Preparations Update

[LadyLocust]

I’m in the “if we move, will we want to take it?” mode. It's just one of "those" feelings.

 

[ClemKadiddlehopper]

I had to take it because of covid and in hindsight I am very happy I did.

 

[Amish Heart]

Us, too. We had to take everything because of covid. It'll still be a long while before I get it all unpacked.

 

[LadyLocust]

And then yesterday. . .
A few months back, we had a chest freezer quit & lost quite a bit of meat We have 2 other upright freezers: 1 is a little smaller maybe 14 cft and in my opinion is an awesome little workhorse. The other is very large, but holds less than the little one but takes up more space. We have a beef coming within the next month or so & Hubby is going hunting this year & I am trying to arrange to get a full hog also. Sooo, while the gettin' is still sorta good, we are getting another freezer. It's a 15 cft. upright. Our other freezers are getting pretty low which is good in some ways - cleaning them out and making sure what we have is fresh and rotated. Anyhoo, another expensive month - oy! (Part of our thinking is that at the rate of inflation, if we can make it work financially, we would rather have the goods than $$$ - to a certain extent.)

 

[ClemKadiddlehopper]

One of my five 24 cft freezers didn't start up this week after finally being unpacked. I am about to leave on the 2.5 hour trek to the shopping mecca in order to order 2 new ones. I cannot order on-line because delivery isn't available where I live. I usually only keep one spare but times are a changing and the other freezers are ten years old.

 

[UrbanHunter]

Followup on my note about what the wife was questioning about prep-wise on Tuesday:
Today, I got a hair cut (Wife says I have to get 1 each year)... on the way home I stopped at Wmart with her list in my hand....

They had the sugars, only had half of the bread flour she wanted, I picked up some canning jars (they had 1 flat of pints and a lot of 1/2 pints at $8@), got some canned goods (mostly soups that you can eat right out of the can), a flat of tomato paste (it's just too much work), they had 6 cans of grapefruit and a variety of other stuff that were on the list or had been identified as good to have for security issues.... Did a self checkout and the folks there were super nice, the even brought me a extra shopping cart so I could scan and place things directly in the cart (Wow, customer service at Wmart?). Because I used flats and laundry hampers instead of bags the guy at the door looked over my carts then looked at the bottom of the receipt and said, "It must all be on here.... Have an nice day!"

Now I have lots of resealing, dating, and putting stuff away...
Wife was annoyed, seems that she has a new list going.... She wants me to go back again tomorrow.

 

[UrbanHunter]

Today after lunch I turned on a mix of music (mostly 70/80s rock) and started organizing my food storage shelves. I was able to get shelf "B" condiments completed..... I felt good till I looked around and noticed shelf H.......

 

[Amish Heart]

Ha. There's always another shelf. I don't have mine named yet. Had the grandkids go out and pick all the pears this morning. Came home to see 8 large buckets, had them put them in the basement, and I'll need to get them on cardboard flats tomorrow for ripening. Glad to find some buckets with lids today, although one smells like dehydrated onions. I can use that one to store soup mixes. The prices ranged for the buckets from $1.50 to $3 with the lids, so can't complain.

 

[Neb]

Ha. There's always another shelf. I don't have mine named yet. Had the grandkids go out and pick all the pears this morning. Came home to see 8 large buckets, had them put them in the basement, and I'll need to get them on cardboard flats tomorrow for ripening. Glad to find some buckets with lids today, although one smells like dehydrated onions. I can use that one to store soup mixes. The prices ranged for the buckets from $1.50 to $3 with the lids, so can't complain.

The Princess fills pickle buckets with water and baking soda and lets them sit. Sometimes have to repeat to kill the pickle smell.

Ben

 

[lilmissy]

Ha. There's always another shelf. I don't have mine named yet. Had the grandkids go out and pick all the pears this morning. Came home to see 8 large buckets, had them put them in the basement, and I'll need to get them on cardboard flats tomorrow for ripening. Glad to find some buckets with lids today, although one smells like dehydrated onions. I can use that one to store soup mixes. The prices ranged for the buckets from $1.50 to $3 with the lids, so can't complain.

