Posted on 08/23/2013 1:53:26 PM PDT by greeneyes
The Weekly Gardening Thread is a weekly gathering of folks that love soil, seeds and plants of all kinds. From complete newbies that are looking to start that first potted plant, to gardeners with some acreage, to Master Gardener level and beyond, we would love to hear from you.
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/johnny
IIRC, you were on that thread the other day where an unnamed freeper was being really obnoxious about a tomato canning question.
I don't think that person posts on the gardening threads, though.
Even though it's too hot, and the moon is in the wrong phase, I planted cabbage, broccoli, and brussel sprouts today..Oh, and now that the nights here are cooler, I have 7 tiny eggplants..
Notice I said nothing about boiling water bath..and Johnny says it sounds about right
BTW, my senile Mom found a jar of home canned pickles in the back of her pantry..probably about 9 years old..She ate them, and she didn't die, but I bet they tasted awful.. They weren't cloudy or anything, though. Yuck..
Oh, come on, are you telling me I have to learn the freaking phases of the moon to plant something? Maybe my Father always had that Farmers Almanac for a reason, maybe?
Really, do I have to deal with moon phases? Why haven't you experts told me about this already? Really, moon phases? Tell me what I need to know, sockmonkey, at least you mentioned it - a medal for you.
Here’s an easy to print out calendar which has what to plant, when to destroy weeds, etc
http://www.fanicknursery.com/Downloads/CalendarCurrent.pdf
I just try to plant by the moon’s phases as I need all the help I can get in the garden..
Thanks so much, I printed it.
Some people swear by moon phases, and others ignore them with out complaint.
LOL. One glass of wine makes me sleepy. Trouble is I sleep for 3 hours only, then wake up and can’t go back to sleep, not even drinking some more wine.
It also raise my blood pressure to drink alcohol, I don’t usually. About once a month I go to the local Mexican Restaurant and have a margarita and nachos.
Holidays, I will also drink a glass of wine with my family while we eat and visit.
so true, I know some folks who really do seem to have a green thumb, and their gardening projects are the envy of all.
My Grandparents were some of those..but one thing they did do, was set eggs for hatching, plant crops, destroy weeds, etc by the "Farmer's Almanac".
Since I don't have a green thumb like them, I try to at least use the Farmer's Almanac, or the Cheaper free Fanick's Printout in my usually substandard efforts.
I suspect one big difference is they had red sandy loam, and I have clay soil..hmm, they also had a big field, and a tractor..
Well, there are different reasons for each of those items, and it depends on the recipes and final processing.
If you have run your jars through a dishwashing/sanitizing cycle, then you probably don’t have to sterilize the jars before canning.
Some differences have to do with raw pack vs hot pack methods. I can’t even begin to remember the reasons for the different instructions.
You can’t go wrong if you buy the Ball Blue Book of canning and preserving, and following their directions.
Some recipes on the web are just things that have been passed down from generation to generation, and might not be the safest thing, even though it will usually be an ok way.
Yes, grape leaves can help. Salt helps draw the water out. Calcium Chloride can help crisp your pickles. Ball sells it as pickle crisp, I got mine at Walmart. Chilling in the refrigerator and doing a fast processing is also supposed to help with crispness.
A recipe with adequate vinegar, and processing for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath canner, is probably good enough to insure bacterial agents etc. are killed.
Sterilizing the jars is additional safety measure. Botulism can be an issue in an oxygen free environment such as when home canning. This can be in the soil. It will grow in the vaccum created by processing. The toxin produced is deadly.
Being cleaner than clean is the best way, especially with stuff that will be eaten straight from the jar. Buy the Ball book and rest easy.
I have a recipe for whole canned tomatoes from a British Cookbook. It calls for Calcium chloride, and says the tomatoes will be firm enough to slice when done via that recipe. I always wondered where to buy Calcium Chloride. Now I know..Walmart. Thx for that.
Well, I have got to pack for my trip and try to sleep. Will be out of touch for a while, probably till Wednesday night.
Good night, and God Bless. Stay safe.
I will say prayers every day until you are safe back home.
Buy Egypt Walking Onions at:
http://www.egyptianwalkingonion.com/photogalleryonionpatch.htm
They are delivering the onions now. Mine will arrive this week. They are expert walking onion growers. The answers to all your questions about them are on that website.
That brings me to how to can food. I watched my mother use a pressure cooker to can food. She had to do that in a hot kitchen (no air cond. in those days). I thought I'm never doing that.
I'm not sure what the difference is in a hot water bath and a pressure canner. Yesterday, I looked at the Ball website and there is the Blue Ball canning book which I will get ($6.95). They also have canning equipment there, the big water bath utensil and equipment like a lifter to get jars out of the canner without burning yourself and a tool that turns the lid to close it on a jar.
I could deal with a water bath way but I don't want to buy a big pressure canner.
What do you guys suggest? I am serious about this.
I just watched a demonstration film on the Ball website, and they are just using the big pot and boiling the jars with the food inside. That process is simple. Is that all there is to canning?
/johnny
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