Ask Jackie » Food Preservation

With unseasonable springtime weather, we’re hard at work

Jackie Clay — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 16:14:10 +0000

We’ve had sunny weather in the 50s and even a 60 or two. So we have this huge case of spring fever. (MUST dig! Must dig!!!) Will had finished his “new” furrower/breaking plow, built of scrap and a neighbor’s thrown-out old horse plow. All that was left of the plow was the share and moldboard; the wood had rotted away years ago. But after tinkering and welding for a few days, we have a heavy-duty, neat plow. So yesterday, Will asked me where he could try it out. (I had tried it out the day before down in the area that is to be our horse-training ring.) We’d been talking about removing the gravel and rock from two flower bed areas by the house garden and replacing it with good rotted compost, so I pointed to those spots.

A grin lit up Will’s face and he climbed up on the tractor. After first seeing the plow did (indeed plow), he made several furrows, then turned around and scooped the rock and gravel out of the beds. He put this “waste” on our driveway, in front of the house and the house garden, filling in several low spots and adding a foot of new gravel over our water line. Now, not only do we have new beds, waiting for compost, but our driveway looks so nice and level!

Today, Will started bulldozing down by our spring catchment basin and I hauled many tractor bucket loads of sandy loam from down there, up to level out the spot in our berry patch where our new strawberries and asparagus will go. We were very happy to note that the soil there is already rich and black from all that composted manure we put on last year! Wow. The frost is going, so I should be able to till very soon. Hurray!

Readers’ Questions:

Canning salsa

Thanks for your advice on the pressure canning. I think I was guesstimating too much on headspace, so I got out a ruler and also processed just a little above 10lb pressure and they all came out perfectly!! Thank you. I got your canning book and loving it. I have one question: salsa…I love fresh salsa with just tomato, garlic, lime juice, onion, jalapeno, and lots of cilantro. I’d love to can this, but having a hard time finding recipes without bell pepper and vinegar and from what I’ve read, I don’t want to play with this recipe too much since it combines acid/low-acid foods. My kids & husband requested that I not give them botulism. Could I pressure can it or use just bottled lemon or lime juice in place of the vinegar and water bath can it? My ten year old daughter said, “You’d better ask Jackie Clay- she knows everything!”

Erica
Manor, Texas

Ha! Ha! Tell your daughter to ask MY kids if I know everything! You can substitute jalapenos for bell peppers, or just leave them out. Yes, you can also substitute lemon juice for the vinegar, but I, personally, like the vinegar-salsa better than the lemon one, but try them both and see what you folks like best. You CAN pressure can the salsa, but I prefer it water bathed as the tomatoes get more “mushy” in the pressure canner. I like my canned salsa more like fresh…with the chunks and texture. — Jackie

Wounded turkey

I’m having a “what would Jackie do?” moment. Just noticed my mama turkey was limping. On further inspection, discovered something seems to have torn at her side–she has a good sized open wound under her wing. I really don’t have a clue of what to do for her. She seems ok, considering. She is eating and her fresh droppings looked ok. I suppose I will put her down if she seems to be going downhill. I have a hard time getting a goat vet around here, let alone a poultry one. She had been laying eggs as of late. I left her some and put some in the chicken coop for a hen to hopefully set on, in case she doesn’t make it. If this isn’t too vague, I was wondering what your thoughts were.

Rena Erickson
Easley, South Carolina

I’d guess that your turkey will probably be okay. I had a hen turkey, back in Montana, that was attacked by a coyote. Luckily, our milk cow attacked the coyote and he dropped the turkey to save his life. But when I brought the turkey home, she had a huge, gaping hole in her side. I figured she was a goner, but she was a pet, so I sprayed antibiotic powder on the wound and brought her into the goat barn to (hopefully) heal. She did great and in a month, you couldn’t even see where the wound had been. I hope your turkey does the same! — Jackie

Strawberries and keeping chickens out of raised beds

Sorry to hear about your mom going to a nursing home but based on personal experience you need to take care of yourself too. Chest pains are not to be taken lightly!!

Isn’t this unexpected warmer weather just wonderful? I read you are going to plant 250 strawberry plants. May I ask what are you going to do with that many berries? I only know about freezing them and making jam. Suggestions? I know what I would do if I had your 100 asparagus plants! Yum yum.

We are thinking about putting in some raised beds or small beds around the house of flowers and veggies. We will have to fence some of them since we have free range chickens. What do you put between your raised beds so that it isn’t so muddy? Actually our “lawn” isn’t good. Hubby wants more grass and I want something more useful! Any suggestions?

Thank you so much for sharing. I love looking at your plants! They look so good.

