Homesteaders

[Raech]

Off topic slightly as Iam trying to avoid planting early this year so instead I am sewing for Christmas before life gets crazy. Compliments of Grandpa's discarded Levi pile I have alot of material to make grocery bags/totes and aprons for the girl's in our family. Going to make a couple throw pillows for the older boys and a blanket for Grandpa. I got one bag finished in a couple of hours minus the handles and am working on a test apron, will finish when boys go to bed. The bag is kinda droopy in the "crotch" but I am pretty happy with it. Using my remaining quilt materials, I lost the bulk of it moving, to make a pillow case with a jean backing if I have enough to put in Grandp's camper.

 

[Ameraucanas]

Cool!

 

[rancher hicks]

Wanted to mention. I saw forsale on one of the sites a Yard Stick with measured holes for space planting seeds. I thought, heck I can drill a hole. I intend to by a yard stick or two and drill my the holes myself and same some money.

Too I'm going to try to make my own seed tape for planting carrots. Still haven't heard about how many carrots I need to plant to get 60 pounds. Anyone?

OH and who here has planted the "rainbow" carrots? How do they taste compared to the regular orange types?

 

[Chicken girl 15]

Wanted to mention. I saw forsale on one of the sites a Yard Stick with measured holes for space planting seeds.  I thought, heck I can drill a hole. I intend to by a yard stick or two and drill my the holes myself and same some money. 

Too I'm going to try to make my own seed tape for planting carrots. Still haven't heard about how many carrots I need to plant to get 60 pounds. Anyone?  

OH and who here has planted the "rainbow" carrots?  How do they taste compared to the regular orange types? 

not an expert so take my advise sparingly. I would assume about 120-240 carrots depending on type. I planted a 4×4 box and ran out within a week. We also have 5 kids who think they are snack food. But the average carrot bag (5#) has roughly 12-15 in it. By my math that's 144 carrots to get 60#. Better to have to much and donate to friends or families at the school.

 

[Raech]

Have you tried freezing them? That is what I do with my carrots, I dice and chunk to add to soups or stews later in the year. I don't have a root cellar or anything similar to store them in.

 

[Chicken girl 15]

I tried freezing them and they turned to rubbery yuck.

 

[rancher hicks]

not an expert so take my advise sparingly. I would assume about 120-240 carrots depending on type. I planted a 4×4 box and ran out within a week. We also have 5 kids who think they are snack food. But the average carrot bag (5#) has roughly 12-15 in it. By my math that's 144 carrots to get 60#. Better to have to much and donate to friends or families at the school.

I agree it's better to have to many. We have adult children who do their shopping here. I just divided up two pack of pork chops so that our single kid can just take package of one. I do donate lots of eggs. Money for eggs I do sell to those at church is donate to an orphanage in India.

Have you tried freezing them? That is what I do with my carrots, I dice and chunk to add to soups or stews later in the year. I don't have a root cellar or anything similar to store them in.

This was my plan. Though I wondered if I had a fridge just for storage if that would work. Seems to me if it was set high enough but low enough for cold storage it might now cost to much to run. Too, I wondered if our basement that is humid but cool would be a good place for storage. It's too damp down there for keeping anything that needs to be dry.

I tried freezing them and they turned to rubbery yuck.

I wonder if it was the variety or how you prepared them for freezing?

 

[Chicken girl 15]

If it's fresh cold storage you want then don't harvest until ready to eat. In order to do that use buckets to plant them in. Plant roughly a weeks worth of them in a 5 gallon pail. Do so all year round about a week between planting. If you have room in your cellar keep them there in cold weather and keep your buckets outside while weather permits. Bucket carrots work good and don't get freezer burn or go mushy with storage.

 

[Ameraucanas]

Thanks for the advice!

 

[shortgrass]

Wanted to mention. I saw forsale on one of the sites a Yard Stick with measured holes for space planting seeds.  I thought, heck I can drill a hole. I intend to by a yard stick or two and drill my the holes myself and same some money. 

Too I'm going to try to make my own seed tape for planting carrots. Still haven't heard about how many carrots I need to plant to get 60 pounds. Anyone?  

OH and who here has planted the "rainbow" carrots?  How do they taste compared to the regular orange types? 

Yuck. Yuck yuck yuck. Lol Danvers are my top choice for bulk, fresh taste, and canning. The rainbow ones were almost bitter, and they didn't grow nearly as well as the good old Danvers. I did the purple dragon ones too, and they were IMPOSSIBLE to get out of the ground without a fork, almost like they had supergrip in the soil. They were also bitter, but not as bad as the rainbow blend. Almost spicy. The kids hated them lol