What did you grow or can this year?

Didn't this year...still trying to get the house in shape to sell, simply had neither the time, nor, frankly, the inclination to plant anything this year.

Isn't canning "fun"? I actually hate the process, but the results are always worth it. Though I've never tried canning bacon...that's a new one on me .

I like having shelves full of canned fruit, veggies, and various meats. My canned peaches are far, far superior to anything in stores. Get more for the money, too!!

But I fully intend to resume both canning and making jam and jelly when I'm relocated. Garden for sure, perhaps even a small orchard room permitting.

a reply to: chiefsmom

I had only put up 20 pints of Taco meat out of it.

Found something really great. I use Quorn veggie meat but otherwise it should be all the same.

I smoked jalapenos coated in oil without seeds, grind them to a paste I keep the past in the freezer in small chunks. Add a little to the taco meat, wow it is really really good!

a reply to: chiefsmom

Take life-long city slickers then relocate em in the country. This is us...lol.

Anyway, our garden soil doesn't look as healthy as it did last year. We have sandy soil here. The soil looks like it needs organics or something mixed in to be more of a dirt. Dirty-dirt...lol

Our neighbor own acres of land with cattle and wonder if I should go get a trailer load of poop and mix it in now for next season?

originally posted by: chiefsmom
a reply to: Justoneman

Yeah, I had a few mishaps with my dang chickens. I really wanted to put just my ducks in the garden this year, but couldn't get them to go through the gate, without several chickens getting in, so I gave up. I had some monster tomato worms that made them very happen when I found them.
Gross!

I love to grow tomatoes, last year the tomato worms were horrible. I think my neighbors thought I was crazy because at night I would use a black light to find those darn worms- the stripes on them glow under the black light making it easier to find than their camouflage greenness during the day. My garden is resting this year, probably a good thing. We have had bought s of extreme heat mixed with a bunch of rain.I wish I knew more about canning.

a reply to: CADpro

I would start with half a load? And definately add some black dirt if you can find some, maybe your neighbor?

But yeah, over wintering is a good time to add it. I use the chicken poop, that I pile up over the summer when cleaning the coop. Unless the stupid chickens get to it and spread it to heck and back!

a reply to: seagull

So far, Bacon is the easiest meat to can! thaw it, lay it on parchment paper, fold in half, roll up and put into wide mouth quarts.

One thing I learned though, is that when you cook it (just a minute or two to crisp), you have to add some of the grease from the bottom of the jar, or it loses some of the Bacon taste.
And you don't want that!

a reply to: Onlyyouknow

Hey!
Thank you. I did not know about the black light!

Well, I suggest the ball blue book. I live by that book, and mine is falling apart. But if you ever want to just chat about it, or have a question, you can PM me!

We Just had to replant all our fruit trees ... Last year hurricane Irma killed them all ( salt water ) and washed some away ...plus washed away all the dirt we trucked in ....we pretty much lost the whole yard except for the coconut Palm trees.... So this year we have planted again and have 3 types of lime ( Persian , key lime , limequat).... Orange tree... Grapefruit tree...2 banana trees ...olive tree ...and a variegated pink lemon tree ( my favorite ).... The key lime is the only one that has fruited so far ...I also have herbs growing ... Basil , oregano , scallions , Rosemary ... Now , Getting ready to plant some veggies as cooler weather approaches... We just bought Green peppers, tomatoes , and lettuce . ... The ground is coral rock here , so everything is grown in pots .... Or you truck dirt in and make a garden ... But like I said , Irma washed away most of our trucked in dirt, so until we can get totally settled , everything is in pots for now. .... I also have a sugar cane plant that was given to me .... But not too sure what to do with it ?!

a reply to: CADpro

That's the best way!!

Or, if you're feeling adventurous, raise rabbits. You get meat, and the rabbit droppings are wonderful fertilizer.

