Bless My Bloomers |
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Finally we are seeing more spring like temperatures. Gardens are being planted, flowers are blooming and the birds are nesting. It was such a pleasure to see these guys hanging around my house the last few days.  It is also a joy to see so many beautiful flowers. Enjoy your Spring!   
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Spring, a time I await with bated breath for the sweet smell of flowers and dandelion jelly. Here is my recipe for dandelion jelly. YUM! 2 cup dandelion blossoms, washed and flowers trimmed of calyx 4 cup water 1 package (1-3/4 oz.) powdered fruit pectin 5-1/2 cup sugar 1/2 tablespoon lemon extract (if desired) Bring dandelion blossoms and water to a boil; boil 4 minutes. Meanwhile line a strainer with a coffee filter. Place over bowl. When dandelion tea has been boiled pour mixture into prepared strainer. Reserve 3 cup liquid. Discard blossoms. In large pot, combine pectin and reserved dandelion liquid. Bring to a full rolling boil. Stir in sugar and return to a full rolling boil. Boil 1 minute stirring constantly. Remove from heat; add extract if using, skim off foam. Fill jars leaving 1/8" head space. Process as per extension guidelines or per your canners instructions.  On a nice early spring day go outside to an area where you don't spray or pets don't roam and pick 6 cups of the dandelion blossoms. Bring in and remove the blossoms from the calyx. The better you do this, the better the flavor. If you leave to many greens attached the jelly will be bitter.  Once you have all the blossom ends pulled off, rinse well. If you have any large green pieces remove them as you see them. You should have about 2 cups of blossoms.  Place the dandelion blossoms in a pot with 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil and boil for 4 minutes. While waiting for the tea to boil, place a coffee filter in a strainer. Once tea has boiled, strain the mixture through the coffee filter reserving 3 cups of liquid. Discard blossoms. In a large pot, combine the pectin and reserved dandelion liquid. Bring to a full rolling boil, stir in sugar and bring back to a full rolling boil. Boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, add extract if you are using it. Skim off foam. Fill jars leaving 1/8" head space. Process.  You will have this beautiful golden jelly that tastes like honey, (if you don't use lemon) or a lightly lemon flavored jelly. Great on biscuits and pancakes.
If you make this, let me know how it turned out. One of my shelving units One of my freezers
Last years garden harvest was one of the best we have had in years. It is amazing to me with all the rain we had in early Spring, that our plants and seeds survived. All Summer long I canned, froze and dried produce until I didn't want to see another bucket of tomatoes or squash. Finally after having enough of canning and running out of jars, I knew there had to be a way of using all the excess vegetables. I had already frozen more vegetables than two people could every eat. We gave away an enormous amount of produce, I knew I could do something with the rest of those vegetables. A light bulb moment! Why not cook them and make vegetable broth. So that is just what I did. Below is the recipe I came up with, it is very easy to do and is great when making soup all Winter. Vegetable Broth 3 cups chopped onion 1 cup chopped carrot As many fresh vegetables as can fit in your stock pot. I used zucchini and other squash, beans as that is what I had an abundance of. 1 cup parsley stems 5 - 10 thyme sprigs 2-3 bay leaves peppercorns about 1 tablespoon water to cover vegetables Allow the vegetables to come to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour or longer. The longer it cooks, the stronger flavor of the herbs and vegetables. Allow to cool, pour through a strainer, saving the liquid. Put the solids in the compost bin. I do not use salt, that is because of a specific diet we are on. After the broth is cooled pour into freezer containers and freeze. This keeps for up to a year and is a great base for soups. There are a multitude of ways to keep a gardening journal. If you are like me- I can't remember from one year to the next where I planted what and which varieties, thus I began a garden journal. Keeping a gardening journal gives you a written record of your garden layouts, successes and failures. |
 | As years progress my journal has gotten much more informative. Like varieties, what worked what didn't. |
Tips on keeping gardening records:
Why have one? Keeps info organized
Helps avoid repeat mistakes
Helps recall accomplishments
What to put in your journal? Here are a few ideas.
Varieties used
Where planted
When planted
How much was harvested and when
Sketch of your garden layout
Plant sources
Pictures of your garden
Saved seed packets or the tabs in pots when you buy plants
List of companion plants
Pests encountered and when they arrived
The ideas and ways of putting a journal together are endless and well worth the time. This year I think I will start a binder and use tabs for specific areas. I also add rain amounts for each month. I jot down the amount of rain and when on my calendar, then at the end of the month put it in my journal. It is also fun for me to se when we got those potatoes planted, rarely before St. Patrick's Day, and how much produce we get. Why not give it a try and HAVE FUN!
