What are you putting up?
- Thread starter Gingergirl
- Start date
Gingergirl
Veteran Member
Tadpole,
Glad you found the gluten. Hope you like the results.
The sodium sulphite may not be so easy. I get it from a local winery (well, the next county over) that also sells supplies. Its also listed as sodium metasulphite. The guy suggested I try potassium metasulphite, I did and got the same results. The brand he carries is LD Carlson out of Kent, Ohio (zip 44240).
It can be ordered on the web from wine making suppliers. The one I use is also in Ohio (my part of the country). You may be able to find something closer. If not, give them a try:
http://www.thegrape.net/browse.cfm/2,1238.html
good luck.
Glad you found the gluten. Hope you like the results.
The sodium sulphite may not be so easy. I get it from a local winery (well, the next county over) that also sells supplies. Its also listed as sodium metasulphite. The guy suggested I try potassium metasulphite, I did and got the same results. The brand he carries is LD Carlson out of Kent, Ohio (zip 44240).
It can be ordered on the web from wine making suppliers. The one I use is also in Ohio (my part of the country). You may be able to find something closer. If not, give them a try:
http://www.thegrape.net/browse.cfm/2,1238.html
good luck.
Thanks for the quick reply. The peaches may not be in our future as a dehydrated fruit. We don't eat sugar. It's ok canning is doable. As a matter of fact this was my first year making sugar free jam and that turned out well.
Tadpole I was thinking about your bitter cukes. Is it just the skin? Or the cukes themselves. If it is the cukes I had that happen one year. I fertilized them and it took the bitterness away. It is a lack of one of the important nutrients and I'll be darned if I can lay my brain on which one it is right now. Perhaps a less foggy thinker can tell you what it is.
Tadpole I was thinking about your bitter cukes. Is it just the skin? Or the cukes themselves. If it is the cukes I had that happen one year. I fertilized them and it took the bitterness away. It is a lack of one of the important nutrients and I'll be darned if I can lay my brain on which one it is right now. Perhaps a less foggy thinker can tell you what it is.
Tadpole
Inactive
Sarah, no, it's not the skin because I peeled them. In fact, the first ones I tasted had a decided sweet taste.
I was wondering if they developed the bitter taste after they were stored a few days, or if I just got some bitter cucumbers in there.
It could well be the fertilization because I grew them in containers and after the first signs of cucumber mosaic virus appeared, I stopped fertilizing them and just decided to let them do what they would do. So the later ones are probably malnourished.
I'm glad you suggested that it might be a cultural problem instead of my thinking that is just the way dehydrated cucumbers are.
I was wondering if they developed the bitter taste after they were stored a few days, or if I just got some bitter cucumbers in there.
It could well be the fertilization because I grew them in containers and after the first signs of cucumber mosaic virus appeared, I stopped fertilizing them and just decided to let them do what they would do. So the later ones are probably malnourished.
I'm glad you suggested that it might be a cultural problem instead of my thinking that is just the way dehydrated cucumbers are.
HELP!!! 
The new place we just bought has about 8 pear trees and all but one are loaded. I'd like to know what to do with them...I'm not a pear person but my 3 yr old is loving them even now. I didn't think they'd be ready until about Sept. as I recall my mother used to have a large tree. Can I make pear butter like apple butter?
The new place we just bought has about 8 pear trees and all but one are loaded. I'd like to know what to do with them...I'm not a pear person but my 3 yr old is loving them even now. I didn't think they'd be ready until about Sept. as I recall my mother used to have a large tree. Can I make pear butter like apple butter?Gingergirl
Veteran Member
Pear butter, just like apple butter. I add a bit of ginger to mine, and use white sugar to keep the color pale.
Gingergirl
Veteran Member
Picking pears:
Don't wait until they are"ripe." Then they will be soft and mealy. Early varieties are cut before it will twist easily off the stalk. Mid and late pears should be picked when they twist easily off the stalk. After picking, ripen them in a cool place (38-40 deg) without touching each other. Move into an area of 65 deg. for 2-3 days.
I have a friend that picks mid season pears, wraps them in paper and stores them in an old frig. Then takesthem out a few at a time to ripen on the kitchen counter. She loses a few but still has fresh pears for a few months.
Don't wait until they are"ripe." Then they will be soft and mealy. Early varieties are cut before it will twist easily off the stalk. Mid and late pears should be picked when they twist easily off the stalk. After picking, ripen them in a cool place (38-40 deg) without touching each other. Move into an area of 65 deg. for 2-3 days.
I have a friend that picks mid season pears, wraps them in paper and stores them in an old frig. Then takesthem out a few at a time to ripen on the kitchen counter. She loses a few but still has fresh pears for a few months.
auntnuts
Contributing Member
Good news!........I found the thread I was looking for about pears.............
Lotsa good stuff here
http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/showthread.php?t=108374&highlight=pears
Enjoy!
Lotsa good stuff here
http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/showthread.php?t=108374&highlight=pears
Enjoy!
Thanks soooooooooooooo very much Auntnuts for the link. It has tons of wonderful ideas. I can't wait to find my dehydrator out in the unpacked mess of a barn. The little one will love pear roll ups.
I don't have any peaches producing but found the juciest, bestest (the little ones word) at a local China Mart. Gotta go get more to freeze. Thanks all.
I don't have any peaches producing but found the juciest, bestest (the little ones word) at a local China Mart. Gotta go get more to freeze. Thanks all.
