Drying Herbs.....

This Weeks Bible Verse:

Genesis 1:11 - And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass,

 the herb yielding seed,

 [and] the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, 

whose seed [is] in itself, 

upon the earth: and it was so. 

Let's look at different drying methods and styles:

• Drying Techniques:
• There are several ways that herbs and cut flowers can be dried. Below is a brief look at how these plants can be dried.
• Upside down drying: this is the longest method of drying. It can take several months for some plants to dry, but the flavor of herbs and spices is more potent because the oils are held in to the plant better.
• Dehydrator method: is the quickest way to dry herbs, instead of months it take hours to dry the plants. Also, with the dehydrator you can dry fruits and vegetables. On the down side some of the nutrition value is lost.
• Silica Sand: is a pretty quick method of drying. The plants are dried in about a week. The down side is that flowers and plants that are dried CANNOT be consumed. This is for flower arranging and other floral options only. I for one grow a dried flower section in my garden so this method is great for me to use, because the flowers hold their color and shape better.

This is an option for drying herbs and flowers.
I dry them on hangers in an unused closet space.

• Upside down drying:
• Gathering- when cutting your herbs or flowers for drying make sure that they have a long enough stem to tie and dry.
• Washing- Make sure that all herbs you use are washed before hanging. The herbs do need time to dry because they will turn black if left wet.
• Bundling- Make sure that when you bundle your herbs to dry that the bundle is not too huge. The herbs will slowly fall out of the bundle sometimes. Make sure that you use cotton twine or jute to tie them into bundles. Hang them upside down and check them regularly for their dryness. Hang them in a cool dark place for the best results.

This option shows how they can be dried on the way. Be creative too.

• Dehydrator:
• Gathering- the stems for this process can be rather short. Most of the time only the leaves are dried and not the stems anyway.
• Washing- Make sure that the plants are completely dry before you place them in the dehydrator because they will turn black.
• Process- this takes a little more time to get ready to dry than the upside down drying system, because you need to remove each leaf from the stem and lay them flat on each tray of the dehydrator.
• Drying time- Make sure to check your plants and flowers every hour to make sure they are drying evenly. It normally takes about 3 to 4 hours to dry one batch of herb leaves.

•  Silica Sand:
• Gathering: this is really used for drying flowers. Make sure that you gather just the head of the flowers.
• Washing: no washing is necessary because they are not for edible uses only crafting use.
• Process: Place the flower in a container and cover with craft silica sand until you can no longer see the flowers.
• Drying time: This process takes about a week to complete. What the silica sand does is it takes the water out of the plants. The flowers will have more color and vibrancy when dried this way. Use in dried flower craft projects.

Well if anyone can think of other ways to dry plants and flowers add them to the comments.

School Of Canning....

This Weeks Verse:

1 Corinthians 10:31

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do,  do all to the glory of God.

Sorry to all my followers for the laps in posts. 
I am back from being under the weather for a few weeks.

School of Canning....

Before we get started I cannot stress to people enough that the cleanliness of your kitchen is one of the most important items to remember. Make sure that before you do any canning that your kitchen is thoroughly disinfected. 

• Why Can?
• Canning can seem like an old fashioned art to most, but when it comes to saving the precious items you have worked so hard to grow in the summer its the best choice.
• Also, by canning your items from your garden you can save quite a bit of money during those long winter months. Here in the Northwest the prices of fresh veggies almost double.
• This can also be seen as an educational experience for your older children and can be passed down.

Lemon Balm Jelly

• What are my choices?
• My personal rule of thumb for canning is that you grow and can only the things that you are going to eat.
• I have chosen recipes that I think are great and have eventually ended up dumping the rest of the batch because they didn't taste like I expected.
• So, look at the products you currently buy in those tin cans and start with those recipes.
• Also, if you don't want to grow and can dried beans from your garden your local organic store has a wide variety of dried beans, peas and lentils.

