Homesteaders

[trsturself]

DH makes pickled eggs all the time. He loves them, says they taste a lot like a deviled egg. He uses our bantam eggs because they are more bite size and they fit in the jar better.

 

[sepaditty1]

I've been waiting and waiting and it's finally January! A friend of mine said he'd help me transplant some of his blueberry shoots in January. Time to find my shovel!

 

[Raech]

I've been waiting and waiting and it's finally January! A friend of mine said he'd help me transplant some of his blueberry shoots in January. Time to find my shovel!

I am beyond jealous, I have to wait till August to get some huckleberries.

Congratulations on your blueberry bushes.

 

[Raech]

Ok, so I know I asked if anyone had some recipes for homemade tomato paste a few days ago. Well, I found one that I am going to try this year. It looks fairly simple, but here is the recipe I found. If the link doesn't work, I made a summary of what it said, but left out the basic parts like getting your water started heating, and putting on the lids and how to cool them and check if they are sealed or not.
Here is the link first: http://pickyourown.org/canning_tomatopaste.htm

• Tomatoes - 8 quarts peeled, cored chopped tomatoes (about 4 dozen large tomatoes) - best to use Roma type / paste tomatoes
• Red peppers - 1½ cups chopped sweet red peppers (about 3 whole peppers)
• Bay - 2 bay leaves
• Salt - 1 teaspoon canning or pickling salt (optional)
• Garlic - 1 clove garlic (optional)
• lemon juice - fresh or bottled, about 1/2 cup
  Remove the skins, bruises and tough parts
  Then you can cut the tomatoes in quarters and remove the tough part around the stem and any bruised or soft parts.
  Squeeze each tomato and use your finger or a spoon to scoop and shake out most of the seeds. Another way to do it is to cut each tomato in half, across it, instead of lengthwise. Then just shake the seeds and juice out.
  Toss the squeezed tomatoes into a colander or drainer, while you work on others. This helps more of the water to drain off.
  Blend the tomatoes in a blender, food processor or chopper.
  Combine the tomatoes and
• 1½ cups chopped sweet red peppers
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon canning or pickling salt (optional)

Simmer slowly in large-diameter saucepan for 1 hour. Press through a fine sieve. Add the garlic clove, if desired. Continue cooking slowly until thick enough to round up on a spoon. Stir frequently to prevent sticking. Remove garlic clove and bay leaves. Add the lemon juice and stir in.
Fill jars to almost within 1/2-inch of the top.
NOTE: if you want to freeze the paste instead, just let the paste cool to room temperature, then fill your freezer containers (I like Ziploc freezer bags in the quart size), fill them completely, eliminate air pockets, seal them and pop them in the freezer.

After you fill each jar with tomatoes, add 1 teaspoon of lemon juice per half pint jar or 2 teaspoons of lemon juice per pint jar. This helps to reduce the odds of spoilage and to retain color and flavor. Then make sure it is filled to ¼-inch of the top with paste.


Recommended process time for Tomato Paste in a boiling-water canner.
Process Time at Altitudes of
Style of Pack Jar Size 0 - 1,000 ft 1,001 - 3,000 ft 3,001 - 6,000 ft Above 6,000 ft
Hot Half-pints (8 ounce) 45 min 50 55 60

 

[KentuckyMom]

Thank you for posting this Raech. I'll be trying it later this year too if I get the tomato harvest I'm hoping for!

 

[rancher hicks]

Hi again folks,

Winter thaw here and it's wet but makes me itch to get into spring.

I was on Pinterest and saw some really good ideas that are useful in recycling my old tires in the woods. I do need to find out which paints are best for painting them though.

There were also some good ideas for using unorthodox materials for raised beds.

If you live on an old farm there are many discarded things that can be recycled into some beautiful works of art.

I've plans for an old circular clothes pole to use as a flowering umbrella. I plan to plant around it with morning glories. Though pretty they became invasive at our old house. They make a quick and easy flower statement.

I suppose I could use Scarlet runner beans.

Who here dries their own beans for future use?

 

[RTFchickens]

I do! ;-)
I used heirloom green bean seeds that I grew into beans, then hung upside down to dry. Then removed the dried seeds for replanting, and eating.

 

[boskelli1571]

Me too! I love speckled lima beans, so I dry my own every year for future plantings, Sue

 

[trsturself]

I hope to be drying my own beans this year.

 

[RTFchickens]

I'm growing some heirloom beans and tomatoes indoors right now. I just can't stand grocery store greenhouse tomatoes in the winter. Once you have eaten the best, its hard to go back!
I'm spoiled with home grown heirloom veggies, and free range eggs, and chicken. Not to mention venison plucked from my own back yard!