Beaten by Jack

Earlier this year, I shared my goal of overwintering my capsicums and jalapeño chilli's to see how well they would carry through the colder months. My husband and I had been working on a creative solution—a portable hothouse built from repurposed materials. We salvaged four large glass panels from our old solar hot water system (which gave up the ghost about seven years ago) and planned to frame these up as the sides of the structure, with shade cloth covering the top.

We were halfway through this project when Jack Frost made an uninvited appearance, bringing with him a brutal cold snap and sub-zero overnight temperatures. Unfortunately, I was away for work and unable to cover the plants. The frost hit hard. My banana tree suffered significant burn damage—though I’m hopeful it will bounce back—but the capsicums and chilli's didn’t fare as well.

Despite the setback, nothing will go to waste. I harvested all the remaining fruit. Many of the jalapeños will be gifted to a friend to make delicious Cowboy Candy, while I’ll be turning the rest into a spicy jalapeño sauce. The few ripened ones will join my stash of frozen red Scorpion chilli's, destined for a batch of Sweet Chilli Sauce.

The capsicums will be shared with family, and the extras are been dried for green capsicum powder or frozen for hearty winter cooking. I managed to fill my dehydrator's four layers with sliced capsicum, with one bag left to freeze. The drying process will take about 24-30 hours before I can begin processing them.

Gardening is always a dance with Mother Nature. Sometimes she leads, sometimes she surprises us with a spin. My intentions were good, but time wasn’t on my side this round.

I’ll replant later in the year, with renewed hope for a bountiful crop to preserve and share. Until then, I’ll take this as another lesson in patience, preparation, and the unpredictability of growing your own food.

On a positive note the cauliflowers, cabbages and broccoli did not miss a beat during the frosty weather and are continuing to grow in leaps and bounds.

Keep Warm and Happy gardening.