Posted on 03/23/2008 11:36:40 PM PDT by nw_arizona_granny
Americans finding soaring food prices hard to stomach can battle back by growing their own food. [Click image for a larger version] Dean Fosdick Dean Fosdick
Home vegetable gardens appear to be booming as a result of the twin movements to eat local and pinch pennies.
At the Southeastern Flower Show in Atlanta this winter, D. Landreth Seed Co. of New Freedom, Pa., sold three to four times more seed packets than last year, says Barb Melera, president. "This is the first time I've ever heard people say, 'I can grow this more cheaply than I can buy it in the supermarket.' That's a 180-degree turn from the norm."
Roger Doiron, a gardener and fresh-food advocate from Scarborough, Maine, said he turned $85 worth of seeds into more than six months of vegetables for his family of five.
A year later, he says, the family still had "several quarts of tomato sauce, bags of mixed vegetables and ice-cube trays of pesto in the freezer; 20 heads of garlic, a five-gallon crock of sauerkraut, more homegrown hot-pepper sauce than one family could comfortably eat in a year and three sorts of squash, which we make into soups, stews and bread."
[snipped]
She compares the current period of market uncertainty with that of the early- to mid-20th century when the concept of victory gardens became popular.
"A lot of companies during the world wars and the Great Depression era encouraged vegetable gardening as a way of addressing layoffs, reduced wages and such," she says. "Some companies, like U.S. Steel, made gardens available at the workplace. Railroads provided easements they'd rent to employees and others for gardening."
(Excerpt) Read more at dallasnews.com ...
Granola Peanut Butter Balls
2 tablespoons honey
4 tablespoons peanut butter
2 cups granola
2 to 4 tablespoons milk, or as needed
In a large bowl, mix together the honey and peanut butter. Using a
spatula, stir in the granola. Add enough milk to just moisten—you want it
to stick together. Form into balls. Chill until ready to serve.
California Roll Up
1 whole wheat flour tortilla
4 slices deli shaved turkey breast
1 slice mozzarella cheese
4 thin slices cucumber
4 slices avocado
alfalfa sprouts
Layer tortilla with turkey breast, cheese, cucumber and avocado slices,
and
a handful of sprouts. Roll it up and slice in half. Wrap tightly in
plastic
wrap. Perfect for school lunches.
Popcorn Cake
This recipe is great for parties, especially a child’s. The cake is
also great for holiday treats or office party. I made it for our block
party and it disappeared in 20 minutes.
14 cups popped popcorn
1 cup M&M candies OR chocolate chips
1 cup peanuts
1/2 cup stick margarine OR butter
1/2 cup peanut butter
5 cups miniature marshmallows
Line a 10 inch tube pan or other 12 cup pan with aluminum foil.
In a very large bowl, combine popcorn, M&M’s/chocolate chips and
peanuts and mix well.
In a medium sauce pan over low heat, melt margarine/butter. Stir in
peanut butter. Stir in marshmallows and continue stirring until
marshmallows melt and the mixture is smooth. Remove from the heat.
Stir marshmallow mixture into popcorn mixture until well coated.
Press mixture into prepared pan. Allow to cool completely before
removing and cutting into slices to serve.
Yield: one 10 inch tube pan.
Jenn B
Crockpot Cranapple Pork And Sweet Potatoes
1 cup applesauce
1 to 2 tablespoon brown sugar or honey
3 large sweet potatoes, sliced, about 4 or 5 cups sliced
2 to 2 1/2 pounds pork chops or cutlets
1 can whole cranberry sauce
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste
Pour the applesauce in a 3 1/2-quart or larger crock pot. Add the
sweet
potato slices, sprinkle or drizzle with brown sugar or honey, salt and
pepper
lightly; add pork. Lightly sprinkle pork with salt and pepper; spoon
cranberry
sauce over all. Cover and cook on LOW 7 to 9 hours.
Serves 6 to 8.
