June 28, 2012

Canning Zucchini & Squash

This year's harvest has quickly come upon us. We began picking green beans in early June, soon followed with picking peaches in mid June, and now we have zucchini and squash coming in at full force. For daily fresh cooking it is better to use smaller yet mature squash and zucchini because they are more tender and flavorful. When we use zucchini and squash in canning we usually let them get a little on the larger side. By doing this, we are able to put quite a bit back for cooking later in the year. We aren't as concerned with how tender or flavorful they are because when we can them we also add other vegetables and spices that make up for any loss in flavor.

To begin, Lenny cut up the zucchini and squash into chunks and placed them into a large bowl


Then, he chopped up some fresh picked chives, oregano, and some store bought organic garlic. We planted some garlic for the first time this year and it's not quite ready to harvest yet. Once chopped up he divided them equally based on the number of jars he was planning on canning.

 
He then placed the quart sized jars on a baking sheet and heated them to 170 degrees fahrenheit. By doing this he not only sterilized the jars but also helped prevent any cracking of the jars when he goes to add boiling water to them. You can also accomplish this by leaving them out in the sun on a hot summer day or boiling them for 10 minutes.

Because Lenny occasionally likes a little spice, he whipped out a few garden fresh cayenne peppers to add to three of the jars.


Here, we have a pot of water getting ready to add to the jars once it comes to a boil. We have our canning pot, coming to a boil as well, for when the jars are ready to be cooked. Then you can barely see the sauce pan behind the canning pot where he was sterilizing the lids in boiling water also.


As the above is taking place, Lenny pulled the baking sheet of jars out and began filling them with the zucchini and squash. He packed them relatively tight with about 1 inch headspace.


 As the jars were being filled, Lenny added the spices he had previously chopped and divided along with 1 cayenne pepper for three of the jars. He then took the boiling pot of water and filled each jar with the water making sure to leave a 1 inch head space at the top.


Once all the jars were filled, with the lids and rings lightly twisted on, they were placed into the pressure cooker. They were cooked at around 11-13 PSI for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes the pressure cooker was removed from heat and allowed to cool until pressure was brought back down to zero. Once there was no longer pressure, the jars were removed from the pot and placed on a towel to continue to cool and properly seal. To tell if the jars have properly sealed you can tap on the lid. They should not make a popping noise. Also you do not want to touch the lids until they have had time to cool and seal because it may disrupt the process. I would let them sit for a few hours or even over night to be safe.


And there you have it, canned zucchini and squash with no added "Natual Flavoring" aka MSG. You won't find that in your average grocery store.

For any questions or suggestions feel free to leave a comment or e-mail us at thehomesteadjones@yahoo.com.

June 27, 2012

Whatcha Find Wednesday

If anyone is missing a brown sock......


I found it! Well I'm not sure if it's original color is brown, it very well may have been a white sock that has over time turned bown from the years it has been burried in the earth.

So just some food for thought, socks do not decompose well. I do not recommend using them in the garden except as a possible weed barrier.

I hope everyone is having a great week and happy hunting!

For any questions or suggestions feel free to leave a comment or e-mail us at thehomesteadjones@yahoo.com. Also don't forget to send us your pictures and a brief description so you may be included in next weeks Whatcha Find Wednesday.

June 20, 2012

Whatcha Find Wednesday

We apologize for the delay for this weeks Whatcha Find Wednesday. We have had a pretty eventful week so far, starting with our son, Wyatt, learning to walk. I have been on top of the world with him finally reaching this milestone in his development. He had been born with hip dysplasia which required corrective surgery, landing him in a body cast for 6 weeks, followed by having to wear a hip brace full time for 6 more weeks, down to wearing a hip brace at night currently.

For this weeks Whatcha Find Wednesday this is what we have for you:


Grapes.
Not just ordinary grapes though. These grapes seemed to have popped up out of no where and have over taken our honey suckle.


Here is a picture of the vines from a distance


Here is a picture of more grape plants further down the driveway hanging from over 6 ft high. This plant doesn't appear to be bearing any fruit but with a little bit of research we will figure out what we need to do for it to produce next year.

Free Joke:
What did the grape do then it got stepped on?

-it let out a little wine

I hope everyone has a great week and happy hunting.

For any questions or suggestions feel free to leave a comment or e-mail us at thehomesteadjones@yahoo.com. Also don't forget to send us your pictures and a brief description so you may be included in next weeks Whatcha Find Wednesday.