21 quarts of tomatoes today..........49 quarts last week. havent canned in 20 years since we have a small yard and no garden. But ran into a "sale" on a box of bruisers at the farmers market last week, and realized how much fun a kitchen full of family and vegetables can be. Now some of us have been scouting each market everyday on all 4 corners of town to find more boxes of bruisers. Great way to reunite the 4 generation family!! with love and tomatoes.
Gingergirl
Veteran Member
NC,
21 QUARTS!!!
I'm still working on corn, snap beans, peaches, and pickles.
I've canned all the corn I plan to and am now dehydrating it. Have not finished the snap beans, but will try drying some of them too. DeLong recommends a brief freezing as part of the pre-conditioning...we'll see how it turns out. Peaches are canned, and now I've started soft leathers to use as sweet bread fillings (see the tomato powder thread). Done with the dill pickles, so now it is on to the sweets and bread & butters. And if I get enough wax beans this weekend to balance the green, its 3 bean salad.
Tomatoes are just starting to come in, so it will be juice all next week. Only five weeks left to get it all done.
21 QUARTS!!!
I'm still working on corn, snap beans, peaches, and pickles.
I've canned all the corn I plan to and am now dehydrating it. Have not finished the snap beans, but will try drying some of them too. DeLong recommends a brief freezing as part of the pre-conditioning...we'll see how it turns out. Peaches are canned, and now I've started soft leathers to use as sweet bread fillings (see the tomato powder thread). Done with the dill pickles, so now it is on to the sweets and bread & butters. And if I get enough wax beans this weekend to balance the green, its 3 bean salad.
Tomatoes are just starting to come in, so it will be juice all next week. Only five weeks left to get it all done.
blueberry said:I have canned blackberries, and they held up fine. I used a heavy syup, (that might have helped hold them together), and then processed them in the water bath canner.
I was doing this for another lady. She had a ton of blackberries, and gave me half if I would can them for her. I believed she used them in pies and cobblers. I froze most of my share, and made jam with some.
I love everyone's attitude about trying new things
I have learned so much from this board!
I know it is late but I wanted to say thank you for answering my question about canning the blackberries. I think I thought I said that here but I guess I didn't.
I said to DH we'll try using some blackberrie juice and sweeten it with stevia that should be good. It has been too hot to go out picking. The bushes are loaded so I hope they keep producing till I get back out there.
I remember gram canned thimbleberries and my other gram use to can strawberries. So it makes sense.
Gingergirl
Veteran Member
Tomatoes are in! I've put up my first batch of tomato juice. Also canned a few jars of peaches, and have 3 bean salad marinating overnight for canning in the morning. Threw some leftover chopped green pepper into the dehydrator. I'm done for the day.
closet squirrel
Veteran Member
I just spent the weekend shelling buckets and buckets of lima beans!!
My kids said, I sure hope the world doesnt end, cuz this is a horrible job!
My kids said, I sure hope the world doesnt end, cuz this is a horrible job!
Gingergirl
Veteran Member
Closet squirrel,
My kids think EVERY job is horrible
My kids think EVERY job is horrible
A.T.Hagan
Inactive
Put up eighteen pints of pear sauce last night. Still have nine quarts in the refrigerator waiting to be canned. Made the sauce on Saturday, but ran out of time to water bath it that day and the next day I ended up going south to check on relatives after the hurricane. Having to play catch up now.
We tried the cranberry-pear cake in the pear thread that Auntnuts cites above and I like it right well. We'll make it again. The gingered pear preserves have an excellent flavor, but don't try to double the recipe or you'll end up overcooking it all before the juice boils down enough. We finally said "enough!" and ended up with three and a half quarts of gingered pear syrup. Tastes pretty good on French toast though.
Got more pears on the tree so will try the preserves again this weekend and maybe a little pear butter.
One day I'm going to strike it rich and build a kitchen meant for this stuff rather than having to cope with a closet with a stove in it!
FWIW, okra can be really variable in height. If it <i>really</i> likes the local conditions it can top eight feet. One year it might have gone to ten feet had I not topped the plants to check their upward growth. The other end of that same row the plants only went to about four feet.
PK, if you're getting lots of blossoms but not a lot of squash I'd look to your pollination insects. If you're getting plenty of female blossoms (has the little baby squash behind the flower) but not fruit that sets it sounds like a lack of pollination to me.
.....Alan.
We tried the cranberry-pear cake in the pear thread that Auntnuts cites above and I like it right well. We'll make it again. The gingered pear preserves have an excellent flavor, but don't try to double the recipe or you'll end up overcooking it all before the juice boils down enough. We finally said "enough!" and ended up with three and a half quarts of gingered pear syrup. Tastes pretty good on French toast though.
Got more pears on the tree so will try the preserves again this weekend and maybe a little pear butter.
One day I'm going to strike it rich and build a kitchen meant for this stuff rather than having to cope with a closet with a stove in it!
FWIW, okra can be really variable in height. If it <i>really</i> likes the local conditions it can top eight feet. One year it might have gone to ten feet had I not topped the plants to check their upward growth. The other end of that same row the plants only went to about four feet.
PK, if you're getting lots of blossoms but not a lot of squash I'd look to your pollination insects. If you're getting plenty of female blossoms (has the little baby squash behind the flower) but not fruit that sets it sounds like a lack of pollination to me.
.....Alan.