What did you do in the garden today?

[CNJ]

I mentioned last month that I was doing a study with a 1/4-inch wicking rope run through the bottom of a 4-inch net cup filled with coco chips, placed into a lid and 5-gallon bucket of nutrient solution.

I have four 5-gallon Kratky buckets hooked up to a float valve/water nutrient reservoir and the level is set at 6 inches, so I had to install an open and close valve on each bucket in order to initially start with a higher nutrient level.

The wicking rope kept the coco chips moist, and the roots and nutrient level eventually reached the 6-inch mark off the bottom or 8 inches off the top of the bucket. I opened the valve on each bucket today to keep the nutrient level of each bucket at 6 inches off the bottom.

My previous tomato plant's roots in these same buckets weren't as healthy as this new batch. I used clay pebbles without the wicking rope in my previous grow out, so I conclude that the wicking rope made a huge difference in this extremely hot area.

Notice how moist the coco chips are with the water level way below the net cup.

 

[CNJ]

This is what I take:
View attachment 3631208

The instructions on my one a day vitamin says not to take extra zinc, so I have a bottle full of them.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Thanks. I am looking forward to trying it out.

Since you seem to have some experience in this area, if you vacuum seal bags of veggies to put in the freezer, do you still have to blanch them first? I was told that if I blanch my beans, for example, before freezing them in normal bags, that they would taste fresher later on when we take them out to cook. Would you still recommend blanching the beans (and other veggies) before vacuum sealing them?

I do not blanch my veggies before sealing wash in cold water drain and freeze

 

[karenerwin]

@TJAnonymous and @gtaus i have the Food Saver brand vacuum sealer (Walmart carries it as does many other places here). I have had mine probably 10 years and use it all the time. I recently found a bag of sliced peaches in my freezer from 2017. They looked perfect. I used them to make a cobbler and it was delicious! I had other bags ( just ziplock , not vacuum sealed) of peaches from last year and they had turned brown and were very soft and mushy. I had to throw those out.
I also vacuum seal meats and veggies (yes, I blanch the veggies first) and it works wonderfully for those too.
If I have liquid ( like soups) that I want to vacuum seal I first seal one end of the bag, fill with the soup ( or whatever ) stand it in the freezer until frozen and then vacuum seal the other end.
Hubby still in the hospital. Might come home Saturday

 

[MROO]

Not entering the State Fair anymore. Period.
I got the comment cards back today along with the ribbons.
The state fair does NOT open jars and taste or test foods entered in the canning category, UNLESS they look like they are not what they say they are or are packed in oil or alcohol instead of what they should be packed in. It says so right in the rule book, they don't open or taste.
So basically they are judge on how pretty they are, which is nuts, but whatever.
So I never know how things are going to work out and I work extra hard to make things presentable.
My pickle slices were wavy cut, and had staged spices and bay leaf front and center lined up with the Golden Harvest logo and the lid lined up with that. It looked like a magazine prop.
I couldn't figure out how I came in 4th when 1st place was a quart jar of spears with no spices in it, and almost 3 inches of nothing in the bottom of the jar and spears floating at the top.
2nd and 3rd were so loosely packed they were only half full.
The comment on my card for 4th place, some bits of the pickle slices sticking up above the liquid.
UM, I handed over my entry in perfect condition, it was driven by fair employees 200 miles, handed over to other people to store at the fair, and then handled by others for display. I have NO control over that, and it doesn't matter anyway. Pickles should be TIGHTLY packed.
Then I look at my other entry cards.
2nd for Tomato PUREE. "Tastes wonderful, should think about simmering longer to thicken."
UM JAR was still vacuumed sealed when I saw it after judging at the fair. NO WAY it was opened. Concave lids are OBVIOUS. and it's puree not paste. I had simmered it from 6qts down to 3.
#1 entry, the jelly, comment "amazing color and marvelous taste" again, after judging, i saw my jars, NOT OPENED!!!!
What the flying frick???
IF I do the fair next year, I'm on the judging panel!

Sounds like it's time for a letter to the Fair Board!

 

[gtaus]

I do not blanch my veggies before sealing wash in cold water drain and freeze

Hmm... One says blanch, another says no blanch. I was hoping there might be a consensus on the subject, but I see different people have different methods.

 

[gtaus]

@TJAnonymous and @gtaus i have the Food Saver brand vacuum sealer (Walmart carries it as does many other places here). I have had mine probably 10 years and use it all the time. I recently found a bag of sliced peaches in my freezer from 2017. They looked perfect. I used them to make a cobbler and it was delicious! I had other bags ( just ziplock , not vacuum sealed) of peaches from last year and they had turned brown and were very soft and mushy. I had to throw those out.
I also vacuum seal meats and veggies (yes, I blanch the veggies first) and it works wonderfully for those too.
If I have liquid ( like soups) that I want to vacuum seal I first seal one end of the bag, fill with the soup ( or whatever ) stand it in the freezer until frozen and then vacuum seal the other end.
Hubby still in the hospital. Might come home Saturday

Hope your hubby has a fast recovery.

Thanks for the info on the vacuum sealer. I had no idea that vacuum sealed foods would last that long.

If you vacuum seal soups, do you just reheat the whole package in a pot of water or do you have to empty the bag into the pot? I could see making one person sized portions of soup, vacuum sealed and frozen, then just drop in it a pot of boiling water for a quick meal and very little mess. That is, if you can cook the soup in the bag.

 

[chickengr]

This is the poor man's version of a vacuum sealer. I've tried it before and it sort of works. Not as good as a real vacuum sealer, but better than nothing. I think the narration in this video is AI generated, sounds a little strange.

I just push the air by hand. have been doing it for years. I use sealer only when I freeze big quantities.

 

[chickengr]

Thanks. I am looking forward to trying it out.

Since you seem to have some experience in this area, if you vacuum seal bags of veggies to put in the freezer, do you still have to blanch them first? I was told that if I blanch my beans, for example, before freezing them in normal bags, that they would taste fresher later on when we take them out to cook. Would you still recommend blanching the beans (and other veggies) before vacuum sealing them?

I always blanche.

 

[chickengr]

This is what I take:
View attachment 3631208

I take zinc from food:

https://www.everydayhealth.com/pict... you know that nutritious,mg) in 1 cooked cup.