The NFC B-Day Chat Thread

[The Farmers' Daughter]

It helps to keep my cats away from the plants when the plants are in KS and we're in WY! The cats really like the home-grown fresher stuff...they don't seem to react the same to the stuffed toys I've bought at the store.

Yeah. None of the cats I've had liked those.
Put some dried in a sock mind you, and they'll go to town on it.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Don't worry about resizing the images.

Chocolate mint is mint with a slight chocolate flavor to it

Thanks and ooohh that sounds delicious.

My cats don't even let it grow enough for me to dry any.

LOL mine ate a bunch of my vegetable seedlings last year

It helps to keep my cats away from the plants when the plants are in KS and we're in WY! The cats really like the home-grown fresher stuff...they don't seem to react the same to the stuffed toys I've bought at the store.

I think it is older or something

Yeah. None of the cats I've had liked those.
Put some dried in a sock mind you, and they'll go to town on it.

A sock is a good idea.

How do you dry it?

 

[The Farmers' Daughter]

Thanks and ooohh that sounds delicious.



LOL mine ate a bunch of my vegetable seedlings last year



I think it is older or something



A sock is a good idea.

How do you dry it?

Good question... my cats don't let it live that long. Even the dried packaged catnip in a sock works.

I did manage to clip some from a plant a few years ago. I tied the stems together and hung them upside down to dry. I have no idea if that's how it's done, or if it works, because the cats got a hold of it almost right away.

 

[DigMyChicks]

Time to get the garden planted!

Mine got done yesterday.

Catnip is in the mint family.
For years my mom would have us cut her some fresh mint to put in her peas. Never tasted the mint, and the peas flavour wasn't so great. Turns out it was catnip, not mint.

 

[rjohns39]

Morning all

 

[N F C]

Hi Bob, good morning everyone!

 

[DigMyChicks]

Good morning

 

[ShrekDawg]

Good question... my cats don't let it live that long. Even the dried packaged catnip in a sock works.

I did manage to clip some from a plant a few years ago. I tied the stems together and hung them upside down to dry. I have no idea if that's how it's done, or if it works, because the cats got a hold of it almost right away.

I'll have to try that. I did try setting herbs in the window sill to dry once last year but it didn't really work very well. They kind of just wilted. Maybe if I had left them longer they would have dried.

I know some people buy dehydrators but we don't have one and they're somewhat expensive, especially just for drying catnip haha

I might get one eventually though cause supposedly you can also dry fruits and also dried lavender might be fun.

Mine got done yesterday.

My same thoughts lol

 

[ShrekDawg]

Wow they're cheaper than I expected haha I would want a good tray one though rather than the rounded one so I'd need to save as those are more. Though I'm sure both work, especially for my purposes.

But what I really want is a pressure canner.

I bought a bunch of mason jars like a week and a half ago (I checked and it's 2 weeks Wednesday) to sprout stuff but I'd love to start canning.

And I actually don't even really want to can anymore cause I'm so paranoid of dieseases after this nutrition class and this one particular chapter/chart especially lol so apparently pressure canning is the safest or only safe way to can? So I want to do it the safest way haha

But I'd love to possibly can some of our vegetables or fruits or make jellies or something.

I used to think canning was kind of boring or dumb and/or that I wanted to farm and have the animals but didn't want to do THAT... now I want to.

Walmart had one on sale when I bought the mason jars and cheese cloth and stuff. On sale for $35, 50% off. I should have bought it but I didn't want to spend too much and I already had 2 strainers, mason jars, cheese cloth, etc.

I don't even really know how or what to can though.

Can you pressure can jellies or? How do you do that safely??

...can you tell I'm paranoid about safety??

 

[The Farmers' Daughter]

Wow they're cheaper than I expected haha I would want a good tray one though rather than the rounded one so I'd need to save as those are more. Though I'm sure both work, especially for my purposes.

But what I really want is a pressure canner.

I bought a bunch of mason jars like a week and a half ago (I checked and it's 2 weeks Wednesday) to sprout stuff but I'd love to start canning.

And I actually don't even really want to can anymore cause I'm so paranoid of dieseases after this nutrition class and this one particular chapter/chart especially lol so apparently pressure canning is the safest or only safe way to can? So I want to do it the safest way haha

But I'd love to possibly can some of our vegetables or fruits or make jellies or something.

I used to think canning was kind of boring or dumb and/or that I wanted to farm and have the animals but didn't want to do THAT... now I want to.

Walmart had one on sale when I bought the mason jars and cheese cloth and stuff. On sale for $35, 50% off. I should have bought it but I didn't want to spend too much and I already had 2 strainers, mason jars, cheese cloth, etc.

I don't even really know how or what to can though.

Can you pressure can jellies or? How do you do that safely??

...can you tell I'm paranoid about safety??

Jams and jellies and pickles... anything with a fairly high acid content don't require pressure canning. Just set them in water (water about an inch over top of jars) on some kind of rack (I just used the rings from some other jars). Only loosely tighten the rings. Bring to a low boil for about 15 minutes. Take them out and let them cool. After a few minutes you should hear the lids pop. That's your vacuum seal forming. Tighten rings and voila!

ETA: most recipes will tell you the recommended amount, but leave some space in the jar. Don't fill all of the way to the top of the jar with your jam or brine.