Thanks! My parents were both young adults during the Depression and I grew up on a small farm in Georgia. Their teachings guide me to this very day. I learned to can veggies from watching my mother as a child. In fact, I still use her Sears and Roebuck "Maid of Honor" pressure canner from time to time for smaller, lower pressure runs. It was built in 1949. I have a larger, newer canner that I bought a couple of years ago that I use for larger runs, though. I also have a 6 quart pressure cooker that I use at least once a week. I can make a "fall off the bone" tender pot roast in about 45 minutes with it. If you didn't know you'd swear it cooked all day. Pressure cookers are sort of a lost art anymore, but they are a great way to cook fantastic meals in a fraction of the time of conventional cooking without losing vitamin content.
These folks http://www.pressurecooker-outlet.com/ have an excellent selection of both pressure canners and pressure cookers.
My newest canner is an "All American" brand and I cannot speak highly enough about the superb quality. My cooker is a "Chef's Design" and it's quality is also top notch.
I built my greenhouse from a kit, purchased from these guys:
http://www.farmtek.com/farm/supplies/prod1;ft1_greenhouses_accessories_2-ft1_professional_greenhouses;BackyardPro.html
I got it going early last fall. It's 12'x24', aluminum framed with polycarbonate coreplast panels. It even has a UV coating so I don't have to worry about being fried by the Sun when I'm working inside. A bit more than I really wanted to spend, but it's sturdy and should last for many years. I'm already wishing I had double the space, though. I've been planting fruit and nut trees, berry bushes, and grape vines for about the past five years, a little more every year. In fact, I'm submitting this year's order to a nearby nursery this morning. This year's effort includes six new grape vines (scupponong and Thompson seedless varieties), six peach trees, four pear trees and six apple trees, along with some blueberries, raspberries and blackberries.
Great thread you have going here. Lots of great info! I'm happy to be a small part of it.
Fantastic, a greenhouse gives one back so much pleasure, it is like taking a trip to a far island and being all alone.
I am glad you like the threads.
I didn’t trim my Thompson Seedless grapes and let them grow to about 30 or 40 foot, stung a support about 2 foot down from the ceiling of the greenhouse, it worked, they broke the sun in the summer and the leaves dropped in time to let the winter sun in.
I do not think we lost any in the sizes, they were normal and I had to use my laundry basket when it was time to pick them.
Everything grows better in the greenhouse, LOL, if one goes to the effort to help them be pollinated, using a paint brush.
I don’t remember when I started using a pressure cooker, maybe 50 years ago, I agree they are wonderful for quick cooking or any tasty meal.
They will also save a lot of the cost of the regular cooking stoves, with the low fire they require to do their job.