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  1. Kim_NC

    Making a Ristra

    Looking good so far! I never slit mine and I always keep them inside. I tie them to a clothes drying rack (one of those fold up kind) and store it in a spare guest room until dry. I throw a sheet over the rack to keep any dust off of them. Often I dry bundles of herbs on the rack at the same...
  2. Kim_NC

    figs and blackberries together?

    This may work. I'm trying this recipe using a combination of figs and raspberries. You could substitute the blackberries for the raspberries. FROG JAM (Fig, Raspberry, Orange, Ginger) 4 cups of Figs 2 cups of Raspberries 1/2 cup fresh Orange juice 1 TSP of minced Ginger 1 pinch of clove...
  3. Kim_NC

    Won't buy from Monsanto? Don't be too sure

    I don't use the h-word often - but I hate Monsanto.
  4. Kim_NC

    Pear prevserves

    Hmmmm, not sure what happened there. I have success with the following recipe for preserves. Also, I can halved pears every year in a light syrup per Ball Blue Book directions. Never a problem. Hope your results improve this season. Pear Preserves 1 cup water 6 cups pears -- peeled and...
  5. Kim_NC

    I am SWIMMING in Okra--any recipes?

    :yuckyuck Yes, we do How about.... Cajun Fried Okra http://www.millriverfarm.com/recipe.cfm?id=371&catname=Vegetables Edit: Oopppsss....my link wasn't working. Thanks for th PM, Ducks4you, it's fixed now.
  6. Kim_NC

    Acorn & butternut squash/ how to save?

    We store Winter squash every year for the holidays. Many usually last into the WInter season. Hope these tips are helpful for you. If your crawl space is working well for potato storage, then squash will probably do well there.: - Harvest winter squash when the "ground spot" changes from white...
  7. Kim_NC

    Can I can "table tomatoes"?

    Lot's of good replies alread here. I just wanted to say :welcome and add my 'vote' for using the varieties you have. I can any tomatoes we have available that don't get eaten fresh or sold at farmers markets. We actually prefer the non-Roma, non-paste-types in our salsas.
  8. Kim_NC

    Unconventional canners? We need a list of times and produce sucessful

    I'm with Hoodat and Beavis on this. It's not worth the risk. However, over on SS there's a long thread going on unconventional canning. Here's a link: http://www.sufficientself.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=3964 - note I haven't participated. Again, it's too risky for me. I also disagee with all...
  9. Kim_NC

    Tomato canning question

    As long as they sealed, they'll be fine. Foods that stand above the liquid line in jars like that will often oxidize and darken - that's only unattractive, you can remove the dark pieces and it's still safe to eat. The most common causes of 'air space' at the top of jars are: - too much/too...
  10. Kim_NC

    Blueberry Picking Wednesday!!

    I like to can my own pie fillings. In the WInter, just pull out a jar, dump into a crust, bake and WaaLaaa! Blueberry Pie Filling 6 quarts fresh blueberries 6 cups sugar 2 1/4 cups clear jel, cook type 7 cups cold water 1/2 cup bottled lemon juice 20 drops blue food coloring (optional) 7 drops...
  11. Kim_NC

    Well, at least it was a learning experience...

    Sorry about your caulifower. How discouraging! But hang in there and try again! FWIW, we do find it harder to grow than other cole crops. But it's worth the 'struggle' when you get a good crop! Nice job on the cabbage! :thumbsup
  12. Kim_NC

    How are Things in the Tomato Patch?

    oooOOOOooooo....we need lunch at your place! :D ETA: We found Cherokee Purples to be bad for splitting as well. We did exacty what you're thinking - picked them early and finished ripening them off the vine.
  13. Kim_NC

    In a bit of a jam

    I'm thinking not enough pectin. Usually too much pectin causes an overly stiff, almost solid product. The pics look like an ooozy, not-fully-thickened product.
  14. Kim_NC

    The Any Wonderful Food You Made From Your Garden Today Thread!

    We've been gorging on sweet corn, various squashes, cucumbers, heirloom tomatoes, new potatoes, snap beans, butter beans, and now crowder peas. Yum!
  15. Kim_NC

    sad fate of my attempt at a garden

    Don't give up! The best future gardens come from learning as we go - learning from our mistakes, or from difficult weather, maybe disease, etc. If I only had a nickel for every plant I killed or that died on it's own! ;) But with perserverance, we've eaten lots and lots of good food. Try...
  16. Kim_NC

    Ok to plant these beans?

    My dad (deceased now) always said that anything store bought - such as dry beans or peas, dry corn (in animal feed), any bird seed, etc - which would not sprout (not viable) under proper conditions had also lost most of it's nutritional value. ETA: I can't quote any scientific studies to back...
  17. Kim_NC

    Just ordered my new canner

    Not to take away from the All American - that's a super canner. If one of mine would only die, I'd go for an AA. ;) Anyway, I have a Presto 23 quart model. It came with an extra rack and allows you to stack 2 layers of pint jars. With it, I can do 18 pints at one time if desired.
  18. Kim_NC

    Cheese

    I'm only a beginner cheese maker. However, there's a great thread on cheese at Sufficient Self (sister site). A read through the posts will help with lots of ideas. And I'm sure someone there can answer your questions.: http://www.sufficientself.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=5937
  19. Kim_NC

    Not a garden topic, but wanted to share my energy $$$

    Have the hot water heater checked. We had a similar problem in our previous home a few years ago. Turned out the hot water heater was going bad and was using a lot of unnecessary power. We replaced it and the bill dropped by ~$75/month.
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