Having more time available now

[Mowingmaniac 24/7]

2MG,

You're gardens made me green with envy!

Very, very impressive!!

 

[2ManyGuns]

Thank you, just a lot of hard work! I am waiting for the cabbage to make heads. If you know what an Elephant Ear plant is, the cabbage leaves are about the same size!! The variety is supposed to make 6 to 9 pound heads! If it does oh boy!

 

[2ManyGuns]

So, in an effort to increase my options in the canning, food prep arena, I have ordered a 30 quart All American Pressure Canner. At the end of the last canning season the prices of these had skyrocketed. Back down to the normal high price, but it will increase my production options. Should be arriving Thursday, 1/21/21.

 

[2ManyGuns]

Arrived a day early! This is a beast! Cannot wait for first use!

 

[2ManyGuns]

Ordered today Strawberry's, Blueberry's and Black Raspberry's! getting ready to expand the food production.

 

[2ManyGuns]

Today, cleaned and prepared 3 beds for potatoes, 1 for carrots, the corn plot and built some more "shelves" for potting the strawberries when they arrive. Tomorrow I will plant potatoes and carrots, start mixing soil for the strawberry pots and the pots I will be planting bush beans in. I think this will be the last year I plant bush beans and I will go with strictly pole type, the yield seems to be much better. I still have a lot of bush type seed left, so I will plant them. I also plan to build the beds for the blueberry's and raspberries. If I have the energy on Monday (I took a vacation day) I may start the trellises for cucumbers, pole beans and tomatoes.

 

[2ManyGuns]

As mentioned in another thread, canning kraut today, 11 quarts and 3 pints. 4 more heads of cabbage in the outside fridge. Making use of my time off of work due to the cold snap. This sort of reminds me of the first snow I saw when I was 4 years old! I am not inclined to be out in it like I was then.

Using a simple recipe 1 teaspoon each of sugar ,salt , and vinegar to each jar several sprigs of dill that I picked and froze last weekend. Stuff clean, sterilized jars with the dill and freshly sliced cabbage (mine is hand sliced, so it is wider than a food processer), add the sugar ,salt and vinegar pour over hot water till fill line, clean jar rims, seal and hand tighten. Quarts water bath for 20 minutes, pints 10 minutes.

You could also add caraway seed for Bavarian style kraut, I dislike that type. What I will do with this after 4 weeks, is stir fry and crisp some bacon, crumble or just cut fairly fine, drain the drippings and stir into the kraut as a side. If you like you could stir in a teaspoon of flour to "thicken" as well. The way granny made it!

 

[2ManyGuns]

The strawberry's (bare root) and blueberry's arrived today! I planted them as soon as I returned home from work. Planted 20 strawberry and 4 blueberry. Still awaiting the raspberry plants, they have been shipped, just in transit. I have normally ordered live plants from Burpee, they used to be the best, but Gurney's is giving them a run for their money. The plants arrived well packaged, green and appeared to be VERY healthy! I am very happy with this order.

The freeze devastated the cabbage and Brussel sprouts, oh well shit happens, but the carrots have sprouted, and after trimming back the asparagus, they are already sending up new shoots. I need to get out and trim the tangerine and lemon trees tomorrow, extensive damage to the foliage! I hope I can salvage them.

 

[2ManyGuns]

So tonight is poker night, I did not prune the trees. But, I did plant (seeds), yellow squash, zucchini, bush beans (43 2.5 gallon nursery pots with 3 seeds to the pot), sweet corn, asparagus, watermelon and some marigolds for pest control. I need a nap, it will probably be a long night. Tomorrow I will try to get sets started for peppers, sweet, jalapeno, serrano, tomatoes and maybe eggplant. Going to plant some leaf-type lettuce , pole beans and cucumbers.