• The methods of canning:
• Boiling Water Canning....
• This is by far the easiest method of canning.
• Items that can be canned are things like fruit, tomatoes, pickled items, salsas, and jams.
• They are also, the more acidic fruits and veggies.
• Pressure Canning....
• This is the more difficult and time consuming method of canning. Although the production of canning is far more diverse.
• Items that can be canned are lower acidic foods like: beans, carrots, meats, broccoli, and squashes.
• Tools and supplies?
• Some companies sell a starter kit that is pretty nice that has your basics included in it. If you are wanting to by maybe the high quality tools for canning here's a list of items you may want to purchase.
• Canning jars with the two part lid
• Extra Lids and Rings
• A large stock pot that is at least three inches taller than your jars
• Canning tongs, so you can put your jars in the water.
• Canning rack, to raise your jars out of the boiling water safely.
• Wide mouthed canning funnel
• Bubble tool to release the air bubbles
• An optional magnetic lid lifter
• A ladle to spoon liquids into the jars.
• Pressure Cooker if wanting to can more than just pickles and jams.
• How do you tell your jars apart?
• A well labeled pantry is very important.
• Here's an area where you can be creative in your choice of label.
• You can use masking tape, shipping labels, blank stickers, etc. the list of options can go on and on.
• Make sure that if you are planning on giving something away as a gift that you spruce up the jar a little more and give it your personal touch.

Make it your own when it comes to gifts.
The more creative you are the better the
labels will turn out.

• Where do I find Recipes?
• You want to buy a current copy of canning books and magazines. The times and pressures change from time to time and you don't want to risk eating spoiled foods.
• Make sure you follow the directions exactly and DO NOT double the batches to save time. TIP: one batch at a time!
• Don't use your favorite great aunts strawberry jam recipe from 1935, the recipes have changed and the quality will be menial. 
• What's next?
• Just remember to have fun and make things that you will eat.

Remember if you need any help just ask! :->

The Mighty Green Bean.

This Weeks Verse:

Genesis 1:11-12

Then God said, "Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees on the earth bearing fruit after their kind with seed in them"; and it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit with seed in them, after their kind; and God saw that it was good.

First off if anyone ever has any complicated or easy garden questions please feel free to ask 

and I will help you to the best of my knowledge.

Oh the mighty green bean should be an essential plant in the gardeners choices of plants. There are so many varieties to choose from that the focus is going to stick to the average everyday green bean garden variety. Topics for this discussion will cover: pole vs. bush, what you can plant next to and with beans and how beans can be preserved.

French Filet (Bush Beans - String less)

Many gardeners will argue over that bush beans are better than pole beans and pole beans are better than bush varieties. As a fellow gardener to another it is what you really prefer more. The bush varieties are a earlier crop for a gardener. They tend to have less varieties and the beans that are harvested are smaller. Bush beans also take up less space and are more compact for smaller gardeners. While the bush beans counter parts are more productive, easier to harvest and have later and bigger bean crops. The pole bean requires more tending than the bush bean, because of the trellises required to let them grow on. Many people do get creative with the pole beans and grow them on a variety of items. The pole bean can be grow on any metal trellis, fence and some are even grown on wire yard art. The pole bean is like natures topiary that will grow into any shape or size. So as a fellow gardener to each his own favorite variety to grow.

So what are the best plants to grow along side the bean? Well with pole varieties the garden pea is an excellent choice and can be grow on one side of the trellis while the pole beans grow on the other. Here's a list of plants that can and can't be grown with beans:

• Pole Beans:
• Likes:
• Corn, summer savory, and radishes
• Dislikes:
• Beets and onions
• Bush Beans:
• Likes:
• celery (one plant for every six)
• cucumbers, strawberries, corn, and summer savory
• Dislikes:
• Fennel and onions

"The Mighty Bean Warrior" By Rebekah

Beans are a pretty versatile vegetable for canning. These little wonders can be pickled or pressure canned. 
Here's some great recipes for canning:

Zeidrich, Linda (2009), The Joy of Pickling, Boston, Mass: The Harvard Common Press
Brined Snap Beans:
Makes about three Quarts
2 lbs tender young snap beans, trimmed
6 small dried hot peppers
6 Garlic cloves, chopped
12 whole black peppercorns, crushed
6 dill heads
1/2 cup pickling salt
3 Quarts of water

