Canning season is in full swing here. Just wondering who's canning, etc., what. Anything unusual? Are you having fun?

-- Cindy (atilrthehony_1@yahoo.com), July 29, 2000

Answers

I processed 200 ears of corn yesterday. Last year after cutting all the corn off the cob with a kitchen knife I decided to buy one of those corn shellers that you place on top of a bowl and scrape the ear over the cutter. I figured it would be faster, cleaner and easier. I tried it and went back to my knife. I found it difficult to push the cob over the cutter and then it wouldn't cut close to the cob or cut off all the kernels.. Does anyone have a suggestion on cutting the kernels off the cob in an easier, less messy way than a knife?

-- R. (thor610@yahoo.com), July 30, 2000.

This is highly unorthodox method for shelling sweet corn but so effective ! I'll try to explain it: I use a 14 volt, reversibe Dewalt cordless drill with a drywall screw in the chuck. Drill the screw in the fat end than push the thin end of the cob against a board that has a 16 penny nail in it thus creating a lathe. My wife/daughter or anyone standing around holds a wood chisel(we use a 5/8 inch one) and peels the corn right off the cob. It takes 5 or 10 ears to get a rythem going but we can can about 50 quarts a day with only the family and 2 pressure cookers going To remove the cob--reverse the drill.

-- Joel Rosen (Joel681@webtv.net), July 30, 2000.

R, we use a corn cutterr from Nichol's catalog. I guess they still sell them. It looks like a very huge hairpin with a expandable circle in the middle. The circle has very sharp teeth. Put a long nail up through the middle of a wooden cutting board/piece of untreated wood, put the cob standing up on the nail, slide cutter down ear. Saves time and energy. Joel, have you thought of getting a patent?

-- Cindy (atilrthehony_1@yahoo.com), July 30, 2000.

We've had a very wet, cool summer, so my garden has been slow. (N.Y.) I tried the sauerkraut in a jar, it's been 3 or 4 days and not much is happening, doesn't seem to be "fermenting", if that's the correct term. Should I toss it and try again? I made some bread and butter pickles, dried a lot of herbs for tea and salves, froze a ton of blueberries, and made strawberry, peach and cherry jam. I picked up a used pressure canner (my first) recently, and so far all I've done with it is soups. Can't wait to try other things. I chop and freeze the green peppers, greenbeans, corn and beets, as a rule. This year I'm going to chop and dry onions and garlic. I planted hubbard squash for the first time, seems to be doing well. The tomatos don't have so much as a HINT of red yet! My perennial flower bed is absolutely gorgeous, thanks to all this rain! Am I having fun? Oh. yes!

-- Cathy Horn (hrnofplnty@webtv.net), July 30, 2000.

I think Black and Decker holds the patent on the Dewalt drill-Stanley on the chisel and who knows on the screw and nail. The method is "job needing done/ time alloted " survival. Hillybilly ingenuity is dis-allowed by the government patent office. Pay to buy a license for my own accomplishments ? NO--Let's share the knowledge and both be the better for it !

-- JoeL Rosen (Joel681@webtv.net), July 30, 2000.

I have Strawberry-Rhubarb jam, Raspberry-Rhubarb jam, strawberry jam, and cherry jam, and frozen rhubarb so far. My peas and beans are setting on very well and should be ready in about a week or so. Saw peaches, blueberries, and raspberries advertised for sale, am hoping to get some of each if the price is right. I should have quite a few beets to pickle, and cucumbers are starting to come on good too. My garden is doing well this year, except for the tomatoes. They are all lush plant and few tomatoes. Like maybe 24 tomatoes on 24 plants!!! Did I overfertilize? Should also have lots of spuds. I am trying eggplant for th first time this year, also watermelon and cantaloupe. We are probably too far north for those, but I'm hoping... Started those in my greenhouse. Cantaloupes have been blossemed out for a couple weeks, but don't see any melons setting on very well yet, same with eggplant. It's my husband's goal to have watermelon for Christmas this year. This is so fun, I love it. We just need a milk cow now. I found the top for a butter churn, any ideas where to find a jar to fit? I'm afraid that will be a lost cause. I see Lehman's has the replacement jars for their churns, but the I.D. is about 1/4 inch different in size. Would it work to make butter in a mixer at low speed? I guess it's worth a try. Good luck with your gardens everyone.

-- Patti (trigger@mcn.net), July 30, 2000.

Jam, jam, and more jam!!! We go through about two pints of jam a week here, sometimes more if I make a fancy dessert and want a glaze or a pool of it on a plate. So far -- in the last four days -- I've made apricot, strawberry, saskatoonberry, nectarine, plum, and kiwi daquiri (anyone wanting the recipe for THIS little gem, just email me!!!)

Next week I'll probably start processing veggies -- depending on whether or not I can find a replacement rubber seal for my old pressure canner.

-- Tracy (trimmer@westzone.com), July 30, 2000.

Starting spinach pesto this week. Got the garlic peeled and the spinach picked (no basil this year), jars washed, and will start tomorrow a.m. before my first class. Picked cherries this week but froze them...I will deal with them later when I have time. Just been freezing stuff mostly so far. We put about 40 lbs of salmon in. Guess not really answering your question!

Btw, for folks with limited water, how do you wash your leaf stuff? Washing spinach takes lots of water! Even using deep sinks...

-- sheepish (rborgo@gte.net), July 31, 2000.

