Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Canning Canning Canning



I've been doing a lot of canning this week and want to give you this posting from the National Center for Home Food preservation.  It has the questions people often ask.

http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/questions/FAQ_canning.html#4

Here is there home page   http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/index.html

Don't make the mistake of using old recipes, good as they may have been they can endanger your family and friends who eat what you can.  Tomatoes are hybrid to the point they have little acid in them at all and so must be treated like a veggie.  Sugar is for taste and so is salt, aspirin is a no no!...YOU CAN USE lite syrups to the point now anyone should be pleased.

 I like to start those who are beginning canners on fruits.  You can learn proper methods for preparing & water bath use.  It's hard to make a mistake and if a jar doesn't seal it is worry free to reseal unlike veggies where I use caution to excess.  

If you have questions call me I'm happy to help you out.  I read a sign at McClendons in Woodinville saying they will test your gauges on pressure canners...wise thing to do..

Well out to the garden to see if there are enough beets for spiced beets!  Salsa is done, hot peppers, pepper rings done, pears tomorrow and apples after that.  I'm holding off on the kale for a few more chilly nights.


Friday, September 16, 2011

Last meeting of the season this morning

I hope to see a lot of you at todays end of season meeting.  I hear there will be food from
your gardens and we will talk about what we all learned and what we need to do to enjoy the fall season. There were questions about garlic and we will cover that also.

I thought summer might last forever now that it was finally here but I see the vine maples etc are changing color and that signals colder nights.  Looks like our gardening time is changing, I'll cover what you can do at this point in todays meeting.  I have a nice handout on fall and winter vegetables and I made a special pudding to share with you all. 

See you at 10:00 please drop in if you can....

Saturday, September 3, 2011

If you wondered about light and growth read this!

http://overheadbin.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/09/03/7589725-126-pound-cabbage-just-misses-world-record-mark

One look at what can grow in lots of sunlight and warmth 
makes me weep!

Remember it doesn't get warmer in Alaska than it does here,
yet what makes that "growing" magic?  
Yes all that light. 

Anyone want to move north?