strawberries today
picked a bunch yesterday, so cleaning and
making jam or just freezing them as crushed berries. i'm about 1/3 of the way through getting them cleaned up and smooshed. they're yummy too. :) hoping to put up 16 pints of freezer jam and whatever is left will be frozen smooshed for shortcakes this winter. this year looks to be about half of what i had last year. we covered up a large patch out back and the new expanded patch is just starting up and the third patch may be a few years before it gets going in quantity. plus the weather/rains have not been much. songbird |
strawberries today
On 6/9/2016 9:50 AM, songbird wrote:
> picked a bunch yesterday, so cleaning and > making jam or just freezing them as crushed > berries. > > i'm about 1/3 of the way through getting > them cleaned up and smooshed. they're yummy > too. :) > > hoping to put up 16 pints of freezer jam > and whatever is left will be frozen smooshed > for shortcakes this winter. > > this year looks to be about half of what > i had last year. we covered up a large > patch out back and the new expanded patch > is just starting up and the third patch may > be a few years before it gets going in > quantity. plus the weather/rains have not > been much. > > > songbird > I must be unusual, I really don't care much for strawberries. My folks used to plant several acres of them when I was a kid and I had to pick the blasted things. They sure sold good alongside old Highway 90, aka Old Spanish Road in SE Texas. We made good money on that garden for several years plus had plenty of good stuff for us. I do not care for stoop labor anymore. I'm thinking of putting larger wheels on my mechanics slider so I can lay down and work. <G> George |
strawberries today
George Shirley wrote:
.... > I must be unusual, I really don't care much for strawberries. My folks > used to plant several acres of them when I was a kid and I had to pick > the blasted things. They sure sold good alongside old Highway 90, aka > Old Spanish Road in SE Texas. We made good money on that garden for > several years plus had plenty of good stuff for us. yes, i could make decent money off these if i wanted to set up a stand at the road side. i could have a lot more plants going too. usually i just call friends to come pick the extra ones we don't use. this year i'm not sure i'll be doing that. > I do not care for > stoop labor anymore. i'm not a big fan of it either, but it is good exercise and i need to drop another 15-20lbs before the end of the summer. at my current rate i'm likely to get down 5 lbs... gotta step it up a bit and cut a little more calories out of the diet. the good news is that the frozen smooshed berries for shortcakes have no extra sugar added. last year i had leftovers from making freezer jam that had some sugar in them and they were good, but i want to cut back on extra sugar in the diet. > I'm thinking of putting larger wheels on my > mechanics slider so I can lay down and work. <G> i use a ground pillow for close work when i need to kneel or weed something finicky. saves a lot of knee aches. i've talked Ma into making me a second one so i have options for reclining and watching the clouds, napping, etc. :) songbird |
strawberries today
On 6/9/2016 1:38 PM, songbird wrote:
> George Shirley wrote: > ... >> I must be unusual, I really don't care much for strawberries. My folks >> used to plant several acres of them when I was a kid and I had to pick >> the blasted things. They sure sold good alongside old Highway 90, aka >> Old Spanish Road in SE Texas. We made good money on that garden for >> several years plus had plenty of good stuff for us. > > yes, i could make decent money off these if i wanted > to set up a stand at the road side. i could have a lot > more plants going too. usually i just call friends to > come pick the extra ones we don't use. this year i'm > not sure i'll be doing that. > > >> I do not care for >> stoop labor anymore. > > i'm not a big fan of it either, but it is good > exercise and i need to drop another 15-20lbs before > the end of the summer. at my current rate i'm > likely to get down 5 lbs... gotta step it up a > bit and cut a little more calories out of the diet. > > the good news is that the frozen smooshed > berries for shortcakes have no extra sugar added. > last year i had leftovers from making freezer jam > that had some sugar in them and they were good, > but i want to cut back on extra sugar in the diet. > > >> I'm thinking of putting larger wheels on my >> mechanics slider so I can lay down and work. <G> > > i use a ground pillow for close work when i need > to kneel or weed something finicky. saves a lot of > knee aches. i've talked Ma into making me a second > one so i have options for reclining and watching the > clouds, napping, etc. :) > > > songbird > I've got a tractor seat on four wheels and the front wheels swivel. Still way to high up without my pot belly getting in the way. I may design some raised beds that can have a seat that goes around them. That way I can reach two feet in on any side and, by going around the bed, I can get at everything. It would probably be expensive so it won't happen. Once you're retired you have to start watching where the bucks go. Happily we own our house and both cars outright plus have saved a dollar or two over the years. I just don't want to outlive my money. My Mom came from abject poverty and I've heard all the bad stories. Don't want any of that. I keep telling the great grands that I might have to sell one or two of them to the Gypsies if necessary. They still give me hugs. |
