What did you do in the garden today?

[Acre4Me]

I forgot to tell you all I bought 10 day old pullets 4 days ago. I got 2 black astrologers, 4 buff Orpingtons, and 4 Americana’s ( I’m sure they are really Easter Eggers). The first full day ( I brought them home in the evening and set them up in a brooder in the chicken barn that I’ve used before ) they all escaped the brooder and went out in the chicken yard with the 8 roosters and 10 hens.
I found them all and put them back in the coop that night. The next night I could only find 9 of them. One of the Easter Eggers either wandered off into the tall weeds, or got eaten by something. The next day only 4 chicks came outside. I still have 9 left but am amazed at how adventurous they are. Hopefully they will figure out how to get back in the coop on their own soon. I did put up a ramp so they can manage it.

Nice! Chicks are fun! We got 8 chicks late May. Kept them in the brooder for a week or so, then opened the door into a small fenced area in the run. I attached stiff plastic fencing to the metal panels, in an apron of sorts, so the plastic fencing was laying on the ground several inches past the metal fence panels. Somehow one chick got out one day…I found its remains. The flock did not like the intruder. So, I’m glad the flock wasn’t so speedy in attacking yours.

 

[cj2024]

I stumbled across this video on growing winter melon. If anyone is interested in growing winter melon, this video explains how to do it. I think tipping the vine and all new shoots after 1 to 3 melons is the way to go. The vine gets out of control if we let them run wild.

 

[chickengr]

OMG. This strawberry jalapeño jam is a disaster!!
The recipe called for 4 cups of crushed strawberries to 1 cup minced jalapeños. It is soooo peppery you can’t even taste the strawberries.
I’ve been adding more strawberries (x3) and strained out most of the jalapeños.Then removed 4 cups of the mixture. Then added more lemon juice to catch the strawberries /lemon juice ratio back up. I think it may finally be worthwhile to add the sugar and pectin. I’m pretty sure the fault is mine.
It said you could use fresh or canned jalapeños ( just drain off the juice first). I used frozen jalapeños left over from last years garden. Removed the seeds and mincef it up. I thought it looked like an awful lot of jalapeños. I should have checked after the first cup ( I was making a double batch). But I figured since canned jalapeños looked about the same as mine were looking the ratio would still be okay.
I was WRONG !! Uggh

I would probably love your disaster jam, lol.

 

[Wee Farmer Sarah]

No gardening planned for today. I’m picking up the wood to finish off the coop expansion for the littles and starting on laundry. This should be the last hot and sticky humid day, hopefully for the rest of summer. Cooler temperatures are on their way finally. I have so much work to get caught up on.

 

[Sally PB]

This strawberry jalapeño jam is a disaster!

My cherry/black raspberry jam is thick syrup, not jam. It also tastes a bit like cough medicine to me. I will not mix those two flavors again. I also thought that it would gel on its own, since black raspberries do have enough of their own pectin to do so. Well, not mine, or not when mixed with another "it didn't gel and made syrup," ie, the cherry stuff.

But, it did get rid of the cherry syrup that was sitting on the shelf.

black astrologers

Oh, I love this!

 

[Sally PB]

But it's done! Future Mina will deal with the crud on that top shelf. My back says that I need a beer.

It looks great!!!

 

[CatInTheHenHouse]

My cherry/black raspberry jam is thick syrup, not jam.

That sounds like it would be amazing over waffles/pancakes.

 

[Sally PB]

That sounds like it would be amazing over waffles/pancakes.

Yes, it does!

 

[jerryse]

Should be the last hot humid day. Heat index warning today. Raccoons destroyed the popcorn patch. Just tasseled. Not really much of a cob yet to eat for them.

 

[Wee Farmer Sarah]

Did you mean black Australorps @karenerwin? I got 6 chicks in March. They are such sweet birds they rate their own coop and run.