Winter Greens

Here at Second Frost Farm, seeding for winter harvest begins as early as July and continues through early fall, allowing the plants to size up before daylight limits growth.  Through the coldest months of the year we rely on the soils thermal mass, as well as additional layers of cover, to retain heat from the sun inside the high tunnels.  However, undoubtedly throughout Maine’s long winter, these greens freeze and thaw many times.  Surviving this cold weather requires starches to turn to sugars, lowering the plants freezing temperature and sweetening their leaves.  While harvesting fresh greens when the rest of the farm is blanketed with snow is a huge treat, we find eating them to be an even bigger treat!

There are of course many challenges to producing fresh food year-round in Maine.  While each winter is unique and slightly unpredictable, one thing we can rely on is plant growth slowing to almost nothing during the darkest days of the year, and beginning again in early February when daylight peaks over 10 hours.

Sauerkrauts

Second Frost Farm cabbages get shredded up, tossed with other seasonally available farm ingredients, mixed with sea salt and lacto-fermented into an array of deliciously crunchy krauts! Some current favorites include:

Sauerkraut

Dilly Kraut

Ginger Carrot Kraut

Pickle Kraut

Golden Turmeric Kraut

Ruby Kraut

Hot Kraut