strawberries today
George Shirley wrote:
.... > I've got a tractor seat on four wheels and the front wheels swivel. > Still way to high up without my pot belly getting in the way. > > I may design some raised beds that can have a seat that goes around > them. That way I can reach two feet in on any side and, by going around > the bed, I can get at everything. It would probably be expensive so it > won't happen. Once you're retired you have to start watching where the > bucks go. Happily we own our house and both cars outright plus have > saved a dollar or two over the years. I just don't want to outlive my > money. My Mom came from abject poverty and I've heard all the bad > stories. Don't want any of that. i would like to put large square bins on rails and then i could remote control everything like the model railroaders. bring any needed bin through the station to get watered and weeded then send it back out. think that would be expensive? haha. yes, i know it would be. plus, it divorces the topsoil from the subsoil and you lose all the benefits of the soil community. to do it well you'd need about 1x1x2m and that's a lot of weight... nah, i'll stick with the ground pillows. i grew up poor too, but didn't notice it much until others were sure to point it out and treat us badly for it too. i live a simple life and keep expenses low. hope to never have to work full-time again. enjoying my time off now. > I keep telling the great grands that I might have to sell one or two of > them to the Gypsies if necessary. They still give me hugs. easier to catch that ways! :) songbird |
strawberries today
On 6/13/2016 6:30 AM, songbird wrote:
> George Shirley wrote: > ... >> I've got a tractor seat on four wheels and the front wheels swivel. >> Still way to high up without my pot belly getting in the way. >> >> I may design some raised beds that can have a seat that goes around >> them. That way I can reach two feet in on any side and, by going around >> the bed, I can get at everything. It would probably be expensive so it >> won't happen. Once you're retired you have to start watching where the >> bucks go. Happily we own our house and both cars outright plus have >> saved a dollar or two over the years. I just don't want to outlive my >> money. My Mom came from abject poverty and I've heard all the bad >> stories. Don't want any of that. > > i would like to put large square bins on rails and > then i could remote control everything like the model > railroaders. bring any needed bin through the station > to get watered and weeded then send it back out. > > think that would be expensive? haha. yes, i know > it would be. > > plus, it divorces the topsoil from the subsoil and > you lose all the benefits of the soil community. to > do it well you'd need about 1x1x2m and that's a lot > of weight... nah, i'll stick with the ground pillows. > > i grew up poor too, but didn't notice it much until > others were sure to point it out and treat us badly > for it too. i live a simple life and keep expenses > low. hope to never have to work full-time again. > enjoying my time off now. We weren't poor by any course, Dad was a top operator in a refinery and made what was good money back then. We had ten acres of paid for land, a three bedroom home we built ourselves from old Navy housing from WWII. We had critters like a cow, a mule for plowing, pigs, and chickens plus rabbits for other meat. Everyone worked at something beside the farming, etc. I worked in a grocery/filling station from age 12 to about 15. If you wanted money in my family you had to work to get it. Some people my age look at me strangely when I say I had a job at 12. I made 25 cents an hour but grown men mostly made a dollar an hour back then. I made sure my kids didn't get an allowance, they got jobs. Mowing old peoples lawns, growing a patch of whatever they thought they could sell, etc. Daughter was cleaning people's homes for 25 cents an hour to get spending money. Both of our kids grew up to be professional people, daughter in teaching, son started out as a purchasing agent for a hospital and now is an assistant director of the hospital. So they absorbed the will to work and have done well. We're very proud of them and happy that we taught them to be good workers. Good news, it ain't raining right now. <BSEG> George > > >> I keep telling the great grands that I might have to sell one or two of >> them to the Gypsies if necessary. They still give me hugs. > > easier to catch that ways! :) > > > songbird > |
strawberries today (learned one lesson)
songbird wrote:
> picked a bunch yesterday, so cleaning and > making jam or just freezing them as crushed > berries. .... the berries i picked later in the season were overripe and not the best, were even sorta fermenting and very dark when i was slicing them up and putting them into jars for freezing. i knew it was questionable but hoped the freezer would do in the microbes. instead i got a very long slow cold ferment. some jars blew the tops off when i went to open them. none of these were good when i opened them up. :( they didn't taste horrible, but they weren't right either. the texture is what ruined them for me. spongy and all stuck together as one mass. i've eaten some of them and they don't upset my stomach, but... a lot of work for little results. the worms will be fed any left in a few more days when the rest of them are done thawing out. i have two pints we'll use up that are borderline acceptable. next year i will know better. i was excited last summer because the ones i had done the previous summer turned out perfect (just what you would expect). well at least we have freezer space now. :) songbird |
strawberries today (learned one lesson)
On 12/5/2016 11:51 AM, songbird wrote:
> songbird wrote: > >> picked a bunch yesterday, so cleaning and >> making jam or just freezing them as crushed >> berries. > > ... > > the berries i picked later in the season > were overripe and not the best, were even > sorta fermenting and very dark when i was > slicing them up and putting them into jars > for freezing. i knew it was questionable > but hoped the freezer would do in the > microbes. instead i got a very long slow > cold ferment. some jars blew the tops off > when i went to open them. > > none of these were good when i opened them > up. :( they didn't taste horrible, but they > weren't right either. the texture is what > ruined them for me. spongy and all stuck > together as one mass. i've eaten some of > them and they don't upset my stomach, but... > > a lot of work for little results. the > worms will be fed any left in a few more days > when the rest of them are done thawing out. > > i have two pints we'll use up that are > borderline acceptable. > > next year i will know better. i was > excited last summer because the ones i had > done the previous summer turned out perfect > (just what you would expect). > > well at least we have freezer space now. :) > > > songbird > What is freezer space? Dear wife makes odd soups and such and puts them in plastic container and into the freezer with no label on them. I may have to get her go visit somewhere while I empty the containers that are needed for food you know what it is. <BG> |
strawberries today (learned one lesson)
On 12/5/2016 1:46 PM, George Shirley wrote:
>> > What is freezer space? Dear wife makes odd soups and such and puts them > in plastic container and into the freezer with no label on them. I may > have to get her go visit somewhere while I empty the containers that are > needed for food you know what it is. <BG> She needs a good Sharpie or a Listo china marker to make labeling easier. (Yes, I have few unknown things in the freezer that remain forever except every few years when (ahem) someone leaves the freezer door unlocked and half the contents thaws beyond saving (a very good excuse for binning the Unknown.) To Songbird: I can't think of a single food that IMPROVES with freezing when it is unripe or over-ripe. Sorry for your loss. gloria p |
strawberries today (learned one lesson)
gloria p wrote:
.... > To Songbird: I can't think of a single food that IMPROVES with freezing > when it is unripe or over-ripe. Sorry for your loss. our loss, the worms gain (tomorrow). will give them a nice snack going into the winter months. :) i keep 16 buckets of worms plus a bin of them. they're always happy to get scraps. songbird |
strawberries today (learned one lesson)
George Shirley wrote:
.... > What is freezer space? Dear wife makes odd soups and such and puts them > in plastic container and into the freezer with no label on them. I may > have to get her go visit somewhere while I empty the containers that are > needed for food you know what it is. <BG> i dislike plastic in almost any form, we put things in pint jars or quart jars for storage. small quantities are rare as i'd just eat them (or Ma would). we have made our New Year's Resolution to put a label on the quart jars because we have some now that we're not sure what's in them. it's all good, but it would be nice to know. likely onion soup, chili, spaghetti meat balls or bean soup. the pint jars i label. only strawberry freezer jam and roasted red peppers left. songbird |
strawberries today (learned one lesson)
On 12/5/2016 4:20 PM, gloria p wrote:
> On 12/5/2016 1:46 PM, George Shirley wrote: > >>> >> What is freezer space? Dear wife makes odd soups and such and puts them >> in plastic container and into the freezer with no label on them. I may >> have to get her go visit somewhere while I empty the containers that are >> needed for food you know what it is. <BG> > > > She needs a good Sharpie or a Listo china marker to make labeling > easier. (Yes, I have few unknown things in the freezer that remain > forever except every few years when (ahem) someone leaves the freezer > door unlocked and half the contents thaws beyond saving (a very good > excuse for binning the Unknown.) She's an artist, she has all that stuff, she just thinks that at age 76 she can remember what is what. I asked her one day "What is this?" Oh, that's tomato soup, it was leftover chili. I really need the space in the big freezer that she has cluttered with her "I have to save this" stuff. She is the middle child of five, they're always hoarding food. VBG > > To Songbird: I can't think of a single food that IMPROVES with freezing > when it is unripe or over-ripe. Sorry for your loss. > > gloria p > I took a college course forty years ago in preserving food, just for the hell of it plus I needed three credits more to graduate. It was really good to learn all that stuff. I've been putting up my own food starting at my mother's knee. Even got the little paper that says I can do that. <G> My favorite is jams, jellies, sauces, etc. At least all the grands and great grands love it. George, off to bed after a very long day of watching it rain, plus napping with Tilly. |
strawberries today (learned one lesson)
On 12/5/2016 7:53 PM, songbird wrote:
> George Shirley wrote: > ... >> What is freezer space? Dear wife makes odd soups and such and puts them >> in plastic container and into the freezer with no label on them. I may >> have to get her go visit somewhere while I empty the containers that are >> needed for food you know what it is. <BG> > > i dislike plastic in almost any form, we > put things in pint jars or quart jars for > storage. small quantities are rare as i'd > just eat them (or Ma would). > > we have made our New Year's Resolution to > put a label on the quart jars because we have > some now that we're not sure what's in them. > it's all good, but it would be nice to know. > likely onion soup, chili, spaghetti meat balls > or bean soup. > > the pint jars i label. only strawberry > freezer jam and roasted red peppers left. > > > songbird > Easiest thing in the world, I go to one of the office stores and buy the cheapest labels they have. Write on it with pen or a colored pen, stick it on. Empty jar, run hot water over the label, pull it off and you're done. |
strawberries today (learned one lesson)
George Shirley wrote:
.... > Easiest thing in the world, I go to one of the office stores and buy the > cheapest labels they have. Write on it with pen or a colored pen, stick > it on. Empty jar, run hot water over the label, pull it off and you're done. i suspect we'll be quite happy with post-its and a marker. we're not talking about a huge number of items all that often. we really don't eat many frozen things (maybe three to six times a month) for meals. this past summer with adding more frozen strawberries, roasted red peppers and squash i've really increased the amount of food i'd eat from the freezer. some of the frozen strawberries were replacements for strawberry freezer jam so i reduced those to make room for the other. Ma still needs room in there for when she bakes bread. will all the jars of frozen berries out of there now it's about the emptiest it's been in a long time. songbird |
strawberries today (learned one lesson)
On 12/6/2016 8:20 PM, songbird wrote:
> George Shirley wrote: > ... >> Easiest thing in the world, I go to one of the office stores and buy the >> cheapest labels they have. Write on it with pen or a colored pen, stick >> it on. Empty jar, run hot water over the label, pull it off and you're done. > > i suspect we'll be quite happy with post-its > and a marker. we're not talking about a huge > number of items all that often. we really don't > eat many frozen things (maybe three to six times > a month) for meals. > > this past summer with adding more frozen > strawberries, roasted red peppers and squash i've > really increased the amount of food i'd eat from > the freezer. some of the frozen strawberries > were replacements for strawberry freezer jam so > i reduced those to make room for the other. Ma > still needs room in there for when she bakes > bread. > > will all the jars of frozen berries out of > there now it's about the emptiest it's been in a > long time. > > > songbird > This past summer we had enormous harvests of sweet peppers of all colors, eggplant, squash, green beans, okra, etc. Not being able to eat it all fresh we then started freezing the stuff. Most of our grown grands don't come around that much so there's no one to give it to. None of our neighbors are very friendly and none of them garden so just a few get some good groceries and even some of those don't eat much in the way of vegetables. Seems a lot of them just eat bread, meat, and cheese. Yuck! I hit the big freezer hard today, took out a package each of okra, shucked beans, corn on the cob, and many other vegetables. Tomorrow I will make a large amount of veggie soup and then put it back in the freezer less the couple of meals we will eat. Makes a little bit of room in there. I'm trying to eat more "stuff" out of the freezer and less from the pantry. The rain stopped yesterday, for four days we got slightly over an inch a day. Then the sun came out and the garden has gone crazy again. I'm hoping the rain took a good bit of the volcanic dust out of our sky too, at least the cars and the roof aren't coated with it right now. I'm off to bed. George |
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