Chicken Tractor Delux

    Each day that passes our chickens continue to get larger and a step closer to maturing into active roosters and laying hens.

    We have noticed that since the chickens are quickly growing our initial chicken coop is becoming no longer adequate to house the entire flock. They are fine throughout the day as they free range however at night there are a few skirmishes between the chickens fighting over spots to roost.

    In order to create more space, Lenny decided to offset the need of building an additional coop by constructing a chicken tractor. Here at the homestead we try to be as thrifty as possible and try to use as many materials on hand as possible. For this project we used 17 2x4s, scrap T1-11 boards from when we constructed our workshop off the back of our home, old tongue and groove boards, tree branches, some scrap chain link fencing, and chicken wire we had lying around.


Front Side and Interior
Lenny put together a simple a-frame using the 2x4s, used the tongue and groove board for the floor of the housing, and used the T1-11 boards for the sides and laying boxes.

 

Front Center. This will be considered the run. Where chickens are able to run around and look for bugs.


Back side with hinged door for easy access to housing when cleaning, Nesting boxes off the side


Old pair of skis to help move the chicken tractor around the yard


Finished Product...almost
Used the chain link fencing and chicken wire to enclose the run


Still need to put a latch on the laying boxes, a log will do in the mean time. The chicken tractor is roughly 8' long, 7' tall, and 6' wide.

For any questions or suggestions feel free to leave a comment or e-mail us at thehomesteadjones@yahoo.com.







June 15, 2012

Peach Butter

ruit trees can be relatively delicate plants. Many things can happen to them causing them not to produce. Two years ago, Lenny's parent's peach tree supplied an abundance of peaches. More than we knew what to do with. The next year, something happened where no peaches were produced at all. We believe it may have been affected by a late frost or possible blight. Whatever the cause, it was put into prospective....pick and save what you can while it lasts because nothing is ever guaranteed.  

    This year we have been blessed with an early fruit but with the downfall of insect invasion due to the lack of a true winter. The dry spring we have been enduring also hasn't help the peaches either.We ended up picking what we could before the fruit was devastated by the hungry little bugs. Many were ripe yet small and others were small and not yet ripe.We decided to try and allow them to ripen as much as possible by setting them out on brown paper bags. This lasted only a few days. We picked the peaches on a Sunday and by Wednesday some of the fruit was beginning to spoil.
    Little thought had been given as to what I should make out of these peaches. I knew for sure I was not going to make the cliche peach cobbler. I wanted to put together something I could store easily and be able to enjoy now as well as when winter rolls around. So as I browsed the internet looking for some inspiration I came across a recipe for Peach Butter. Similar to apple butter, it can be used as a spread.
    To begin I took my bunch of peaches cut a slight X in the bottoms and blanched them. To blanch them, I placed a few peaches at a time in a pot of boiling water for around 40 seconds then took them from the pot and placed them in the sink which I had cleaned out and filled with ice cold water. The X's I had cut into the fruit gave me a starting point to remove the skins. The riper the peach the easier the process.
    Once I had pealed all of the peaches I then began to salvage the best parts of the fruit by cutting off the tops, turning them upside down and making 4 slices around the pit. I tried to avoid the pit by not immediately cutting the fruit in half because many of the pits had been demolished by the bugs. I then removed all the unusable areas, such as bruised or eaten at areas and threw the good stuff in the rinsed out pot I had used to blanch the peaches in. This took quite a while. I also ended up throwing on some latex gloves to protect my hands from the constant moisture.
    I then added a cup of water to my pot with the peaches in it and brought it to a boil. Once at a boil I then brought the temperature down to allow them to simmer for around 20 minutes. This allowed the peaches to become tender.

    After the peaches became tender I dumped the pot into my food processor and made a puree. Once I was confident there were no large chunks, I poured the puree back into my pot and added a cup of sugar and the juice of 1 lemon. I brought the pot back up to a strong simmer but light boil. At this point I covered the pot because it was beginning to spit and I didn't want to make a larger mess than needed to be cleaned up later. Make sure you occasionally stir the pot that way you don't get burnt peach butter at the bottom. I let the mixture to cook for around 40-45 minutes. You can check it's doneness by spooning a ribbon of the peach butter across the top. If it keeps its form before submerging back into the rest, it's done.

    At this point you can either put it in an air tight jar and place it in your fridge or you can can it. I chose to can the peach butter because there is no way in heck I can eat all of this over a short period of time.