Maple Bread Pudding
Serves 4 to 6.
3/4 cup maple syrup
1 tsp. lemon juice
3 slices bread without crusts
2 eggs
2 cups milk
1 T. butter
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup nutmeats or raisins
1/4 tsp. vanilla
Pour maple syrup in top of double boiler. Butter each slice of bread
and
cube. Add to syrup. Add nuts or raisins and lemon juice. Beat together
eggs,
milk, salt and vanilla and pour over bread mixture. Do not stir. Set
over gently
boiling water. Cook 1 hour. This makes its own sauce. Spoon it over
each
serving.
[POSTED AS A SAMPLE OF THE THINKING BY OTHER AMERICANS.......granny]
Back in February here on a nice day in North Georgia,
I made my square foot garden space about 4 times
bigger than last year so that I could plant more food
items than ever. Anyone can see that garden, but if
need be I will put my big dog out there on a lead who
is VERY loud to get people away from it. If that
doesn’t work I’ll get TWO dogs!
In my home, I’ve been squirreling away foods from the
store for years now, from every type of sale and so
forth that I could — saying nothing, but people who
know me do realize that I use coupons for purchasing
items.
If things get worse, I can expect my oldest son to
return home, and perhaps two of my friends with at
least one teenager. Since I have no home owner’s
association, I’ve been debating trying to figure out
how to take my lawn out and put something edible out
there instead that can be used. As it stands, I don’t
weed and feed it anymore because I want dandelions out
there for greens and so forth.
I’m purchasing a solar oven and a dehydrator within
the next month. I purchased a cannner a couple of
months ago and will be learning how to use that too.
I was always a person who tried to save food, but now
I’m beyond that, I’m working as hard as I can to get
as much done as economically as possible.
[from a Yahoo Group]
The May 2008 Johnny’s Selected Seeds Update
from Rob Johnston Jr., Chairman
Please add Johnny’s Selected Seeds to your approved email list to
ensure
that our newsletters reach you.
Please visit our online newsletter if you have trouble viewing this
format.
Dear Home Gardener,
Please think of your counterparts in the Central Midwest -
still too
much rain for favorable spring planting.
The US temperature forecast for May is for below normal in the
Northwest, especially Washington (and Southern BC), and for above
normal in
the Southwest, especially central parts of Arizona and New Mexico.
The longer-range May through July forecast predicts a warmish
and
rather dry mid-spring through mid-summer. More specifically, above
normal
temperatures from the Rockies west, except for Washington and for
Oregon
west of the Cascades, for New York and New England, and for Central and
South Florida. Rainwise they predict that all sections will be in the
normal
range, except for below normal rain in the Northwest quadrant of the US
and
in South Texas.
NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center
International weather and crop highlights - this week
International - monthly summary
Johnny’s fast shipping reminder
Call us before 2:00 p.m. ET Monday through Friday and we’ll
ship the
day you call, as long as we have it in stock. We do not charge extra to
do
this.
Ask for prices for Overnight, 2-day, and 3-day UPS shipping
options.
Saturday orders have to wait until Monday to ship.
Inventory: The website is nearly up-to-the-hour, but calling is
more
reliable for in-stock status.
Spring plants availability
Berries & grapes. Call us with your order by May 7.
- Blueberries - sold out.
- Strawberries - Call us with your order by May 7.
- Seascape sold out (as is the Collection that includes
Seascape).
- Earliglow sold out.
- Honeoye, Jewel, Cabot - limited on large quantities -
call
- Sparkle - good supply.
- Raspberries - Call us with your order by May 7.
- Killarney, Caroline - limited on large quantities -
call.
- Polana - sold out.
- Other raspberries - good supply.
- Cranberries - still available. Sold through September.
- Grapes - all still available. Call us with your order by May
7.
Vegetable plants, roots.
- Asparagus - Jersey Supreme available - limited - call.
- Horseradish - still available Call us with your order by May
7.
- Onions, Leeks - sold out.