1. Layer beans, hot peppers, garlic, peppercorns and dill in a gallon jar. Dissolve the salt in the water and pour enough brine over the beans to cover them well. Push a gallon size freezer bag into the top of the jar, pour the remaining brine into the bag, and seal the bag. Store jar at room temperature.
2. Fermentation, indicating by tiny bubbles, should begin within three days. If any scum appears at the top of the jar, skim off and rinse brine bag.
3. The beans should be ready in about 2 weeks, when they taste sour and the bubbling has stopped. Remove the brine bag and cap the jar. Store in Refrigerator.
4.  The pickled beans should keep in the refrigerator for several months.

Please enjoy! Next time will cover canning basics.

Garden Apron....or for harvesting

This Weeks Verse.....

Jeremiah 29:5

Build houses and dwell in them; and plant gardens and eat their produce.

Just wanted to share an easy durable apron idea for the garden or for the kitchen which ever suits you best.

What you need:
1. 3 pairs of old adult jeans about 2 yards of fabric.
2. 1/2 yard of other printed fabric for the ties and neck strap
3. Cheap apron pattern

Start by cutting your jeans into strips of fabric or blocks of fabric. Make sure you save a couple of pockets off the jeans to make the front pockets of the apron.

Jean Fabric Sewn Together

Next you will cut your pieces of fabric that you need to make the front and back of the apron. You can make your apron reversible if you choose. I did not make mine reversible.

The front piece cut out before sewing.

Follow your patterns directions as far as how to sew the apron together. I used fleece for my ties. (I try to recycle left over fabric when I can.

Finished Product!

Use your own creativity as far as where you want to place your apron pockets. What color jeans you want to use or if you want a thigh length apron or a shin length apron. It is all about what you want to create and the inspirations you feel.

Hot and Spicy.....

This Weeks Verse:

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live,

but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh

I live by faith in the Son of God, and loved me and gave Himself for me.

Galatians 2:20

Young pepper plants from my garden. (2015)

The joy of growing home grown peppers. This week will look at varieties, companion plants and what a scoville is. It is best in the Pacific Northwest to shop around for the shortest growing season peppers.

Here are some great varieties that can come from the home garden:

• Nikita: 65-70 days has a glowing red orange color, they are a blocky pepper, holds it shape when cooked even in high temperatures. Plant is a good producer with 3" mild fruits. (Burpee Seeds)
• Marconi Rosso: Peppers are 9 - 12" by 3" and are a sweet deep red pepper when ripe. They are an 80 day pepper on very large plants. (Seeds from Italy)
• Early Jalapeno: a 63 day pepper which produces an abundance of peppers on a sturdy plant. They can be enjoyed pickled or stuffed. (Botanical Interests)
• Pasilla Bajio: another 80 day pepper which is also known as "Chilaca" and "Chile Negro" mainly used as a dried pod or powder. Has a rich smoky flavor, which is mildly hot and great in mole sauces. (Botanical Interests)
• California Wonder: a great 75 day pepper, which produces green and red peppers on the same plant. Has a great crisp texture, an excellent cooker, and a very productive plant. (Botanical Interests)
• Yolo Wonder: another 75 day pepper. Excellent for cooking and is thick skinned. This is a high yielding plant. (Botanical Interests)
• Sweet Cherry Blend: a 75 day plant, which is great for pickling, they are sweet an bite size, and great on kabobs. (Botanical Interests)

Companion Plants for peppers. There are not very many companion plants that are okay to grow next or with these wonders of nature. Looks like only Basil and Okra like growing with peppers. On the other hand, ground hot peppers do make a great bug and animal repellent to other plants. With a mixture of 3 parts water to one part ground pepper sprayed around the bottom of the plants it works pretty good to keep pests away. Beware of spraying pepper mixture directly onto the plants because you can burn the leaves.

