What did you do in the garden today?

[Elyrian1]

about coop: consider rats as well.

Definitely, rats, weasels, coyotes, wild dogs, hawks, etc. I'm planning for them all. The only thing that's really hard to account for is humans, but most of the neighbors have chickens too, so not too worried about that.

 

[Acre4Me]

So question: you can water bath can anything that tests under 4.6? Right?

I'm experimenting with cowboy candy for DH & I but we don't use sugar so I'm testing out some natural sweeteners. I know in a lot of recipes sugar helps with preserving, but as long as it's under 4.6 I can water bath can it without sugar, correct? It tests at high 2s because of the vinegar.

Yes, your pH Is low. Generally anything “pickled” with vinegar is low enough to water bath can. I know these are sweet, with sugar. What kinds of natural sugars will you be using?

 

[Acre4Me]

Hahaha…

apparently -40F here right now. Sorry tomatoes, you’d be toast if this was true! In actuality it’s 85F as noted in the small numbers. I really hope this is not a glimpse into this winter.

It’s on the “Wunderground” app. Clearly a glitch. Always funny to catch the online glitches. Last year I found a large item for sale at a big box store (online) that was more expensive on sale…

 

[Sally PB]

Freya "helped" me haul 4 cartloads of compost up the hill to the heavy soil garden. I plan to till that area really well this fall, then add gobs of wood chips when we get the trees too close to the house taken down.

That garden was ... disappointing, I'd say. I won't bother with melons again. I might put a butternut squash up there, but I'm thinking it'll be all tomatoes and peppers.

 

[Sueby]

Yes, your pH Is low. Generally anything “pickled” with vinegar is low enough to water bath can. I know these are sweet, with sugar. What kinds of natural sugars will you be using?

That's what I thought, thanks. I meant natural sugar alternatives, forgot the word alternative! So nothing like honey or syrup, but I have monk fruit, allulose, stevia, xylitol & not natural at all, splenda. I hate xylitol & DH hates splenda so we'll see what I can come up with - some sort of a mix probably.

I'm sooo disappointed with these jalapenos - they taste like bell peppers! Not even a hint of heat. I'm glad I tried a small batch, I'm going to have to add some cayenne to the Christmas ones & haberneros to ours.

 

[BReeder!]

I'm sooo disappointed with these jalapenos - they taste like bell peppers!

They may have not been stressed enough. Heat is increased with a bit of drought. Once the pepper plants were established this year I didn't bother watering them much and mine turned out HOT!

 

[NewBoots]

Not sure why I love this so much, but I do - maybe because the prey/predator drama is easier to admire when it's about insects instead of fuzzy mammals.

I had the same reaction, the swoop in and strike was just amazing to me. No buzzing around, just bam, like a lightning bolt!

We've tried so hard to keep our baby fruit trees alive, but some are not going to survive. The PNW is supposed to be wet, WTH? This weekend we're supposed to get major rain, just in time to split my tomatoes, boo.

Yeah our baby fruit trees are just a year old so they don't have deep tap roots yet so we've really had to baby them to just keep them alive. We've really got our fingers crossed for the rain that's supposed to be coming this weekend.

I'm sooo disappointed with these jalapenos - they taste like bell peppers! Not even a hint of heat. I'm glad I tried a small batch, I'm going to have to add some cayenne to the Christmas ones & haberneros to ours.

That is so strange, what do you think caused it? Bad seed?

The rest will go towards a chiffon cake, and I don't know maybe poundcake for the freezer.

This made me look up a lemon pound cake for the next time I have too many eggs.

I likely will use the remaining tomatoes for a fresh sauce.

I wish fresh salsas stayed good for longer, I love home canned salsa but salsa fresca is just so good!

We've been promised a good soaking rain over the next 2 days. In fact I just picked a huge bin of tomatoes to be canned tomorrow, trying to avoid the cracking.

It's got to be 20 pounds and you can't see the cherry tomatoes that I'll be drying. Plus I must have picked another 5 pounds that wouldn't fit in the tub, and the cracked or otherwise spoiled ones the chickens got.

And here is my loyal garden helper:

She is such a good girl, we were so lucky to get her. She was so scared and barky at the shelter, she hardly ever barks now and calms quickly. She's still afraid of strangers and is much harder to calm then but we have plenty of time and patience.

 

[chickengr]

That's what I thought, thanks. I meant natural sugar alternatives, forgot the word alternative! So nothing like honey or syrup, but I have monk fruit, allulose, stevia, xylitol & not natural at all, splenda. I hate xylitol & DH hates splenda so we'll see what I can come up with - some sort of a mix probably.

I'm sooo disappointed with these jalapenos - they taste like bell peppers! Not even a hint of heat. I'm glad I tried a small batch, I'm going to have to add some cayenne to the Christmas ones & haberneros to ours.

welcome to the sweet jalapeno's club! I will never ever buy seeds in a discount supermarket again. we were in a lockdown so I had no choice.

 

[chickengr]

They may have not been stressed enough. Heat is increased with a bit of drought. Once the pepper plants were established this year I didn't bother watering them much and mine turned out HOT!

I have 3 other hot varieties besides jalapenos. only jalapenos are sweet. so no excuse for not being hot.

 

[jerryse]

Morning . I tried finding canning lids only local . No luck I did find wide mouth with rings . After trying 3 places I ordered online . Be here Monday .