- Rhubarb - sold out.
- Potatoes - Sold out: Dark Red Norland Organic, Adirondack Red
Organic, Adirondack Red, Adirondack Blue, and Yukon Gold Organic. All
others
are presently in stock, but don’t wait longer than you have to.
- Shallot sets (Pikant) - sold out.
- Sweet potatoes - all varieties available; last day to order
is May
12.
Vegetable gardening like it’s the 1970’s again
1973 was a favorable time for me to start a seed company. The
back-to-the-land movement was well under way in the US late in 1973
when the
Arab Oil Embargo resulted in rapidly escalating gasoline prices and
shortages. Americans adopted a kind of vocational motivation to plant a
food-producing garden, a combination of cultural and economic security
interests. “Maybe I’m going to have to know how to do this someday.”
Coincidental with Reagan administration, the back-to-the-office
movement began about 1981 and was well established by 1982. A decline
in
home vegetable gardening began then, and it continued through the
1990s.
During the 2000s it hasn’t seemed to be declining, but it hasn’t been
growing either. Through those 2 ½ decades our business with commercial
growers grew to the lion’s share of our total. But then last year we
experienced a very small, but we thought real, turnaround in our home
garden
business, enough to make us think, Hey, maybe something is changing.
We had enough optimism from 2007 to plan for a modest growth in
HG
for 2008. Instead the HG volume so far this year has been substantially
above last year. Other seed companies are doing well, too. Vegetables
and
tools and equipment are the biggest movers, suggesting that this is
about
growing food. It’s also happening in Europe. I don’t know yet about
other
places.
Apologies if when you call, and Jackie has to put you on hold
because all salespeople are tied up. A number of our seasonal people on
the
phones are local commercial growers, and they’re having to go back to
their
farms for the season, but you and your fellow gardeners keep calling.
People have been asking me, How come? I think it’s a
convergence of
a number of things including a strong interest in more local supply of
food.
For as long as I know we have been set on making the world a smaller
place,
but now - and it’s a healing urge - many of us would rather make it
become a
bigger place again.
The increase in home vegetable gardening is being well
publicized
this spring, and normally the reason given is economic, like high
gasoline
prices and sticker shock at the supermarket. I think that these
economics
are a factor, but not the main factor. Home vegetable gardening was in
decline or was static in the US, and I think in the whole “first
world,”
throughout the 1980s and 1990s, and 2000s up through 2006. During those
25
years there were several bad periods economically, but there was no
vegetable gardening increase in response to any of them. I think that
the
main motivation is quality of life, and a regaining of meaningful
culture.
A small contest. In 500 words or less, where do you see this
increase in home vegetable gardening going? Why? If we find your answer
to
be the most helpful or enlightening of all that we receive by May 16,
we’ll
give you a credit for $200 that you can spend this year or next. Second
place $100. Third place $50. Email me. I’ll publish the winners next
month.
Thanks.
Did you happen to read Michael Pollan’s article about the
importance
of home vegetable gardening in the April 20 New York Times Magazine?
You can
read it here.
Sauerkraut follow-up
Last month I told you about how my sauerkraut at home wasn’t
pickling as fast as it should, and I asked for recommendations,
particularly
the amount of salt to use.
Snowed with replies, I’m amazed and pleased that so many of you
make
sauerkraut, either from cabbage that you grow or what you buy locally.
For temperature, most of you told me 68-72°F (20-22°C). Then
after
it pickles enough to become translucent and tastes right, move it to a
cool
place - get detailed U. of Wisconsin tips here.
Salt. The most suggested proportion in your recipes was for 3
Tablespoons of salt per each 5 pounds of cabbage. In metric, that’s
44.37 ml
salt per 2.27 kg cabbage. This ratio was supported by the U. of
Wisconsin
recommendations - I know, what would they know about cabbage in
Wisconsin? -
and by Sandor Katz in his beautiful book Wild Fermentation.
