Maine

[superchemicalgirl]

Well I thought I was hot stuff but my jam is still liquid. Oh well, I wasn't making jam, I was making blueberry ice cream sauce, right?

I think you should learn how to pressure can, that way you can teach me!!!

 

[ashandvine]

Way to go scg! I've always loved the idea of canning, but just haven't gotten around to learning it yet. Maybe one of these days!

Thanks! I've wanted to do it a long time but wanted someone to teach/show it to me first so I didn't poison anyone. I'm ready to teach someone else now, LOL (it's that easy).

Ask SCG just how easy this was. I mean, it wasn't easy walking around my kitchen with children eager to show themselves or our chickens off to her, but she made it in one piece. It actually took us forever because of my severe disorganization, due in part to having just moved out here. We just pickled some beans and I talked way too much. If anyone else wants to face the children and my non-stop chatter I have LOTS more beans to go

 

[buckabucka]

Well I thought I was hot stuff but my jam is still liquid. Oh well, I wasn't making jam, I was making blueberry ice cream sauce, right?


I think you should learn how to pressure can, that way you can teach me!!!

 

If you like jam, have you ever tried those boxes of Sure Jell? I get the pink box, because the recipes are a slightly less sweet. They are freezer jams. Maybe you could can them too, but what is best about them is the fresh (less cooked) taste.

The jam isn't really cooked. You cook the pectin/ sugar mix, and throw the fruit in the hot liquid and put it in containers to freeze. There are cooked recipes too, which is how I like the blueberry, but strawberry and raspberry I do the freezer jam. It tastes like fresh strawberries or raspberries (only sweeter).

They are pretty fool-proof, although I gave up on peach because it never set up for me. We have vast quantities of jam here. DH has pb & jam every day for lunch! Every day. I don't like pb & jam, but I do like jam on toast. The downside, it uses freezer space, and it is more difficult to give as a gift, but taste is superior.

 

[Mainechick168]

I just want to hijack the thread again to talk about something other than chickens. Not to embarrass ashandvine but she graciously opened up her home and her family to me today to teach me to can. She was lovely and I learned to can.

I went home and made some blueberry spice jam all by myself! They just came out of the canner (I don't even want to admit how many hours this took me)...

Thanks, ashandvine!

Nice Job! It's almost pickle time too..... I love pickle time

 

[ducklucky]

Thank you so much for your advice and pictures. Doesn't look too ghetto to me! And a great use for the quilts that we keep around and never use. Will show this to hub and get going on something for winter. Think we might be in for a harsh one this year, as is the cycle. It always creeps up on us doesn't it?

 

[Widget]

I was thinking about coop styles. I've seen some advertised for $1000 or more. Heck there are some that are better built than my house. But the way I see it is this is Maine where function is generally more important than looks.

Mine are all pieced together from scraps of this and that. Nothing fancy. And they certainly won't win any Martha Stewart awards for looks. Charlie Brown awards yes. Yet they seem to withstand our wonderful winter weather without issues. The birds are happy and healthy.

Aside from the constant predator proofing for the past couple years I'm happy with my building and design attempts. It seems as soon as I thwart one predator another comes in and shows me where the weaknesses are in my building. I've had foxes, coyotes, bobcat and raccoons. Probably a hawk or owl too. The only predator I have yet to deal with is a bear. I know they are around and I also know that there is really nothing I can do to keep a determined bear from getting in the coop. Or the bee hive. If that happens I think I will just give up.

Now for something completely different. Just had my annual physical today. Or in my case my every four years or so physical. Good news was almost everything was in the normal range. The 'bad' cholesterol was a bit high but since I have hypothyroidism that has been untreated for a few years the doctor wasn't too concerned. So now I am back on medication and in a couple months I have more blood drawn to see where the levels are. The only other odd result was that my Vitamin D level was way off. So now I am on a Vitamin D supplement. That's what I get for working for the past ten years in a building with no windows and only artificial light. I am hardly ever out in the sun so I don't get the chance to absorb enough natural Vitamin D. But at the same time I don't have to be too concerned about skin cancer. Funny how too much sun causes major issues yet too little also causes issues.

And to top it off while I was out feeding the horses this afternoon the vet called. I heard the phone ring but didn't rush in to get the call. Not a big deal except I have been waiting a month to get the results back for all the tests we ran on one of the horses. So now I have to wait who knows how long for him to call me back again. Nothing like playing a very frustrating game of phone tag.

 

[buckabucka]

Thank you so much for your advice and pictures.  Doesn't look too ghetto to me!  And a great use for the quilts that we keep around and never use.  Will show this to hub and get going on something for winter.  Think we might be in for a harsh one this year, as is the cycle.  It always creeps up on us doesn't it?

Wait till SCG sees my place! We have a very strange mix of class and major ghetto!

 

[superchemicalgirl]

Wait till SCG sees my place! We have a very strange mix of class and major ghetto!

I'm looking forward to the hoop house sprouts in the yard like big mushrooms.

Got the "starter pen" for the goats almost finished. Just needs the fencing to staple to it. We're obviously going to build some more panels, but this should hold them until we do that (it's 8x8), and we will probably attach it to their 3 sided shelter too. Somewhat moveable, which is what we wanted.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

I met Bucka this morning - both her and her husband are quite kind, and put up with my awkwardness.

Hopefully I don't poison her husband with my jam!

 

[buckabucka]

I met Bucka this morning - both her and her husband are quite kind, and put up with my awkwardness.

Hopefully I don't poison her husband with my jam!

Ha! I'm sure it will be delicious! Thank you for all your help, you are not awkward at all. You will have to come back and visit again when you have more time, and when you can sit by the masonry heater while it cranks out the heat!

Meanwhile, we cleaned the coop! I, of course, wanted to procrastinate for a day, but Jack said we should just go for it. I suggested after lunch, so the girls could lay their eggs (another attempt to procrastinate), but while I was at Tractor Supply buying shavings, DH had most of it shoveled out.

This was the best cleaning ever (I did it alone last time). We pulled everything out of there, shoveled, swept, and then DH brought in his compressor and we blew compressed air into all the nooks and crannies. The amount of dust was astounding! Then we vacuumed and sprayed everything with that horse spray. Now they have fresh food and water, and very fluffy, clean shavings everywhere. They better not dare to defecate anywhere!

Oh, and watching SCG catch a rooster is like watching a fine ballet. . I'm going to have to practice!