You pick pears ahead of being ripe on tree and they ripe fine on cardboard?

 

[LadyLocust]

Finally started up the little generator I got for going camping. We have BIG generators but this one is big enough to run the coffee pot and I can pick it up with one hand - very nice.

You pick pears ahead of being ripe on tree and they ripe fine on cardboard?

Pears actually fall before they are ripe (usually) then ripen. They are so soft when ripe they would splat. If you pick them before they fall then you don't get the bruises. Amish Heart might have other reasons or experience, but that's what I've known.

 

[Amish Heart]

Yep. Pick them unripe. If you leave them on the tree either the beetles get them or they turn to brown mush. We saw some start falling and some turning brown so it was time.

 

[lilmissy]

Thanks so much! I will have to do this. So if one falls, pick all of them, lay on cardboard in a cool dark place until ripe?

 

[Tootsie]

Thanks so much! I will have to do this. So if one falls, pick all of them, lay on cardboard in a cool dark place until ripe?

When you see the first drops, start checking for browned stems. Not all are ready at the same time. Many, but not all. Take the biggest and best first. If they come off hard, give them a little more time. A nice tree can give you a couple of bushels of fruit, so you can possibly do part one day, then the rest several days later.

 

[freelove]

I got this in an email yesterday from Stark's.


How to Tell When Pears Are Ready to Harvest

Pears are ready to harvest before they’re ripe. Learn when to harvest pears and how to ripen them off the tree.

"There are only ten minutes in the life of a pear when it is perfect to eat." – Ralph Waldo Emerson

While the quote above may be an exaggeration, it does serve to highlight the fact that many growers struggle to figure out the proper ripening and eating times for pears. In this post, we will teach you everything you need to know for picking, ripening, and enjoying homegrown pears.

The Nature of Pears
Did you know pears don't ripen on the tree?
While most types of fruit reach their peak on the branch or vine, pears need to be picked before ripening. If left on the tree, pears ripen from the inside out and, by the time they seem to be at the ripe stage, they are beyond it — usually mushy with a mealy texture beneath the skin.
To avoid such results, you must pick pears when they are mature but not yet fully ripened. Figuring out the answer to "when are pears ripe?" can be difficult. When in season, a mature pear will still be firm to the touch, so feel won’t be a strong indicator. You can’t really go by sight either; a mature pear could be a variation of colors, like green, yellow, or even blush, depending on the variety.
The best way to tell if a pear is ready to harvest is by taking the fruit in your hand and tilting it horizontally. The mature fruit will easily come away from the branch at this angle (as opposed to its natural vertical hanging position). If it is not yet ready for picking, it will hold on to the branch.
Once harvested, most pears will require about a week to ripen at room temperature (about 65-72ºF). If you store the fruit in a paper bag, you can speed up this process so that it will ripen in just a few days. You may also choose to store your harvested pears with an apple or banana — fruits that are more prone to releasing ethylene gas, which accelerates the ripening process. (Beware, ethylene gas may cause your pears to break down faster than anticipated, starting from the inside out, so it may be better to be patient and let the pears ripen on their own at room temperature.)
Pear season is coming! In a typical year, it starts in August for those of us in zones 5 and 6. If you are growing your own, make sure you are prepared!
The information above applies to European Pears. Asian Pears tend to ripen just fine on the tree. To learn more about ripening and other differences between these two kinds of pears, check out our article, Growing & Preserving Pears.

 

[CalicoKatie]

Thanks for all the info on the pears. That's really helpful.

This week I've worked on adding to my "convenience" foods. Things that I can make a meal from in a jiffy with little or no cooking.