Some of you specified the amount of salt as a percentage by
weight
of the cabbage. I was surprised to find that the Salt Institute and
Sandor
Katz agree on how much fine grained salt weighs. With them agreeing, I
relaxed. The Salt Institute claims 72 pounds per cubic foot, which I
calculated as 9.625 ounces per cup, which I figure equals 1155 grams
per
liter. Sandor says 0.6 ounces per Tablespoon which equals 9.6 ounces
per cup
The point? 3 Tablespoons salt per 5 pounds cabbage = 1.8 ounces
/ 80
ounces = 2.25%, which means that you want 2.25% your weight of cabbage
in
salt. Somebody out there will want to point out that this means that
the
salt as a percentage of the total weight of the sauerkraut (assuming no
evaporation) = 1.8 / 81.8 = 2.2%.
Thank you if you wrote to me about sauerkraut, and if I haven’t
replied yet, I will soon. By the way, our kraut at home turned out fine
- we
had the jar in too cool a place at first.
Vegetable shorts
- Cabbage for sauerkraut. You can use any cabbage variety.
Traditionally people make sauerkraut in the fall, which suggests late
maturing varieties. Commercial growers supplying the kraut companies
prefer
varieties maturing late and making jumbo round heads. We don’t carry
any
varieties like that, but we’ve grown a number of them and we could
carry one
or more if there is enough call. If you want to plan now for fall
harvest
kraut cabbage, Storage No.4 is an easy recommendation. Another approach
would be to plant Farao late. And some of you told me that you make
kraut
with Tendersweet - it has extra-thin leaves, which I imagine makes
delicate
textured sauerkraut. Red cabbage makes pink kraut.
Your opinion, please
Topic: those red symbols that you see with variety descriptions
in
the catalog and on the website. Like the “J” logo that indicates Johnny
s-bred, a snowflake indicating cold-tolerance, a scissors for cut
flower, or
OG for organically grown. We use a dozen or so now. We could add new
symbols
for example hot weather tolerance, and maybe there are some that you
might
rather do without.
Do you find the symbols helpful? Any in particular that you
find
helpful or annoying? If you picture a variety description without them,
which do you prefer, with or without?
Email Alisa Keimel.
The home front
I record some of the signs of spring each year - the return of
kinds
of birds, when the pond ice thaws, when certain plants bloom, things
like
that. The only sign that I consider an indicator for planting is
dandelion
bloom, which I take to indicate the safe date for direct seeding corn.
If
you have confidence in your opinion about that, or any other indicator,
let
me know.
Progress report
— Spring ordering and service hours. Monday 8 a.m. - 8 p.m.
ET;
Tuesday - Friday 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. ET; Saturday 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. ET.
Telephone:
1-877-Johnnys (1-877-564-6697).
— Catalog store hours. Monday - Friday 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. ET;
Saturday 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. ET. Store telephone: 207-861-3999.
— Farm report. Long stretch of dry, warm weather in April was
very
favorable for field work and early plantings.
Coming up...
I’ll be updating you again in June. Thank you for your good
work.
Call us if we can help.
Be well,
Rob Johnston
Founder and Chairman
© Johnny’s Selected Seeds, 955 Benton Ave., Winslow, Maine 04901;
1-877-JOHNNYS (564-6697)
Johnny’s is proud to be an employee-owned company.
Native Inspired Spicy Peanuts
1/2 cup raw peanuts
1/8 tsp. chili powder
1/8 tsp. paprika
1/8 tsp. cayenne
Preheat oven to 300°F. Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Stir gently
until combined. Spread out on a cookie sheet and bake 5-10 mins
stirring
once, or until hot.
Maple Chipotle Barbecue Sauce
12 large chipotle chilies in adobo, stems discarded
1 1/4 cup ketchup
1 cup pure maple syrup
4 cup low sodium chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 large onion, minced
6 to 8 large garlic cloves, minced
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
In a blender, combine the chipotles with the ketchup, maple syrup, broth and
allspice and puree until smooth.
