I’m too much of an Omnivore to enjoy an all-potato diet. And, yes. Potatoes ARE chock full of vitamins and minerals, but no butter? No sour cream? Nope! :)
They’re predicting 100 degrees today - thank goodness we have a stiff breeze, but the humidity is reallt, rEALLY high, too. Ugh!
So, I bit the bullet this morning and picked grapes. They. Are. Perfection! All bunches are nearly 100% ripe, top to bottom. They are ‘King of the North’ that I got decades ago from my FIL, and transplanted to my ‘old farm’ and now to my ‘new farm’ which is even OLDER than my ‘old farm,’ LOL!
Anyhow, I picked two HUGE baskets, and that was only from about a 2-foot square area! I have 16 FEET to go! Japanese Beetles were no problem this season - we were so dry that they couldn’t get up through the grass (they start as grubs, as do all beetles) and I’m hopping this knocks them back for a few generations to come.
Had about 8 earwigs (Eeew!) to deal with when rinsing the grapes, but they are easily dispatched down the drain. Losers!
So far I have juices over 2 gallons, and I am canning that in pints and quarts as Beau and I LOVE it. I don’t add any sugar, and this batch is as sweet as can be all on it’s own. Just a 100% PERFECT grape-growing season.
My steamer/juicer is this one, though not the same brand. I got it on sale, of course, so keep your eyes peeled for a bargain at the end of the season:
I wasn’t all that jazzed to tackle this, but that steamer/juicer makes quick work of it all. I plan on making apple juice this season, too - I’ll have a RIDICULOUS amount of apples come October.