What is a scoville and how are they measured. A scoville is the system of measurement for determining how hot a pepper really is. The way the scoville is measured is: equal parts of sugar water and ground chili pepper. The equal parts of sugar water are add to the chili pepper until the pepper is no longer hot. As the table describes below that Pure Capasaicin (the main chemical that makes up the chili pepper) is the hottest by a long shot. I am still not brave enough to grow the Bhut Jolokia, because I wouldn't now what to do with the peppers. Kudos to the people that do grow and eat them.

15 Million		Pure capsaicain
2 million - 5 million		Pepper Spray
1 million		Bhut Jolokia
577,000		Red Savina Habanero, Scotch Bonnet
250,000 - 350,000		Habanero, Long slim Cayenne
100,000 - 250,000		Tabasco
50,000 - 100,000		Thai Hot, Chinese Kwangsi
5,000 - 25,000		Jalapeno, Cayenne, Serrano, Arbol
100 - 25,000		Guajillo, Louisiana Hot Sauce, Poblano, Anaheim
0		Bell Pepper

Just a little inspiration for a Italian Pepper and Basil Garden:

Why Compost?

This Weeks Verse:

Psalm 51:1-2

Have Mercy upon me, O God, According to your loving kindness;

According to the multitude of your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions.

Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin.

Why Compost?

Composting is not a new area of discovery, it has been done for generations. Composting can help lessen the environmental stamp put out by a home. There are three areas that will be covered: bin or pile, what you can and cannot put in compost, and what the benefits of compost are.

My compost bin. See it can be make out of anything.

So depending on what the beginner composter decides, whether its a bin or pile compost can be made equally good. Just remember that a pile of compost should just be used for grass clippings and other materials. Once food is added it may attract rodents. The composter can make a chicken wire fence to contain their pile of compost. A good bin can be made cheaply, just make sure it is at least 3 foot high x 3 foot wide x 3 foot deep and be covered. For the beginner composter the best place to start is with a pile. The compost pile can be as big or as small as the composter wants it to be. all compost piles or bins need to be placed in a shady and dry area with a close water source. When making your pile you need to make even layers of brown and green debris.

Equal Layers of Material

Brown debris will consist of dried leaves, yard clippings and grass clippings (see chart for a full list). Green debris is fresh yard clippings and kitchen scraps. Some people use a compost booster, because of cold winters. This is sprinkled in between each layer of brown and green layers. Once a good sized portion is created, cover with a layer of dirt and wet the compost down. (Make sure that the compost is just wet and not Sloppy) Then let the compost sit for one week, and turn the pile and add more compost booster. Repeat weekly as needed. After a couple of weeks, when the compost starts to turn black and smell fresh, let the pile sit or cool. If the composters add their compost too soon it will be too "hot" and can burn the plant planted in the compost.

So the do's and don'ts of composting are very important to understand and follow. Some materials just are not healthy for a compost pile.

What a ‘Beginner Composter’ can add to their compost:

GREENS:
Uncooked and cooked vegetables and fruits	Breads and grains
Coffee grounds and filters	Grass clippings
Paper tea bags with staple removed	Hair and fur
Chicken, rabbits, cow, and horse manure
BROWNS:
Cotton or wool rags	Dryer and vacuum cleaner lint
Eggshells (crushed)	Nutshells
Fireplace ashes (from wood burning)	Sawdust and wood chips
Hay and Straw	Yard Clippings (leaves, branches, twigs)
House Plants and flower bouquets	Fill dirt, Used and unused Potting Soil
Egg Cartons	Leaves
Shredded Newspaper and thin cardboard	Clean Paper and non slick paper junk mail

What a ‘Beginner Composter’ SHOULD NOT add:

Aluminum, tin or other metal	Glass
Dairy products (butter, milk, sour cream, yogurt and eggs	Fats, grease, lard or oil
Greasy or oily foods	Meat or Seafood Scraps
pet wastes (dog or cat poop, dirty cat litter)	Dead animals
Soil Diapers	Plastic
Black Walnut Shells, leaves and twigs	Perennial Weeds
Fire starter logs	Treated and painted woods
Rocky soil	Pesticide treated yard clippings

So just remember to keep a close eye on what's added to the compost, because it can hurt the future plants. So remember that browns are for carbon, greens include nitrogen, air helps organisms grow and keep it watered.