Why have one? Keeps info organized
Helps avoid repeat mistakes
Helps recall accomplishments
What to put in your journal? Here are a few ideas.
Varieties used
Where planted
When planted
How much was harvested and when
Sketch of your garden layout
Plant sources
Pictures of your garden
Saved seed packets or the tabs in pots when you buy plants
List of companion plants
Pests encountered and when they arrived
The ideas and ways of putting a journal together are endless and well worth the time. This year I think I will start a binder and use tabs for specific areas. I also add rain amounts for each month. I jot down the amount of rain and when on my calendar, then at the end of the month put it in my journal. It is also fun for me to se when we got those potatoes planted, rarely before St. Patrick's Day, and how much produce we get. Why not give it a try and HAVE FUN!
Once again it is time to think about the seeds and plants we want to try for the upcoming growing season. Decisions on what to grow and what to try are never easy to make. I have a gardening journal where I write down the varieties of vegetables and seeds we plant each year. This comes in handy when I am looking at my new catalogs. Every year I purchase my regulars, ( vegetable and flower seeds that I trust and that produce well), however I am always looking to try something different.
Last year I was given a start of a fig tree, we were so surprised it had so many figs. This is a tree I probably would have never tried if it were my decision, however I am so glad we received such a nice gift.
As I ponder over the beautiful photos of vegetables and flowers in these catalogs I always wonder if I can get the same result. Here are a few things to consider when purchasing seeds.
* Consider what each plant needs.
water, sunlight, soil conditions, and length of harvest.
* Consider how pest and disease resistant the variety is.
Certain strains of vegetables are more susceptible to things such as root rot or other diseases.
* Space
Make sure you have enough room in your garden to grow the variety of vegetable you are looking at.
Curl up by the fire, grab your seed catalogs and start planning.
Every time about now someone gives me a beautiful Poinsettia plant. For many years I was lucky to keep it alive through the month, however I learned the following tips which has made me much more successful.
Keep your Poinsettia plant near a sunny window where it will have the most available sunlight. A Poinsettia thrives with at least 5 hours of sunlight so a window that faces south, east or west is best.
Do not let the soil in the Poinsettia pot dry out. If you feel dryness of the soil upon touching it, water it until the water runs freely out the drainage hole. It is essential that the pot allows drainage as it is easy for a Poinsettia to get waterlogged.
Ideal temperature for the plant to thrive is 65 to 70 degrees F. during the daytime. Keep cooler at night, however do not put in a room cooler than 60 degrees F. as root rot disease is more prevalent at lower temperatures.
Good Luck and may your Poinsettias be beautiful for a long time.
Do not let the soil in the Poinsettia pot dry out. If you feel dryness of the soil upon touching it, water it until the water runs freely out the drainage hole. It is essential that the pot allows drainage as it is easy for a Poinsettia to get waterlogged.
Ideal temperature for the plant to thrive is 65 to 70 degrees F. during the daytime. Keep cooler at night, however do not put in a room cooler than 60 degrees F. as root rot disease is more prevalent at lower temperatures.
Good Luck and may your Poinsettias be beautiful for a long time.
It is November and many of us are thinking about that tasty Thanksgiving meal. So I was curious about cranberries. Here are some interesting facts about that strange berry.
*Cranberries are one of three fruits native to North America. The other two are the concord grape and the blueberry.
*The name "Cranberry" probably came about because the flower looked like the head of a crane.
*Ripe cranberries bounce-hence their alternate name "bounceberry".
*Cranberries are a hearty plant that thrives in acidic soil with few nutrients.
* Contrary to popular belief, cranberries do not grow in water. Cranberries are a perennial plant, that grow on low-running vines in sandy bogs and marshes. Because cranberries float, some bogs are flooded when the fruit is ready for harvesting.
*Cranberries were used by Native Americans for food and medicine, the anti-inflammatory capabilities made it a powerful healing agent.
* Cranberries were also used as fabric dyes.
Sweet potatoes should be harvested no later than the first fall freeze because cold temperatures can damage the sensitive roots. We harvest ours a little earlier than that because we like smaller sweet potatoes.
Sweet potatoes should be cured after being dug. The digging process often damages the tender skin, and curing helps small wounds heal. Immediately after digging, place the sweet potatoes in a warm location, (85 degrees or so) for at least 5 days. The curing helps heal wounds as well as helping convert starches to sugars.
After curing, sweet potatoes should be stored above 55 degrees. Storage temperatures below that injures roots and shortens storage life.
Sweet potatoes should be cured after being dug. The digging process often damages the tender skin, and curing helps small wounds heal. Immediately after digging, place the sweet potatoes in a warm location, (85 degrees or so) for at least 5 days. The curing helps heal wounds as well as helping convert starches to sugars.