Pulled pork in the pouches and 12 oz. cans
4.5 oz cans of Underwood meat spreads - chicken, deviled ham and corned beef
15 oz. jars of salsa con queso - Great Value brand is only $2 a jar
chili - with and without beans
Walmart had dropped the price of their canned milk to 67 cents a can so I loaded up on that, too.

I'd planned to get some of the Pace taco meat filling but it's been out of stock or overpriced. Finally found only one customer review and it said it tasted like canned chili and needed more meat. That gave me the idea to just use the canned chili to make tacos with if I run short on ground beef. It will probably taste as good or better plus chili is half the price of the Pace stuff.

 

[LadyLocust]

Thanks for all the info on the pears. That's really helpful.

This week I've worked on adding to my "convenience" foods. Things that I can make a meal from in a jiffy with little or no cooking.

Pulled pork in the pouches and 12 oz. cans
4.5 oz cans of Underwood meat spreads - chicken, deviled ham and corned beef
15 oz. jars of salsa con queso - Great Value brand is only $2 a jar
chili - with and without beans
Walmart had dropped the price of their canned milk to 67 cents a can so I loaded up on that, too.

I'd planned to get some of the Pace taco meat filling but it's been out of stock or overpriced. Finally found only one customer review and it said it tasted like canned chili and needed more meat. That gave me the idea to just use the canned chili to make tacos with if I run short on ground beef. It will probably taste as good or better plus chili is half the price of the Pace stuff.

I might have mentioned this in another thread somewhere???? When my kids were young and in sports, I would fry up a big pan of ground beef like for tacos, sloppy joes etc. I would keep it in an icecream tub in the freezer then when time was short, the meat was already browned, just needed to be heated and whatever seasoning or sauce added to it.

 

[Amish Heart]

I found six cans of the taco meat at Walmart, so bought them. Never had tried them before, but figured in a pinch. With Keystone hamburger being about $8 a can when I can find it, I figure the taco meat could be added to it for a stretcher. Found a couple dz jars of Manwich sloppy joe at the amish dent store for 50 cents, so can add that to the canned hamburger for sloppy joe. I have some of the meat spreads, haven't eaten them since I was a kid, but I did like them ok. And the queso is always a good idea. Can add the chili to that for a hardier dip. I don't eat canned chili, but I buy it because the grandkids love it with hotdogs cut up in it. I think we are down to our last 3 cases of that. Actually they eat mac and cheese with hotdogs cut up in it. So there's vienna sausage if we run out of hotdogs.

 

[CalicoKatie]

That's a good idea to have the meat cooked up in the freezer and would really save time.

I don't usually eat canned chili either but it's a good storage item. I thought it would be good with the queso for nachos but hadn't thought about tacos before I saw that comment. Gotta plan for that home made fast food in case they shut everything down again. If they get the Pace taco meat back in stock at my Walmart I'll still pick up a few cans to try out.

I didn't care much for the plain deviled ham but sometimes as a kid we'd mix it in with scrambled eggs and make a sandwich on toast with mustard. I'm trying to remember things like that.

 

[Neb]

I got this in an email yesterday from Stark's.


How to Tell When Pears Are Ready to Harvest

Pears are ready to harvest before they’re ripe. Learn when to harvest pears and how to ripen them off the tree.

While the quote above may be an exaggeration, it does serve to highlight the fact that many growers struggle to figure out the proper ripening and eating times for pears. In this post, we will teach you everything you need to know for picking, ripening, and enjoying homegrown pears.