So why compost? The biggest perk to composting is that it saves you money. It helps eliminate commercial fertilizers and compost. It's biggest benefit is that it cuts down on the amount of trash being put into the landfills. It helps the small property owners become more self sustaining. If each homeowner had a composter and cut down one bag of trash each year, just think of the environmental impact it would have. Remember to compost the most each month to help be environmentally friendly.

Sources:

www.epa.gov/greenspaces

Sensitive Strawberries

STRAWBERRIES

Today, lets talk about strawberries. We will cover varieties, planting and care, a great strawberry jam recipe, and what sensitive plants are.

"So many varieties to choose from?" You may be asking yourself. I personally like the everbearing varieties such as: 'Alexandria' a small red alpine type, 'Fort Laramie' very cold hardy, 'Ozark beauty' large berries, and 'Tristan' large berries (these are what I grow in my garden). You can also grow June bearing varieties such as: 'Benton' firm flavorful berries, 'Chandler' large juicy berries, 'Sequoia' very tasty. there are also alpine variety strawberries that grow a little smaller, heavy producers, and are the closest thing to a wild strawberry. My suggestion is to pick a variety that best suits your climate.

As far as planting you can choose to grow them in strawberry pots, on hilled rows, or matted rows. Just remember that strawberry plants loose their vigor after 2-3 years. Some people replant their strawberries every fall to keep the same strong production. When planting in strawberry pots and hilled rows you really have to watch how dried out the plants become. You need to water your strawberries regularly for consistent production. As far as mulch, strawberries like to have fresh mulch each year. They do really well with either alfalfa stems and leaves mulched in and around them or alfalfa pellets work great too. In colder climates make sure that you cover your berries with a thick layer of leaves or straw to keep the plants from freezing over the winter. When the weather warms pull the leaves or straw back to reveal the plants to sunlight. I try to uncover mine at the end of March beginning of April when the rains begin. Strawberries are easy to maintain with a little care. Watch you pests and take care as needed. A great home-remedy recipe consists of:
1 head of garlic
1 TBSP dish soap (bleach free)
2 TBSP vegetable oil
2 cups water
Peel the garlic and puree the cloves along with the oil and water. Allow to sit over night and then strain the mixture. Add the soap and mix toughly. Pour into a spray bottle and use on pest infected plants. (Kind of Stinky)

As for strawberries, keep an eye on your production yield and replace plants a needed. Strawberries are fun to and easy to grow. There is nothing better than a soft sweet homegrown strawberry.

For the Sensitive Plant has no bright flower;

Radiance and odour are not its dower;

It loves, even like Love, its deep heart is full,

It desires what it has not, the beautiful.

        Shelley—The Sensitive Plant. Pt. I.

Sensitive plants (Mimosa pudica) is a tender perennial that blooms in summer and is 1-2 feet tall. Their leaves are a tropical wonder and move right before your eyes when touched. I started this blog to share my ideas, tips and beliefs. We are all like the sensitive plant when we are hurt we shrink back and fall down just like a sensitive plant. We to depend on Jesus to lift us back up when we fall down.

Strawberry Jam Recipe:

Quick and easy Strawberry Jam-

2 qt. strawberries, washed and stemmed

1 pkg (1 ¾ oz.) powdered fruit pectin

6 ¾ cups sugar

1. Crush strawberries and measure 4 ½ cups of berries into a large stockpot. Stir in pectin and bring to a rolling boil over high heat, stirring frequently. Add sugar and return to a full rolling boil. Boil 1 minute, stirring constantly.
2. Fill sterilized jars, seal, and process jars, leaving ¼ inch head space and processing for 10 minutes in boiling water canner.

Remove jars from water; let stand undisturbed, at room temperature for 24 hours. To check seals, remove the bands and press down on the center of each lid. If the lid doesn’t move, the jar is sealed. If the lid depresses and pops up again, the jar is not sealed. Store properly sealed jars in cool, dark place up to one year. Refrigerate after opening. Makes 7 half pints.

Sources:

Botanical Interests: High Quality Seed Catalog

The Edible Garden By Sunset Magazine