I'm canning peas this week. I have 4 bushels shelled, in the fridge waiting to be canned this morning. We will pick more this afternoon. Tomorrow I'm going to can 4 gal. of blackberry juice without sugar so I can make jelly later. If the Amish still have tomatoes I'll can a couple of buckets of tomatoes. Ours are making enough to eat but the weather has whammied most of them. We are going to have to pick the apples before they get really ripe because of the Japanese Beetles. We've been fighting them off the grape arbor without much luck. You'd think after the cudzoo, lovebug fiasco's that the "experts" would stop trying to improve on Gods plan for where stuff should be. These beetles are ruining everything that gets in their way. Peggy

-- Peggy (wclpc@cookeville.com), July 31, 2000.

A contribution for creaming corn...

Get a mayo jar lid; turn it upside down on a piece of wood; using a hammer & nail make about 20 - 40 holes in the lid. The holes should be going from the 'bottom' (threaded side) to the top.

Hold the ear of corn in one hand and the jar lid in the other; rub the ear of corn to burst the kernels then turn the lid over and use the lid edge to scrap off the corn. Sort of messy but very effective and pretty quick.

Works good and just about zero cost.

j

-- j (jw_hsv@yahoo.com), July 31, 2000.

Green beans are up. Probably one more marathon day left on those. Tomatoes are just about ready for major processing. Corn is due any day. Sauerkraut is out of the crock and in the jars. I'd like to set another one out with what i put in the freezer. Zuchinni and squash are in the freezer or dehytrating. watermellon jelly and Blackberry jam done, but I'm on the hunt for some peaches and strawberries that aren't outrageous. Broccoli is in the freezer. Peppers are getting red and I'm just about ready to make salsa. I'd like to try out some vegetable soup this year....working up the courage. I've already done three new things that I've never tried this year and I'm wondering how much excitement the hubby can take!!!! Hope everyone else's garden has done as well as ours this year. We can't process enough or give it all away! I thank God every day for this blessing.

-- Jennifer (KY) (acornfork@hotmail.com), July 31, 2000.

Sheepish, this probably doesn't solve your water/wash the greens problem, but I used to work at a farm market. The people that picked bushes of mustard, turnip greens etc. used their washing machines. I tried it, works great. Sure saves time. Wash soap residue out of washer tub first, then put the greens in for a spin in cold water, gentle cycle.

-- Cindy (atilrthehony_1@yahoo.com), July 31, 2000.

Wow! Cindy, I'll try it! I wash my wool in my machine, why not my vegetables? Don't think I'll try taking a bath in it myself just yet! Thanks for the tip...like a big salad spinner, eh?

-- sheepish (rborgo@gte.net), July 31, 2000.

we are freezing green peppers and mild bananna peppers, drying onions, canning green beans and just tonite had a first meal of sweet corn Yummy!! the gardens doing well considering all the storms and wind,tomatoes are plenty but green yet. jelly, red and black raspberry. potatoes and carrots still doing well also doing pickles.

-- julie (nelson3@bright.net), July 31, 2000.

Today I canned veggie soup and green beans. Also been working on 2 bushels of peaches, our tree was good to us this year. Oh, and thanks for reminding me that I should go pick black raspberries. I make all my jelly/jam in the cold winter months. I freeze all the juice until then. Then I combine flavors and experiment with the little bits of this and that that are left over. I would love Patti's rhubarb jam recipes. I dont think we will be worrying about sweet corn, the coons are certainly enjoying it though. I though maybe I would go crazy with tomatoes this year and planted about 40 plants thinking that I would sell some of the extra. Good thing I did as it looks like our wet june weather caused blight and the crop will not be very great.

One other thing that I thought I would mention, I read the thread about canning cantalope and pears together. I asked our extention offc and she said that it wouldnt be high enough in acid to water bath can that. Just thought I would throw that out there. Tami in WI

-- Tami Bowser (windridg@chorus.net), August 02, 2000.

You guys make me sick! So far, we have frozen peas and rhubarb. I don't much care for canned peas. We have also frozen @ 55 chickens (we sell some) and are anticipating the beans, which we do can. I also have returned to a knife for the corn, having tried the "hairpin" cutter, which I find must require dexterity exceeding mine. I have put up 7 qts of crunchy dills according to Tracy's recipe, and have another 10 gallons in brine to pickle according to Lesley's recipe, or my own experimental one. Garden looks good, but we are just beginning. GL from Maine!

-- Brad (Homefixer@SacoRiver.net), August 02, 2000.

Brad -- You've FROZEN 55 CHICKENS? Just how big a freezer do you have???

I'm starting on my veggies today -- then pickling beets (hubby and the kids love them this way).

-- Tracy (trimmer@westzone.com), August 02, 2000.

Well, actually, we have 2 freezers. A 23' for meat and a 16' for other things. 55 chickens is only about 300 lbs of chicken, and 1/3 of that is in other folks freezers. We're pretty low on most stuff at this time of year, so it all fits. I believe chicken is the cornerstone of a homesteader's larder. I can do it all by myself, which I cannot do with a beef or a hog or sheep, and don't want to with a turkey, although we raise or trade for all. Picked our first tomatoes today! Eat your heart out, Greenlanders! GL!

-- Brad (Homefixer@SacoRiver.net), August 04, 2000.

Patti-a mixer will work fine for butter, also a blender. Just have to be careful not to overmix. Just putting cream in a jar and shaking will work too. Cathy- on drying onions, no need to chop first, Slice, dry and crumble. Much faster and easier. Gardens not doing well here. Weather too extreme this year. I'm having to slow way down because of health anyway. Good luck. I envy you all your gardens and your energy.

-- Barbara Fischer (bfischer42@hotmail.com), August 05, 2000.