The Nature of Pears
Did you know pears don't ripen on the tree?
While most types of fruit reach their peak on the branch or vine, pears need to be picked before ripening. If left on the tree, pears ripen from the inside out and, by the time they seem to be at the ripe stage, they are beyond it — usually mushy with a mealy texture beneath the skin.
To avoid such results, you must pick pears when they are mature but not yet fully ripened. Figuring out the answer to "when are pears ripe?" can be difficult. When in season, a mature pear will still be firm to the touch, so feel won’t be a strong indicator. You can’t really go by sight either; a mature pear could be a variation of colors, like green, yellow, or even blush, depending on the variety.
The best way to tell if a pear is ready to harvest is by taking the fruit in your hand and tilting it horizontally. The mature fruit will easily come away from the branch at this angle (as opposed to its natural vertical hanging position). If it is not yet ready for picking, it will hold on to the branch.
Once harvested, most pears will require about a week to ripen at room temperature (about 65-72ºF). If you store the fruit in a paper bag, you can speed up this process so that it will ripen in just a few days. You may also choose to store your harvested pears with an apple or banana — fruits that are more prone to releasing ethylene gas, which accelerates the ripening process. (Beware, ethylene gas may cause your pears to break down faster than anticipated, starting from the inside out, so it may be better to be patient and let the pears ripen on their own at room temperature.)
Pear season is coming! In a typical year, it starts in August for those of us in zones 5 and 6. If you are growing your own, make sure you are prepared!
The information above applies to European Pears. Asian Pears tend to ripen just fine on the tree. To learn more about ripening and other differences between these two kinds of pears, check out our article, Growing & Preserving Pears.

Thanks to all about the pear info!

I had seen a few pears that dropped about a week ago. The Princess and I were planning a walk this afternoon and we will take the fruit picki g pole and a basket with us!

This may just be perfect timing to help us out!

Ben

 

[Amish Heart]

I waited about a week or so late, and had some turning brown and yuck on the tree, so we picked all of them. Gross ones went to the chickens.

 

[Sourdough]

Re-Packaged 50 pounds of "Uncle Bens" instant rice, into 1.750 ML tequila jugs. I ran out of jugs so I am taking that as the need to drink more medical tequila daily. So finished using one gallon zip-lock bags.

The getting the rice into the bottles was a super pain in the butt and lower back. I have the bottles of instant rice setting in the sun to heat the contents, then I'll cinch the caps down tight, and wrap cheap electrical tape around the cap for additional sealing.

The rice comes in 25 pound Heavy "PAPER" Bags, which I deeply distrust. But to be fair, this rice arrived at the bottom of my mountain roughly a year ago, and was in good condition when I opened the bags today.

 

[Sourdough]

R-packaging 16 pounds of coffee.......From those dam "paper: coffee cans with the "thin" tinfoil lid. They always arrive with a vacuumed seal "Gone". Put them in Zip-lock bags and then in the chest freezer. I feel very domestic today.

 

[Amish Heart]

Being domestic is necessary. Some days I spend the majority of my waking hours dealing with food one way or another

 

[LadyLocust]

Being domestic is necessary. Some days I spend the majority of my waking hours dealing with food one way or another

Me too!

 

[Neb]

Me too!

@ThePrincess like-wise.

Ben

 

[ClemKadiddlehopper]

Me too.

Today is canning 63 pints of green/yellow beans and getting another 30 1bs of onions in the dehydrators. Yeh, I have another case of peaches to can.

 

[Amish Heart]

Filled the dehydrators, but then picked another two buckets of tomatoes. The squash are slowing down. A few more butternut to pick, some acorn, and still alot of patty pan. Only saw 1 yellow summer squash today. I think zucchini is done. Tomatoes, beets, brussel sprouts, eggplant, kale still groing strong. Oh and peppers.

 

[LadyLocust]

Filled the dehydrators, but then picked another two buckets of tomatoes. The squash are slowing down. A few more butternut to pick, some acorn, and still alot of patty pan. Only saw 1 yellow summer squash today. I think zucchini is done. Tomatoes, beets, brussel sprouts, eggplant, kale still groing strong. Oh and peppers.

Aphids found the kale so I will be pulling it next. It was 100 today so I didn't do a lot outside. Supposed to be cooler starting Tues. so we'll see.

 

[Amish Heart]

I stripped the leaves off of our kale a number of weeks ago because of the little green worms. The chickens loved them. And I kept the stem and it's back again looking good. Glad I didn't have to pull the plants.