In a medium saucepan, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the onion and garlic
and cook over moderately high heat until golden, 5 minutes.
Add the chipotle puree. Season with salt and pepper. Cook over moderate heat
until thickened, about 15 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice.
Immediately ladle hot sauce into hot, sterilized half pint canning jars, leaving
1/4” headspace. Wipe jar rims and adjust lids.
Process the jars in a boiling water canner for 20 minutes (start timing when
water returns to boil). Remove jars from canner; cool on racks.
Makes: about 4 half pints
Submitted by: Darlene
Oriental Green Tomato Preserve
5 pounds of green tomatoes
2 cups of water
6 lemons
1 pound of sugar
Ginger root
Dissolve the sugar in the water and add the tomatoes, lemons, and ginger root cut
in thin slices. Also add any syrup from the ginger jar. Let simmer until the
tomatoes are shriveled.
Ladle into prepared jars leaving a 1/4” headspace. Process jars for 10 minutes in
a boiling water bath.
Keep 3 to 4 weeks before using.
Makes about 4 pints
Submitted by: Darlene
Make Your Mouth Water Conserve
2 lbs dried apricots cut into halves
1 lb dried figs chopped
5 cups boiling water
6 cups granulated sugar
1 can pineapple chunks (20 oz) drained
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 tsp grated orange peel
1/4 tsp grated lemon peel
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup golden yellow raisins
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Cut apricots into half. Chop figs. Combine apricots, figs and boiling water in a
stockpot and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove for heat,
cover, and let stand overnight so fruits can plump.
The next day, add remaining ingredients except nuts. Mash fruit with a potato
masher. Bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer for about 40 minutes until
mixture thickens. Remove from heat. Stir in the walnuts.
Ladle while hot into sterilized jars, leaving 1/4 inch head space. Cap and seal.
Process in a water bath canner for 15 minutes.
Yields 9 to 10 pints
Submitted by: Darlene
Kiwi Pineapple Preserves
60 ripe kiwis
5 lbs white sugar
3 cans pineapple chunks (6 lb 11 oz institutional size)
1 can crushed pineapple (6 lb 11 oz institutional size)
4 tablespoons black pepper
1 cup Clear Jel for canning
1 cup lemon or lime juice
Cut kiwi fruit in half and scoop out pulp with teaspoon. Put in large stockpot.
Drain three cans chunk pineapple. Add to stockpot. Add can of crushed pineapple
with juice. Add sugar and pepper. Add lemon or lime juice. Stir well.
Cover and bring to a boil on high heat. Once it comes to a boil, turn down heat
and simmer about 30 to 45 minutes until kiwi and pineapple are tender but not
mushy. Mix Clear Jel with 1 cup reserved pineapple juice. Add to stockpot and
stir well. Simmer another 8 minutes or until mixture thickens.
Meanwhile, sterilize 15 to 20 quart mason jars and lids and bands according to
manufacturer’s recommendations.
With slotted spoon fill each jar with fruit mixture packing down with plastic
knife to remove air pockets. Cover with hot brine within one inch of top
(headspace). Wipe rims with clean wet cloth and place sterilized lid on each
jar. Screw on sterilized band tightly.
Process in boiling water bath for 20 minutes (timer begins after water comes to
a rolling boil. Remove with jar tongs and place on kitchen counter with old
terry cloth towels (I use two old bath towels) to cushion them. Cool overnight.
Check seals. Wash jars in cool water. Dry and label them.
Yield: 15 to 20 quarts
NOTE: Sounds like a lot of jars but once you have tried them, they won’t last
long. Jars will look like a sunshine yellow mixture with little black specks.
Refrigerate a jar or two before use. Wonderful on bread, bagels, English muffins
or toast. Great as a side dish with barbecued ribs or chicken.
