyo sits Kamakura. Like Kyoto and Nara, Kamakura is a former capital full to the brim with temples, shrines, and a bounty of historical sites lining its winding streets. Nestled in a cozy bay with beaches and a giant Buddha tucked amongst the rest, it's a city that invites multiple visits if not at least one. And those seeking a farmers market well-stocked with traditional vegetables, skilled growers ready to share recipes and chat about their wares, along with some nifty prepared foods to rejuvenate themselves after so many temples surely won't be disappointed, either. Kamakura Farmers Market - right side full of signs Started nearly twenty years ago, the Kamakura Farmers Market or Kamakurasui Nyogyou Rensokubaijo, runs seven days a week nearly year-round. A ten-minute walk from the station, the market is located in what at first glance looks like nothing so much as a run-down w

Satoimo: One of Japan's Favorite Slimy Things

Satoimo in all their hairy glory. This post first appeared in slightly different form on Garden to Table as part of the 2012 Blogathon . The website has since moved on to the ether, but the post is still a good one. After all, people here are still eating satoimo on a daily basis, and many others are just seeing these little potato-like objects for the first time. Enjoy! Satoimo is one of Japan's odder vegetables. Under it's rough, slightly furry skin is white flesh that is a little bit slimy even raw, and with a gentle nutty flavor.* Baked, grilled, steamed with dashi, or deep-fried satoimo stands well on its own or paired up with other vegetables and meats in a wide variety of soups and stews . (The leaves are also edible.) Satoimo stores well, and like any root crop worth the effort, stocks are just running low on this household favorite as the farmers in my area of Tokyo get ready to put a new crop in the ground in May. I cannot say I was a fan of this l

Japan Farmers Markets

Search This Blog