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Hello again!
It has been a while since publishing a podcast, ( mostly due to being on the road on multiple cross country trailer hauls of personal belongings).
Many of you emailed and posted your concerns on facebook. For that I am so grateful, and cannot wrap my head around how gracious all of you are.
I especially want to thank the following listeners who emailed at a time I really needed some encouragement – and it worked.
- Amba Coltman
- John Watton
- Missouri Damon
- Cager Clabaugh
There are many more of you who contacted me and I just wanted to thank you again.
I have also been busy prepping the new “farm” out here in Calif Gosh, there is a lot to do!
- Soil amending
- Digging
- Rocks
- Clay
- Raised Beds
- Collecting Horse Manure for compost – remember “Manure Safari’s?”
Hot Weather Gardening
Many of us here in the States have been experiencing above normal temps for extended amounts of time. Couple that with drought, and our gardens all take a beating.
This week I talk a little about an interesting newspaper article of tips for your garden in hot weather, and I also talk a bit about how to take care of yourself while gardening in hot temps, something I learned well living in South Texas.
There is a growing trend in removing lawns too. Whether its for traditional landscaping or ( in my mind) a better solution is edible landscaping. Here is the link I mentioned in the podcast from the Sacramento Bee about how one man now only uses 12% of the water is lawn used to need.
Removing Lawns
http://www.sacbee.com/2012/07/21/4637931/many-sacramento-gardeners-are.html
Preserving the Harvest
Well, the canning season is upon us! Everything from tomatoes, to zuchini seems to be coming to harvest time.
I was reminded of that recently when my sister-in-law invited me to a joint canning session. She had an over abundance of plums so we decided to make some plum jam.
Neither of us had made a jam before so we thought it would be a good experience. We simply followed the basic recipe provided with the pectin ( used to thicken certain preserved foods) and it worked perfectly.
One thing I did learn though was the importance of a “rolling boil”. A rolling boil is when the mixture is boiling so well that when you stir it, the mixture continues to boil and not slow down. I did not have this boiling enough or long enough one year when I made strawberry jam. It wasn’t thick enough for a jam, so we ended up using it as an ice cream topping.
Lesson Learned.
3 Main Methods for Preserving
- Canning
- Freezing
- Dehydrating
I almost believe a vacuum pack sealer could go in here too as it extends the life of whatever you package with it. Everything I put in the freezer is vacuumed with my Food Saver first.
I heartily recommend one.
Till next episode….
Steve
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{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Steve,
Just as you were behind in getting your podcasts out, I have been behind in listening to a number of podcasts! I love your show and appreciate the time you take into putting your shows together.
I did have a concern about the methods of food preservation you were suggesting. I know you try to avoid being too preachy about any given thing, but the suggestion of freezing as a way of putting up your produce, to me, seems unsustainable, especially using the method you describe. Yes freezing does the best job of maintaining freshness, but in the event of a prolonged power outage, all this food will be spoiled unless you can use it in a couple of days. Further, they require a dependency on fossil fuels to keep it stored, and if we are trying to help the planet then finding ways of food preservation that don’t require fossil fuel energy will, in the long term, be a better solution. The freezing method you talked about has single-use, plastic bags which will end up in the landfill.
Dehydration does not require electricity in climates that have low humidity, i.e., you don’t need a dehydrator to preserve food in this way. I read in a book (Sharon Astyk? I think) a suggestion of arranging mesh trays in your vehicle on days you aren’t driving, since temperatures can often get over 100 degrees and will dry food in no time.
Also, I wanted to point out cold storage as an option. This might not work for climates like Texas or California, but in many other places on the continent, cold storage is the ideal place for onions, garlic, apples, potatoes, and other root vegetables.
I’m currently on Vancouver Island in British Columbia and am about to move to east North Carolina, so will have a whole new gardening experience to learn. Thanks again for your show!
Thanks for your excellent comments- all true. I think I will address them in more detail, in an upcoming podcast. Basically, I am trying to get beginners to start somewhere. Frequently, freezing is less intimidating for beginners or urban dwellers. However, our dependence on foreign ( or domestic oil) is creating a whole new problem.
You correctly stated you believed I tried to “not be preachy”. But in the process I am missing sharing important information with budding gardeners. As I go forward, I think I will try and change that to a degree.
Thanks so much for the very well articulated posting. I do appreciate it!
Great show Steve!
I’m still trying to get my head around how things are grown in California, but are you revving up to do any fall gardening?
Although we did get a late start we are getting better results than expected. meantime, I am getting a lot of produce from the local farmers Market and my sister-in-law who has an active garden.
been busy canning plum Jam, dehydrating tomatoes ( until my canning gear arrives), and all sorts of things with peaches. Nothing better than local peaches in the middle of January-February! Then around November the Mandarin Oranges come in and we get busy again.
Fall gardening? Of course! Right now looking at Kale, Spinach, Romaine Lettuce, and Snap Peas. Very mild winters here so can grow outdoors with little cover year round. Am looking at a greenhouse though for some added benefits like early start on seedlings and protection from the gophers.
Hi Steve,
I was glad to see your July podcast turn-up; as always, it was a gooder. I understand you are going through a lot of changes and challenges..it’s a nice luxury for your listeners that you keep the podcast going through it all! Keep up the good work, and take care of yourself.
Thanks, and I look forward to the next installment.
Wylie Pilgrim, in Alberta Canada.