Weekly Gardening Thread – 2011 (Vol. 33) August 26

Free Republic | 8-26-2011 | Red_Devil 232

[Red_Devil 232]

Yep! I did kinda hijack my own thread didn't I?

And your salsa and my beer are a thousand miles apart and about 12 or so weeks apart also. I do hate waiting but it must be done! I am on a mission. LOL

[pyx]

You do know you can’t say you have a recipe - on this thread - and not post it !

I clipped and pasted my reply from a previous thread ! LOL :)

I use a Mirro 22 quart pressure cooker for the following. 15 pounds of cold water washed pork ribs cut into racks about one foot long. Cut off excess fat on the ribs and leave no more than about 15 percent fat on the ribs.

Sprinkle three or four teaspoons of course sea salt on both sides of the rib racks and rub it into the meat with your hands. Sprinkle four or five teaspoons of ground black pepper on the rib racks and rub it in with your hands. Sprinkle one heaping teaspoon of dry chilli pepper seeds over all of the racks of ribs on the meat side. Don't rub the chilli seeds in with your bare hands, wear clean rubber gloves ! The raw seeds burn like no tomorrow !

Pour in one and a half quarts of water in the bottom of the pressure cooker and place the bottom metal rack in the pressure cooker. Stack ribs on the bottom metal rack (off the water). Break up three whole star anise into segments and place them all over the stacked racks of meat.

Carefully seal and cover the pressure cooker. Vent steam for about three full minutes at high heat. The handle safety locks should be fully engaged. Put 10 lbs weight on the steam vent and cook for 18 to 19 minutes from first weight giggle. Reduce heat slowly down to medium low (about four and a half on an electric stove). When the timer for 18 minutes is up, turn off all heat on the burner and let the pressure cooker naturally cool down by itself.

Lift off pressure cooker lid so that the inside of the lid is facing away from you. Scoop rib racks into a large porcelian bowl or two. The rib meat will almost fall off the rib bones.

Thoroughly enjoyable.

[who knows what evil?]

Speaking of trying something new...just cleaned my first batch of tomato seeds with Oxi-Clean...enables you to side-step the multi-day fermentation process. Works like a charm...from tomato to seed drying tray in less than an hour...just saved a huge batch of Marianna’s Peace seeds (an AWESOME tomato if you have never grown one before)...it worked like a charm...Oxi-Clean took care of the gel in no time flat.

[Red_Devil 232]

Thanks! Oh I did take your advice about cooling down my wort. Got it down, over night, to 22C by taping a couple of those blue freeze packs to the outside.

[Red_Devil 232]

Whoa! That is indeed interesting! How much Oxi-Clean did you use?

[Bigg Red]

Excellent! Best of luck with your brewing.

[pyx]

Oh I did take your advice about cooling down my wort. Got it down, over night, to 22C by taping a couple of those blue freeze packs to the outside.

Cool ! ... err ... good stuff ! LOL

[Red_Devil 232]

Hey Thanks for the offer but the bottles come with twist on caps and are reusable.

[who knows what evil?]

Whoa! That is indeed interesting! How much Oxi-Clean did you use?

Just a tablespoon, as per instructions...here's the link.

A number of people that save tomato seed swear by it...a real room and time saver; no question. My seeds went into the Oxi-Clean solution at noon, and they were in the sun drying on their tray by one. All the pulp and gel virtually cleaned out in 45 minutes...

[Ladysforest]

My husband can maintain his weight....if he’s only drinking store-brought beer. When he really got heavy into brewing, well, the effects were noticeable. From space. (just kidding!)

On to gardening stuff: I have my first batch of sweet pickle relish in the hot water bath now. I didn’t jar it up in the 36 hours recommended, but went an extra day. I don’t think it should be a problem as the juice is straight vinegar and sugar. OK-I HOPE it won’t be a problem.

[Red_Devil 232]

Thanks for the link. This is great info and a technique all of us tomato seed savers can use! I think it might be a good lead to use in this weeks up coming thread so everyone will be exposed to it!

[Aliska]

Congrats, looks like fun for you. Come to think of it, my dad used to brew some for a few years. I can't stand the taste of beer lol. But I need a can for these stubborn fruit flies I can't get rid of.

Really that is a nice setup, and I can see why you'd be so enthused about it. Hope you get agood first batch.

[Red_Devil 232]

It is amazing how those fruit flies just show up out of the blue and head straight for my glass of beer! Hate them!

[Red_Devil 232]

My wife can’t stand the taste of beer either! Yippee, it is all mine, mine! She may have one of those frozen strawberry daiquiri drinks at a restaurant now and then, that is about it!

[tubebender]

Wife and I are faced with removing EVERYTHING from our great room and kitchen so the hardwood floors and drain board can be refinished. My brain freezes just thinking about it...

[tubebender]

Or you could visit old man Bender and he would take you Here

[greeneyes]

Leftover Wine? LOL. What’s that? I never have leftover wine.

[Red_Devil 232]

Would not mind that visit at all. Do they have a couch I could nap on afterwards?

[GatorGirl]

Hmmmm...

You’re right. That doesn’t happen too often around here, either.

Perhaps I didn’t think that through.

[who knows what evil?]

Agreed...I was just going to remind myself to post that seed-saving link at the beginning of Friday’s thread for maximum exposure...if you happen to beat me to it, go for it!