|
Post by michelle on Aug 28, 2014 7:56:33 GMT -5
That was smart Gayle.
|
|
|
Post by Granny Smith on Aug 30, 2014 20:43:08 GMT -5
Things are were calming down on putting food up. Then, today, I found out about another medicinal weed, sensitive plant, which I'll be hunting tomorrow, if I'm able. My friend also sent me a bagful of tomatoes, mostly green, which I want to can in slices for frying this winter. I saw them can them on Tim Farmer's Country Kitchen and want to try it. If anyone is interested, here's the recipe (you have to scroll down the page a bit) www.timfarmerscountrykitchen.com/canning.htmlMy friend also sent me some butternut squash. I love that I don't have to do anything to store those, just put them in a cool place. I've been given so many tomatoes that I'm even trying a batch of tomato wine. I'll be honest, it doesn't smell very good right now, but I'm still hopeful. I also have a batch of white grape wine going and just finished canning a second batch of crystal pickles.
|
|
|
Post by michelle on Sept 1, 2014 18:35:42 GMT -5
Yum
|
|
|
Post by Granny Smith on Sept 1, 2014 21:55:37 GMT -5
A friend of one of the kids got me some sensitive plant. It's already dry, but I think I might need more. I only have about 1/4 cup and it has a lot of uses.
|
|
|
Post by Granny Smith on Sept 12, 2014 19:19:18 GMT -5
I haven't been able to find any more sensitive plant. I need Orville to come over and find some for me. He's got a nose for it. He doesn't know it yet, but I'm drying it for his mother. It treats everything that's wrong with her!
I gave up on anyone eating the rest of the spinach, so I dried that today. It wasn't a lot, just 2 trays, but every little bit helps.
|
|
|
Post by Granny Smith on Oct 11, 2014 23:27:12 GMT -5
I boned and cooked 2 turkey breasts Thursday (good sale last week). I made a nice pot of broth from the bones, then realized I didn't have any room in the refrigerator or freezer, so I canned it. I ended up with 3 1/2 pints of meat in broth and 6 pints of plain broth. Not too shabby for scraps.
|
|
|
Post by trulytricia on Oct 20, 2014 9:50:30 GMT -5
Have you ever ground herbs with sugar? Just learned about this. Came across this recipe breadadventures.blogspot.com/2012/05/lemon-balm-squares.html in my pursuit of using more herbs. Anyway because i like stronger flavors instead of 1/4 cup I used 1/2 cup fresh green lemon balm leaves. Just dropped them in bottom of electric grinder and poured sugar on top. Made a lovely scented sugar. Got to thinking maybe this would be good to preserve in small batches in the freezer. Left out at room temp it would mold I think . Any herb that you meant to use sweet could be saved this way. You know like mint sugar you could use in brownies, lemon herbs in desserts maybe even sprinkle some into an apple pie. Frostings maybe? Hot tea? Seems like the oils would be better preserved this way. What do you think?
|
|
|
Post by Granny Smith on Oct 20, 2014 20:35:26 GMT -5
That sounds like a good idea! I'll bet it would be good on doughnuts, too.
|
|
|
Post by demosthenes on Oct 25, 2014 14:18:58 GMT -5
We butchered six chickens and the last four quarts of meat and broth are in the canner now. We got 11 quarts total, plus a roast chicken dinner and a great big pot of creamy chicken and wild rice soup. First time gutting a bird, so I'm pretty pleased with myself.
|
|
|
Post by Granny Smith on Oct 25, 2014 20:30:35 GMT -5
Did you throw up? That's what I'm afraid of.
|
|
|
Post by demosthenes on Oct 26, 2014 13:53:37 GMT -5
No. I think I cheated though. I rubbed Vicks all over my nose and upper lip. I could still smell the blood and wet feathers, and it was nasty, but the Vicks helped a lot because mostly I was smelling blood and wet feathers through a haze of mentholatum, haha. Killing and plucking was actually the nastiest bit. Once we got to gutting it was so much similar to just cutting a whole bird into parts (which I've done plenty) that it wasn't a big deal. The funny part was, we had no idea what we were doing and everyone was following my lead since I'd butchered before. But I had never gutted a chicken - first time. So there I was, in the rain trying to look up gutting chickens on my Kindle with blood and bits of feathers on my fingers. I finally said screw it and just gutted the birds as if they were deer, lol. Split them right up the middle. Hey, it worked.
|
|
|
Post by Granny Smith on Oct 26, 2014 16:15:34 GMT -5
Vicks was a great idea! That's what coroners use. The smell is the worst part for me. I used to throw up after picking up my chickens from the guy that did mine in Michigan because of the smell. Maybe he and his wife used Vicks, too. I don't know how they could stand that smell all day without doing something!
I could get Dan to do mine, but it's like pulling teeth to get him to do anything. If I learn to do them myself, it would be way less aggravation.
|
|
|
Post by Granny Smith on Nov 12, 2015 18:46:16 GMT -5
I have 3 trays of sliced Portobello mushrooms and 3 trays of sliced apples in the dehydrator right now. The mushrooms are almost done, but the apples are going to take one more day - at least.
|
|
|
Post by michelle on Nov 16, 2015 7:35:17 GMT -5
I've been eating a ton of mushrooms lately.
|
|
|
Post by Granny Smith on Mar 28, 2016 19:28:24 GMT -5
I dried a small tray of celery yesterday. It didn't amount to much, just half a spice jar, but those little bits add up.
Today I made a big pot of turkey broth and picked the meat off the bones. I ended up canning 6 pints of broth and a pint and 2 half-pints of turkey bits in a little broth. I like those little jars of meat for making casseroles, to add to salads, or for sandwich fillings. They're a good size for 1 or 2 people.
|
|