Submitted by: Darlene
Cherry Rum Preserves
4 lb dark sweet cherries
1 lb granulated sugar
3/4 C dark rum (spiced rum works well also)
Wash, stem and pit cherries. In heavy saucepan, combine cherries and sugar and
cook over low heat for 1 1/2 hours. Watch carefully and stir often to prevent
scorching.
Remove from heat, let cool 5 minutes then stir in the rum.
Pack cherries into prepared jars leaving a 1/4” headspace. Cover and seal. Process
in boiling water bath 5 minutes. Store in cool, dark place for 1 month before using.
Yield: 6 half pints
Submitted by: Darlene
Boysenberry, Cranberry and Pink Grapefruit Preserves
2 pink or ruby red grapefruit, halved
1 1/2 cups sugar
6 cups frozen unsweetened boysenberries (about 1 1/2 lb), unthawed
1 - 12 ounce bag fresh or frozen cranberries
Squeeze juice from grapefruit. Measure 1 cup juice, discarding seeds; place
juice in heavy large saucepan. Add sugar to juice. Mix in 4 cups boysenberries
and all the cranberries.
Spoon 2 cups boysenberries into medium bowl; let thaw at room temperature.
Let berry mixture stand until berries thaw and sugar dissolves, stirring
occasionally, about 1 hour.
Bring mixture to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium. Boil gently until
mixture thickens and liquid drops thickly off end of spoon, stirring often,
about 25 minutes.
Mix in 2 cups thawed boysenberries with any juices; bring to boil. Spoon
preserves into hot canning jar, filling only to 1/4 inch from top. Immediately
wipe rim, using towel dipped into hot water. Place lid on jar; seal tightly.
Repeat with remaining jars and preserves.
Place jars on rack in large pot. Add boiling water to pot so that at least 1
inch of water covers tops of jars. Cover pot; boil rapidly 15 minutes.
Remove jars. Cool completely. Press center of each lid. If lid stays down, jar
is sealed. (If lid pops up, store preserves in refrigerator.) Store in cool dry
place up to 1 year. Chill after opening.
Makes: 4 generous half pint jars
Submitted by: Darlene
Cherries Jubilee
2 lb cherries
1 1/2 c kirsch
1 1/2 c sugar
3 Tbsp lemon juice
Pit the fruit using a good cherry pitter. We recommend pitting cherries inside a
bowl to limit splattering and facilitate cleaning up. Place clean fruit directly
into sterilized canning jars.
Combine kirsch, lemon juice and sugar for pints or quarts in a pan, and then
heat slowly and simmer lightly until the sugar is completely dissolved. Pour hot
kirsch over fruit. Check for air bubbles and adjust for headspace if needed by
adding more syrup.
Can using cold pack method with 1/2” of headspace. Processing with a water bath
25 minutes for pints, or 30 minutes for quarts.
For elevations above 1,000 foot level adjust timing.
After processing, remove from boiling water and place the jars on a towel,
separated by 1” to cool naturally as quickly as possible.
Makes: 3 pints
NOTE: Cherries Jubilee is always a nice surprise for drop in guests. Simply open
it, bring it to a simmer, add and heat 1/2 brandy for pints and 1 cup for
quarts, and then flambée. Serve over ice cream or cake.
Submitted by: Darlene
Blueberries with Orange Liqueur and Lavender
1 c orange flavored liqueur
1 c water
1 c sugar
1 1/2 lb fresh blueberries
20 fresh lavender flower heads
Prepare jars, lids and boiling water bath. Combine the liqueur, water and sugar in
a pan and cook over medium high heat, stirring frequently, until sugar is
dissolved and mixture has come to boil. Remove from heat.
Pick over, wash and dry blueberries, then pack them in hot dry jars, placing 4
lavender flower heads in each jar. Leave 1/2 inch headspace. Pour hot liquid into
jars, just covering berries. Check for air bubbles and adjust headspace back to
1/2” if needed by adding more liquid. Wipe rims with clean towel and attach lids
securely.