When I was a kid, my parents bought the lot next door that had been used as a farm equipment parking lot for years, and years. It was intended to be a garden spot--monstrous damned thing... Any way, for two years, we worked rabbit droppings and chicken house straw and droppings, along with bovine fertilizer (other wise known as cow poop) into the soil. We'd till it, cover it with the nasty stuff, then till it again, plant some form of plant like clover or some such, then in the fall till it again...two years later, it was ready, and man, it grew some monstrous tomatos, and potatoes, corn didn't do as well for some reason...but everything else did.

It was hard work, but it was, looking back, well worth the time and effort it took. Almost any sort of soil can be improved with enough effort. I wish you luck.

a reply to: Meldionne1

Cool. Are olive trees labor intensive, more importantly, will they grow in Tennessee?? I've no idea where you live, obviously, but I love olive trees, not to mention olives.

It is getting to the point where the only place you grow anything is in a greenhouse. Weather modification is destroying gardens/food supplies worldwide.
a reply to: chiefsmom

a reply to: chiefsmom

I'll try it, eventually. I'm not a huge bacon fan, but I'm surrounded by people who are.

Here in Southwest Michigan about every fruit or veggie you can imagine is canned so there's lots of factory seconds around. Dented cans and even orange juice gets shipped in by the train load. Soups of every kind magically show up with wrong labels or dates on them. Not homemade but lots of stuff to store for a year then donate. Warehouses full everywhere. Same stuff 10 different brands.

Well, the one thing you can't control happened to one of the jars of sauerkraut. It broke. Dang it! You can look for cracks, flaws, bubbles in the glass, but sometimes, you just get a weak one. Leaves a mess in the cooker though!

The other jars sealed, so yea!

a reply to: mikell

Yeah, one of the things I love about Michigan. My neighbor has pears, apples and peaches, and a friend has a Tart cherry tree.

Free fruit! I love homemade applesauce, and next Saturday is the family cider making day. I usually freeze 8-10 1/2 gallons to have during the year.
Plus, unpasteurized, so 1 jug gets left out for hard cider. Bonus.

a reply to: mikell

Nothing wrong with that. I do that, as well. There's no such thing as too much food stored away.

We've got about two weeks worth right now...and it's no where near enough, so far as I'm concerned...

It's not quite as satisfying, but just as useful. It's a useful skill to learn, if you're so inclined. I learned from my Mom, and both my Grandmothers. My Mom was a freakin' genius at it. I attended classes at the local county extension office to learn more...it's kinda odd being the only male in the room...but that's a very good place to learn, again, if you're so inclined.

It has been 90+ degrees here in SC for almost 7 months. Tomatoes were awful this year. We planted ten plants, the squirrels stole them all. So, I started picking the green tomatoes, and brought them into the house in a brown bag to ripen up. I always wanted to see the lavender in the South of France in July. So I bought a dozen lavender plants and planted them. I had six little flowers on all of them. Our soil is terrible here, it is super hot and dry.... so It is hopeless. My yard was probably part of the ocean 18 million years ago. My grandmother used to can up everything in Indiana twenty five years ago.

a reply to: CADpro

May I SAY....maybe mortgage lifter tomatoes in that cool mix somewhere.......they really produce

Idk about that blacklight.....cool

One thing I love is pickled beans from the garden, would you consider sharing some recipes?
Pickled garlic is fantastic,beets too.

a reply to: chiefsmom

a reply to: Athetos

Dilly Beans? LOL The one thing pickled I just cant eat. But I did pickle asparagus this year, since we have so much growing wild. I LOVE pickled garlic too. I did a medley of pickled beet chunks, mini cuc's, cauliflower and garlic, and threw a cayenne in there. Those turned out so good, hubby was letting everyone try them, so we are down to two jars.


Sure, what would you like? The beef stew is easy, I put in the seasoning at the bottom, then add one third of the quart jar of meat, then potatoes, then carrots. Then add boiling water until 1 inch from the top of the jar. Put the lids on, then pressure cook for 90 minutes.