    In order to can your peach butter, I recommend sterilizing everything while the peach butter is cooking. That way you are ready to go once it is done. You can easily sterilize you jars by submerging in water and boiling for 10 minutes. Also you may want to use a pressure canning pot without the lid. I found that when I placed the jars into my pot to boil, they raddled like crazy. Pressure caners usually come with a small plate on the bottom to prevent this. By using a regular pot without the plate, you risk the possibility of cracking the jars.

    You take the mixture, while it is piping hot, and pour it into each jar leaving a little space at the top. I used our canning funnel to reduce the amount of spillage from the pot. Once the jars are filled you will want to wipe down the rims removing any spillage there may be that may prevent a proper seal. Place the lids and rings on the jars making sure the rings are screwed on tightly. Then you will place the jars in a deep pot filled with enough water to cover the jars and bring to a boil. Allow the jars to boil for 10-15 minutes. Remove the jars from the pot, place them on a towel, and allow them to cool. After about 30-40 minutes you should hear them starting to pop. An indicator they sealed properly.

Voila! Peach Butter


I hope you enjoy. I know I am going to.

For any questions or suggestions feel free to leave a comment or e-mail us at thehomesteadjones@yahoo.com.

June 13, 2012

Whatcha Find Wednesday

I hope everyone is having a great week! This week I have been busy digging a whole in order to create a bed for huglekulter. I was doing pretty good until I hit something hard in one of the corners. At first I thought it was a few rocks but as I would move the shovel around or try to dig in a parallel position I found that it was definitely NOT ROCKS. So this is what I found.


It appears it may be the old septic tank!
There is about 2 inches of concrete on top and a couple bricks that were used to cover the opening. We are thinking it is the old septic tank because to the left there were some old clay field tiles coming off of it.Lenny wants to do a little more investigating to see how large the object is but that means tearing up some of the brick walkway I just laid. Here's to another project put on the back burner. Hopefully, he will let me finish it up sometime this year that way I can finish other projects that were relying on getting this project done first. :)

For any questions or suggestions feel free to leave a comment or e-mail us at thehomesteadjones@yahoo.com. Also don't forget to send us your pictures and a brief description so you may be included in next weeks Whatcha Find Wednesday.

June 9, 2012

Homestead Update

In previous post I had mentioned how busy we have been. Sometimes seeing is believing so here are a few pictures of the projects I have been working on.


This is before. Nothing but grass in the right corner.


This is after......so far


Here is a closer picture of the raised bed and walkway. I'm still filling the cracks with sand. I was able to gather up some beautiful river rocks from nearby and place them in between the beds and walkway to give it a nice and relaxing look.


This is the additional raised bed I was preparing for hugelkultur." Hugelkultur is nothing more than making raised garden beds filled with rotten wood. This makes for raised garden beds loaded with organic material, nutrients, air pockets for the roots of what you plant, etc. As the years pass, the deep soil of your raised garden bed becomes incredibly rich and loaded with soil life. As the wood shrinks, it makes more tiny air pockets - so your hugelkultur becomes sort of self tilling." I wanted to dig a hole deep enough that way I wouldn't end up with a mound for a raised bed, but after Lenny took a gander at my hole decided to make it a secondary pond to the initial one we had dug. Because this is smaller in size the materials to complete the project will cost us less. The liner for the initial pond we had dug was going to run us around $600. Yikes!

For more information on hugelkulture feel free to check out http://www.richsoil.com/hugelkultur/

For any questions or suggestions feel free to leave a comment or e-mail us at thehomesteadjones@yahoo.com.

Sand Box

This will be my next project for the kiddos


June 6, 2012

Whatcha Find Wednesday

This week has been very busy. I'm just about done with creating an additional raised bed and brick walkway. Lenny has been busy taking unusable scrap to the scrap yard and selling things he was able to fix up such as lawn mowers he had picked and caring for our chickens and garden. While Lenny was out and about this past weekend he came across these treasures.


A box filled with old records


When Lenny picked these up they appeared as if someone may had stored them in a barn where they had gotten wet. He has been able to salvage a few of them so far. We have been able to enjoy classics such as Black Sabath, Led Zepplin, Jimi Hendrix, Iron Butterfly, The Rolling Stones, The Beetles, and The Moody Blues. 

I hope everyone has a great week and happy hunting.


For any questions or suggestions feel free to leave a comment or e-mail us at thehomesteadjones@yahoo.com. Also don't forget to send us your pictures and a brief description so you may be included in next weeks Whatcha Find Wednesday.