Coffee's ready...

[vehve]

I read somewhere not to wash potatoes, and to store them in a dry, cool place in a box which you first put some peat on the bottom, and then the potatoes, and then again a layer of peat and so on. Should work for carrots, parsnips and other root fruits.

 

[rancher hicks]

Morning,

We canned close to a bushel of peaches yesterday. Today I am hoping to start on the tomatoes. They are coming slow, different stages. So I figured a bunch of small batches through the season. It's suppose to rain tomorrow, so I hope to mow/hay the lawn today and plant the collard greens. Does anyone have carrots growing? We are picking them more or less to thin they. They are big enough to cook with.

More meaties are coming in next week. I need to build a roost for the turkeys in their pen. They don't seem to be going into the coop, but rather sleep outside.

One project I'll never get to this year are replacing the windows in the house. Having a contractor stop by today to give us a price.

Enjoy your day

Kaj

You can always freeze the tomatoes whole and then when you thaw them the skins will come right off. Too you can thaw them and can them when you have enough to make a job of it. The same thing works with peaches. Saves time and water blanching.

Sorry forgot to say morning. Busy day painting the trim on the front of the house. Not a tall house but still moving the ladder and climbing up and down.

Having to prime it first you know. Still needs another coat. Nothing ever covers in one coat. Rain tomorrow.

Ta, ta,

for now.

 

[vehve]

Quote: I've learned to paint trim before installing it. I hate having to be careful around different colored paneling.

 

[vehve]

Oh, and morning all. Sitting here with a nice cup of coffee.

 

[sourland]

Morning, Felix - insomnia is my friend this AM? - no coffee, yet, hope to return to the sack.

 

[vehve]

Morning, Felix - insomnia is my friend this AM? - no coffee, yet, hope to return to the sack.

Resistance is futile. The cup will win over your willpower sooner or later anyway, might as well make it sooner. And sleep, who really needs that anyway?

If the insomnia becomes a frequent thing, I suggest adding some more exercise to your days. If you're basically healthy, sprinting up a hill or some stairs a couple times every day would do wonders. I read somewhere about a study where elderly people had done 12 second uphill sprints 5 times per day, and the health benefits had been substantial.

 

[sourland]

I've been fighting some sort of virus that caused me to sleep almost all of Sunday - just need to reset the biorhythms . I usually have no problems sleeping. Thanks for your helpful suggestions, but I will exercise willpower - a rare occurrence for me.

Back to bed.

 

[vehve]

I've been fighting some sort of virus that caused me to sleep almost all of Sunday - just need to reset the biorhythms . I usually have no problems sleeping. Thanks for your helpful suggestions, but I will exercise willpower - a rare occurrence for me.

Back to bed.

Hopefully you have slightly bitter dreams (about coffee I mean).

 

[quercus21]

Morning,
Looks like rain the next few days here. I think this is the longest "dry" we had this year, close to 7 days....... The transit carnival is starting to make it's rounds in the area. We usually go to the one further north of us.

Karl: I don't know much about spuds but this is something I found:
"In late summer when the potato foliage has died back, your potatoes can be dug and “cured” for storage. Curing toughens up a potato’s skin and extends its storage life. Cure the tubers by laying them out on newspaper in a well-ventilated place that’s cool (50 to 60 degrees F.) and dark (so they don’t turn green). After about two weeks, the skins will have toughened up. Rub off any large clumps of dirt (potatoes should never be washed before storage) and cull any damaged tubers, which should be eaten, not stored. Treat the tubers very gently so as not to bruise or cut them. Nestle your spuds into ventilated bins, bushel baskets, a root storage bin or a cardboard box with perforated sides. Completely cover the boxes or baskets with newspaper or cardboard to eliminate any light. Even a little light will cause potatoes to turn green and be rendered inedible. The ideal storage temperature for potatoes is 35 to 40 degrees, though they will usually keep for several months at 45 to 50 degrees. " - source: http://www.gardeners.com/how-to/storing-potatoes-onions-garlic-squash/5021.html

Rancher Hicks: That sounds like a good idea, freezing the tomatoes whole till ready to use. Peaches aren't a problem yet. We have 2 trees that should start produce heavy in 5 years or so. I think I counted 14 - 16 peaches on them this year.

I think I am going to try something different next year. I figure we eat close to 50 chickens per year. Processing that many by myself is a bit long for 1 session. I was thinking of splitting the order and have 25 rocks and 25 rangers. The rocks would get processed first, the rangers in the fall.

Enjoy your day
Kaj

 

[vehve]

I snapped a couple of pics yesterday to show some Finnish nature. These were taken at a nearby nature preserve. They don't call Finland the land of the thousand lakes for nothing. (Although apparently we actually have 187 888 lakes).