After curing, sweet potatoes should be stored above 55 degrees. Storage temperatures below that injures roots and shortens storage life.
It is that time of year that I do major harvesting of my herbs. There are many ways you can preserve herbs for future use. This is my preferred method.
I usually hang my herbs to dry. This is the way I was taught to do it over 40 years ago and continues to be one of the best. Personally I like having bundles of herbs hanging in my dining room. Many people put them in brown lunch sacks and hang to dry, however I just tie them in loose bundles and hang them until dry. After the herbs are dried, (this takes several days,) remove them from the stems. I then put them in small bowls and allow to dry a few more days. From this point I grind them if needed and put in jars to store and use for the winter. If stored in a dark spot herbs dried this way keep for at least a year.
I usually hang my herbs to dry. This is the way I was taught to do it over 40 years ago and continues to be one of the best. Personally I like having bundles of herbs hanging in my dining room. Many people put them in brown lunch sacks and hang to dry, however I just tie them in loose bundles and hang them until dry. After the herbs are dried, (this takes several days,) remove them from the stems. I then put them in small bowls and allow to dry a few more days. From this point I grind them if needed and put in jars to store and use for the winter. If stored in a dark spot herbs dried this way keep for at least a year.
Rosemary Oil
2 or 3 sprigs fresh rosemary 3 cloves garlic
3 fresh bay leaves 2 cups olive oil
Lightly bruise rosemary, garlic and bay leaves by hitting them with the flat of a knife. Place herbs in clean 17 fl. oz. bottle; pour in olive oil.
Leave for 2 to 3 days to allow flavors to develop. Store in a cool, dark place. Use with pork or lamb.
Makes 2 cups
2 or 3 sprigs fresh rosemary 3 cloves garlic
3 fresh bay leaves 2 cups olive oil
Lightly bruise rosemary, garlic and bay leaves by hitting them with the flat of a knife. Place herbs in clean 17 fl. oz. bottle; pour in olive oil.
Leave for 2 to 3 days to allow flavors to develop. Store in a cool, dark place. Use with pork or lamb.
Makes 2 cups
My Grandmother called this War Bread. I am not sure the reason, could it be the color, or maybe the lack of certain ingredients during the war. I never really knew, however this bread is a very pretty and hearty bread.
2 cups quartered Roma tomatoes 1 tablespoon olive oil
2-1/4 teaspoons yeast 3/4 cup warm water
2 tablespoons honey 3-1/2 cup flour
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup chopped mixed herbs (rosemary basil, marjoram, thyme, sage, dill,
oregano, parsley)
Remove as much liquid from the tomatoes as possible then chop finely.
Combine the water, yeast, honey and olive oil. Set aside. Combine the flour
and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center of the flour and pour in the
tomatoes, water/yeast mixture and the herbs. Stir until mixed, this is a tacky
dough. If it's to wet add a little flour. Remove dough from bowl and roll into
a ball. Lightly oil a clean bowl with oil and place the dough. Cover loosely
with plastic wrap and place in slightly warmed oven for about an hour, until
doubled in size. Form the dough into a square about 1 inch thick. Starting at
one end, roll the dough firmly into a cylinder, making sure the dough sticks to
itself. Turn the dough seam side up and pinch the seam closed. Place the
dough seam-side down in a greased 9 x 5 inch bread pan. Cover loosely and
let rise in warm place until almost doubled. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Bake for 40-50 minutes or until the top of the bread is browned and the loaf
sounds hollow when you tap it with your knuckles.
2-1/4 teaspoons yeast 3/4 cup warm water
2 tablespoons honey 3-1/2 cup flour
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup chopped mixed herbs (rosemary basil, marjoram, thyme, sage, dill,
oregano, parsley)
Remove as much liquid from the tomatoes as possible then chop finely.
Combine the water, yeast, honey and olive oil. Set aside. Combine the flour
and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center of the flour and pour in the
tomatoes, water/yeast mixture and the herbs. Stir until mixed, this is a tacky
dough. If it's to wet add a little flour. Remove dough from bowl and roll into
a ball. Lightly oil a clean bowl with oil and place the dough. Cover loosely
with plastic wrap and place in slightly warmed oven for about an hour, until
doubled in size. Form the dough into a square about 1 inch thick. Starting at
one end, roll the dough firmly into a cylinder, making sure the dough sticks to
itself. Turn the dough seam side up and pinch the seam closed. Place the
dough seam-side down in a greased 9 x 5 inch bread pan. Cover loosely and
let rise in warm place until almost doubled. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Bake for 40-50 minutes or until the top of the bread is browned and the loaf
sounds hollow when you tap it with your knuckles.
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