A new journey into homesteading "pic heavy"

[baymule]

That is an awesome pile of wood chips! Isn't is funny the things that make us so happy?

 

[Chic Rustler]

Yeah...i guess so. Most see it as garbage. We see it as a means to get food. I wish I had 10 more piles!

 

[sumi]

One man's trash is another's treasure. SO true for people like us

Did you got enough rain now? lol I'll bet that was lovely after the heat. I remember when I lived in South Africa, when it rained after a heatwave, we sometimes went out and stood in it. Just enjoying the cold and wet and the smell of it.

 

[Chic Rustler]

So tired of rain. I'm ready for 100°f and dry.

 

[Chic Rustler]

Tonight in homestead news, we lost a bunny. He got out this morning and the dogs got him. I started to beat the dogs, but my great Pyrenees ate it bones and all. Just as long as nothing goes to waste..

We got another butt load of cucumbers today so the wife is going to try and make bread and butter pickles. Hope they turn out well. We still haven't tried the plain dill yet.


The corn still isn't ready and the tomatoes haven't gotten ripe yet. I'm wondering if this stuff is going to be done in time to plant for fall. I hear 2nd week in August is best but mid Sept will work too. From the looks of things we may not be done harvesting yet.

 

[Chic Rustler]

Ellie Mae made these up tonight. I can't wait to eat some. Wish they didn't have to cure so long

 

[baymule]

A hint for canning tomato sauce; Quarter and cut the core out, along with any bruises or bad spots. Drop in gallon bags and freeze them. Freezing bursts the cell walls and when they thaw, the water releases. I take them out of the freezer, remove the baggie and drop in a big pot on low heat. As the water thaws, I pour it off. I save the "tomato water" and can it too, then use it for cooking water for beans and such. Yesterday I canned tomato sauce with 4 bags of tomatoes and poured off a gallon of water. I strained the tomatoes, gave the skins and seeds to the chickens and wound up with 5 pints of nice, thick sauce. After straining, I simmered the sauce a little more. It sure beats the heck out of standing over a stove all day, stirring tomatoes to boil the water out and thicken the sauce.


I use an old strainer and several years ago, I got to thinking about this old strainer and the history behind it. I got it out of a house I rented when I was 20 years old.....loooooong time ago. The house belonged to an elderly lady whose family had to place her in a nursing home and none of them wanted the old strainer. I was delighted to have it and made many jars of jelly and canned tomatoes using the strainer. Curious, I looked them up on ebay. You can find "vintage aluminum colander juicer strainer wooden masher pestle" for $15 to $30 dollars. I couldn't believe they are so cheap, I wouldn't take anything for mine. But I guess in today's electronic push-button, whirrrrrrr-it's-done, kitchen gadget world, nobody wants to use a manual kitchen gadget. Yes, I have electronic gadgets and I love them dearly, but sometimes it is just as nice to get out the old strainer and wooden pestle and mash some tomatoes or berries.

 

[lcertuche]

I love having a strainer. The kiddos (4 boys remember) tore my old aluminum one up so I cheaped out and bought a plastic one. It was so flimsy and small. This year I got a big stainless steel one and threatened the Wildbunch's lives if this one got tore up.

 

[Chic Rustler]

Had a great day of harvest today. Lots of corn, okra, and cucumbers. Still don't have any ripe tomatoes yet.

We found some odd growth on some of the corn. I hear it's a fungus. I guess it's from all the rain. But it was only on 5 or 6 ears. We still have many more that are not ready to pick yet. Hoping for dry weather

 

[Chic Rustler]