HICCUPS
Sorry I’ve not been around. I’ve had a couple of life hiccups the past week. Of all things, a summer cold took me down hard. I’m grateful to be on the mend now.
The last food preservation project I did before getting sick was to make a batch of Pineapple Zucchini. There were leftovers that I couldn’t let go to waste so … Oscar learned how to can Pineapple Squash!
When he took the jars out of the canner he said, “That’s it? That’s all there is to it?” Yep. Easy! I doubt the experience will make him a lifelong canner but the rising generation has been taught.
Today I packaged up the corn harvested from the garden and put it in the freezer for the chickens. If you think it’s weird that I’m growing things in the garden to feed my chickens, you obviously haven’t seen how much the price of chicken feed has risen!
Oscar also had to do all the harvesting from the garden and besides the corn, we got our first watermelon. It split because of the abundance of rain but the chickens sure enjoyed it. Naturally, there were more zucchini to harvest. He also picked the first kabocha pumpkin. I think I’ll try to roast it when the temperature drops enough to have the oven on again.
Today, I also chopped three more zucchini and put them in the dehydrator.
I made a little progress after being down for so long. It feels good!
#everybitcounts
DAY 1 – #everybitcountschallenge
As with any New Year’s resolution (a tradition I do not participate in), I started the first day of the #everybitcountschallenge off strong.
For Day 1, I sliced zucchini and put it in the dehydrator.
And yes, I wore a protective cut-resistant glove to use the mandolin slicer this time. I did not want a repeat of last year’s drama! You can read about that debacle HERE – (hint, blood was involved)
Since I like to experiment, three trays have no seasoning (for use in casseroles, etc), one tray is salted (though I probably used the wrong type of salt), and one tray has an adobo seasoning sprinkled on it. Last year when I tried to make zucchini chips, the seasoning was heavy-handed, and I really didn’t think I’d try again. That’s why I only did one tray this time, used a pre-mixed seasoning, and sprinkled it on lightly.
#everybitcountschallenge
THE CORN ACTUALLY GREW
While I was out harvesting yet more zucchini today, I again wondered, “How do you know when corn is ready to harvest?”
I’ve had this thought several times but never when I could look it up … and of course I would then forget the question when I had access to the internet.
Today, I just decided to act in the moment. A small husk on the plant next to me was hard in the middle indicating the presence of a cob/ear. I decided to sacrifice it, plucked it off the stalk, and shucked it.
Look what I found!
I had despaired of any success with the corn when it just wasn’t progressing (see my lament HERE). I even had to delay planting the green beans in the Three Sisters Garden and work out a different way to support them because the corn was not growing like it was everywhere around me.
Nevertheless, by the time I did a mid-summer Garden Tour a couple of weeks ago the corn had tassled and there were ears on the plants. It was a glimmer of hope, but I wasn’t going to get too excited about it.
It actually worked!
This time I did look up “how to know when to harvest corn” and found this informative VIDEO from MIgardner. Now I know the answer to that question plus a good bit more that I didn’t know about growing corn.
DRUM ROLL PLEASE
I’m happy to say I am done with peaches for the year!
The final tally is 24 pints canned, 20 pints sliced and vacuum packed, 15 cups dehydrated. I am pleased with the outcome: I have enough peaches preserved to have peaches every week for a year!
Dehydrated peaches are great for healthy snacks and that is how I have always used them. I would like to experiment with them this year. For example, I can rehydrate them (cover with water and bring just to a boil, reduce heat and allow to simmer until tender, then drain) and use them in any recipe that calls for fresh or canned peaches. This means they are useful to make things like Peach Crisp, Peach Cobbler, Peach Cake, Peach Muffins, Peach Pie … you get the idea. I first want to try THIS recipe for Peach Hand Pies using dehydrated peaches.
The canned peaches are, of course, great for quick inclusion in a meal or recipe, or just for eating. I like having this shelf stable, ready-to-eat option available. These home canned peaches will have so much more flavor than we get from canned peaches from the grocery store.
The frozen peaches were sliced and have been vacuum-packed. This will extend their life two or more years. The nice thing about these is that I can thaw and use them to make yummy peach treats, or, I can decide to make them into something else that I did not want to fuss with just now – jam, syrup, pie filling. I can even dehydrate them later.
BOUNTY – FIRE PRINCE – CONTENDER
As you may recall, I ended up getting three varieties of peaches this year – two that I’d not tried before. So, how did I like them?
The Bounty peaches were huge. They completely covered my hand. Where I needed 12-15 peaches of the other varieties, I would only have to use 9 of the Bounty variety. They were sweet and firm. They were my favorite of the three to eat fresh. They were easy to peel (I peel with a knife, not by the dipping method), and the pit came out cleanly. I was impressed and will purposely look for them next year.
The Fire Prince peaches were standard-sized peaches, with a tangy-sweet flavor. They were easy to work, easy to peel without waste, and the pit came out cleanly. Since they were a little tart, while I did eat a small amount fresh, I definitely preferred the Bounty or the Contender.
The Contender has been a variety I have used many times before. They have a great flavor and I really like them for canning. They are a little wet for dehydrating which means they take longer to dry and leave a mess on the trays. They freeze fine also. They are a softer peach so are not quite as easy to peel as the other two varieties.
^^^^^^^^^^
That’s Peach “Week” for 2022 from beginning to end. Coming soon … apples!
PREPAREDNESS ACTIVITY
Each August a challenge is issued to do something every day to add to our food storage. It’s called the #everybitcountschallenge because if you do just a Little Bit Every Day, you will have accomplished a whole lot after 31 days.
Your daily effort could be to can a few jars of jam or meat, or dehydrate some zucchini chips or herbs, or freeze eggs or peach slices.
What if you don’t can? Or dehydrate? Or know any food preservation methods? Ask at your church or at work to find people who do know how to do these things. You’d be surprised how willing people are to teach these skills. Alternatively, use this month to make a concerted effort to purchase items that will broaden and improve your food supply.
August is a good time to make this kind of effort because harvests are starting to come in from farms and gardens. If you don’t have a garden, visit your area farmers markets.
If you want to see what others are doing throughout the challenge this year, on Instagram, search #everybitcountschallenge and click Follow. You will get some great ideas. There are also a few videos on You Tube and occasional posts on Facebook that can be found by searching the term #everybitcountschallenge.
Get ready to act – August is just two days away and every bit of effort counts!
Watch this year’s challenge introduction from Jessica at Three Rivers Homestead HERE.
LAZY SATURDAY
Today was a bit of a lazy day.
With the heat we’re having, outside projects are limited to watering the garden and taking care of the chickens. Everything else was accomplished in the blessed air conditioning.
After lazing about longer than usual, I started my morning by planting some seeds for the winter garden.
I got to be social and had a long lunch with a couple of friends, which was a real treat. I got my haircut and then picked up a few things at the grocery store. After the groceries were put away, I spent a couple of hours lounging in my recliner.
I finally got motivated again and prepared some basil for the dehydrator.
Then I peeled and sliced 15 peaches and put them in the freezer. Yes, I’m still working on peaches…they seem never-ending.
Sometimes you just need a lazy day. I enjoyed mine.
GARDEN TOUR
We’re about halfway through the summer growing season so I thought I’d take a break from peaches and share how my gardens are doing.
THREE SISTERS GARDEN
OTHER GARDEN AREAS
They aren’t pictured here but the herb garden, apple trees, and boysenberries are doing well too!
Two Chickens Homestead 
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