Place jars in boiling water bath, and when water returns to full boil, process for
15 minutes.
Yield: 5 half pints
Submitted by: Darlene
Black Forest Cherries
2 lb cherries
3/4 c kirsch
3/4 c white crème de cacao
1 c sugar
3 Tbsp lemon juice
Pit the fruit using a good cherry pitter. We recommend pitting cherries inside a
bowl to limit splattering and facilitate cleaning up. Place clean fruit directly
into sterilized canning jars.
Combine kirsch, crème de cacao, lemon juice and sugar in a pot, and then heat
slowly and simmer lightly until the sugar is completely dissolved. Pour hot
syrup mixture over fruit. Check for air bubbles and adjust for headspace if
needed by adding more syrup.
Can using cold pack method with 1/2” of headspace. Processing with a water bath
25 minutes for pints, or 30 minutes for quarts.
For elevations above 1,000 foot level adjust timing.
After processing, remove from boiling water and place the jars on a towel,
separated by 1” to cool naturally as quickly as possible.
Makes: 3 pints
Submitted by: Darlene
Zesty Watermelon Jelly
6 C chopped watermelon, rind removed
1/2 C white balsamic vinegar, white wine or cider vinegar
4 Tbsp lemon juice
5 C sugar
1 stem lemongrass, chopped
2 pouches liquid pectin
In a large saucepan, crush watermelon with potato masher. Cover and heat gently
over medium high heat for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and crush thoroughly.
Transfer to a dampened jelly bag or a strainer lined with several layers of
dampened cheesecloth set over a bowl. Let drip, undisturbed for 2 hours. Measure
2 cups of juice. If you do not have 2 cups crush more watermelon or add up to
1/4 cup of unsweetened white grape juice.
Prepare jars, lids and bands.
Transfer watermelon juice to a clean large pot. Stir in vinegar, lemon juice,
sugar and lemongrass. Over high heat, stirring constantly bring to a full
rolling boil. Stir in pectin. Boil jar, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Remove
from heat and skim off foam.
Ladle into prepared jars leaving a 1/4” headspace. Process for 10 minutes in a
boiling water bath. Adjust time according to altitude.
Makes: 5 half pints
Submitted by: Darlene
Mesquite Bean Jelly
4 cups bean juice
1 package powdered pectin
4 cups sugar
Pick a handful of ripe mesquite beans. Wash them and put in a pot. Cover with
water.
Bring to a boil. Boil about 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool and strain through a clean
cloth.
Put 4 cups of juice in a clean pot. Add 1 package of powdered pectin and bring to
a boil. Boil for 1 minute. Add 4 cups of sugar, bring to a boil, boil 1 minute.
Pour in jars leaving a 1/4” headspace.
Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.
Submitted by: Darlene
Granny note:
Mesquites have a high food value and even cattle eat the leaves.
My friend Mary, had them on her farm, they kept a trough under one of the trees, in which they dumped old milk, sour milk, the
milk they could not keep sweet, with no electric.
The Mesquite leaves fell into it and and it composted into a rich almost black ash.
Which was then fed to the hogs and poultry.
I was lucky and she gave me the last bags she had stored, when she quit the cattle business, my animals loved it.
Did you know that a chicken could sing?
In Wellton, there are big canals, which grow moss and it must be cleaned from the canal.
We would bring it home by the trailer load and dump it where all the poultry could get to it.
They will scratch and sing, as they eat the bugs, greens and small shells and grow so well.
And one day you look out and the pile has vanished.
granny
Onion Steak Sauce
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
1 large clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup white vinegar
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp prepared mustard
Combine all ingredients in saucepan and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes or until
it reaches a good consistency, stirring occasionally. Cool slightly then blend
till smooth in a blender. Return to saucepan and bring to a gentle boil.
Ladle into prepared jars leaving a 1/4” headspace. Process in a boiling water bath
for 15 minutes.
Makes: 1 pint
Submitted by: Darlene
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