Cindy Hills
Wild Rose, Wisconsin

I’m HOPING I’ll have so many strawberries I’ll have to think up ways to use them all! I’ll be making jam, preserves, and marmalade, of course, then dehydrating a whole bunch to use in various baking and other recipes. I’ll also can up the remainder. True, canned strawberries don’t look as nice as frozen ones do, but they sure taste great! I’m sure I’ll also be sharing them with family and friends, as well. We have grass along our raised flower beds in the front yard (which also are a home to various herbs, peppers, and tomatoes, too). In the house garden, we opted for wood chips, made from left-over prunings and small trees removed from the garden and pasture. The chips need to be renewed every few years as they compost themselves, but it’s not a big chore as we always have new chips from various projects. We’re really happy with our seedling plants this year. Last year we had horrible luck, using Miracle Gro; won’t make that mistake again. Lots of gardeners are telling me the same thing, so it wasn’t just us! — Jackie

Bulk canning lids

Hi Jackie. LOVE your blog and your articles in BHM. You have been a wealth of information for me. Thank you. Just wanted to give you a source for bulk canning lids. Check out the Lehmans catalog or Lehmans.com. They have both regular and wide mouth lids in bulk.

Janice Donaway
Bloxom, Virginia

Thanks for the tip. However, NO sources of bulk lids come close to beating the prices I get locally, unfortunately. It seems that SOMEWHERE you could buy a case of, say, regular lids for less than the $1.00 a dozen that I get at the local dollar store! — Jackie

Spring on the homestead continues

Jackie Clay — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 20:53:42 +0000

Strangely, suddenly, it’s spring, even though it’s only March in northern Minnesota. I’m sure we’ll have more snow and blustery weather, but it’s in the high 40s, not 20s, and nearly all our snow and ice is gone. So while I’ve been in the house transplanting hundreds of little (and not so little!) tomatoes, peppers, and petunias, Will has been busy outside.

Today he uncovered our strawberry bed, taking the wet straw down to the garden’s edge, piling it near the plum and cherry trees. After we clean up the rocks, we’ll use the used mulch that kept the strawberries cozy all winter around the base of the trees to keep down weeds. Now he’s busy building a furrower out of a junk plow from a neighbor’s scrap pile, some steel, and rod. The furrower will go on our tractor’s 3-point hitch so we can quickly make furrows for our new 250 strawberry and 100 asparagus plants. That would be a lot of holes to dig by hand, and a furrow would make quick work of it. We’re excited over the prospect, and I’ll keep you posted.

Readers’ Questions:

Deer Fencing

I hope you are getting some much needed rest. Taking care of an ill loved one is challenging and exhausting. I am a nurse who worked in a nursing home and understand your concerns about placing your mom in a facility and not continuing to care for her at home. Life is a challenge and my heart goes out to you.

My question concerns deer fencing. I know you installed it at your homestead. We are moving to our 40 acres in Appalachia and I would like to put the fence up right the first time. Did you use wood posts or purchase metal posts? We are ordering the heavy duty deer fencing on the internet. Do you have a company you would recommend? Did you attach the fencing to the posts with the ties they recommend? Did you electrify it with a solar unit? Are your fences 8 ft. high? And did you put chicken wire underground to deter dirt-digging rodents? Finally, what did you use for a gate? Did you build one or buy one?

Deb Motylinski
Brecksville, Ohio

We used 8′ long steel T posts with 6′ 2″x4″ welded wire fastened to it. We figured that IF the deer jumped that, we’d wire poles to that, with chicken wire up another three feet. It has never been necessary, as we’ve not had one deer in the garden, even though we have tons of deer in the area. Oh, yes, I did; I left the gate open one afternoon, and in went a young doe! She went OUT much faster!

Our fence is not electrified. And we did not put wire underground. I deter rodents with our dog, Spencer, and a .22 rifle. Both work very well.

Right now, our “gates” consist of wire that we pull open and hook closed. We will be building pole and wire gates this year that are both easier to handle, and look much nicer.

I’ve found that deer really aren’t as bad as one hears, providing that the garden/orchard are fenced well with “real” fence, instead of “alternative methods” of deer control, such as sprays, short fences, electric wire, etc. I’ve used ‘em all and still had deer in the garden. Once we fenced with 6′ high welded wire, that was that and life is SO much easier! — Jackie

Dehydrating cooked rice

I’m experimenting with dehydrating cooked rice. I’ve never heard of making your own “converted” rice, but it seems to be working. I cooked a batch of Jasmine rice, rinsed it well in cool water, drained it and put it on dehydrator sheets. Have you ever tried doing this or heard of a recipe?

Also, a question about canned salmon: do you have to boil it for 10 minutes (or more) when it’s prepared according to the recipe in “Self-Reliance,” page 80? I’ve wondered also about home canned meats that are baked, do they need boiling first before using in a recipe?

I’m considering trying to dry cheese, just to see how well it would work for something like a camping trip–I understand the fat would make it turn rancid over a long period.

Flora Marie Stone
Greenfield, Indiana

Yes, you can dehydrate cooked rice, just like you are doing.

Home canned foods just need to be brought and held to “boiling temperature” for 10 minutes before eating. This can be boiling, steaming, roasting, or baking in a casserole, etc.

I’ve never talked to anyone who had luck dehydrating cheese at home; the fat beads the shreads and they get greasy, then go rancid. I’ve tried it myself, with yucky results. Sorry. I DO love my cheeses! — Jackie

Canning chicken noodle soup and milk

These two questions are about canning. I tried canning chicken noodle soup the other day and added a half a handful of noodles as it said in your book. But when they came out they were weird… the noodles were a semi-solid blob of mush at the bottom of the jar. The whole jars are cloudy and murky looking with mush at the bottom. What did I do wrong?

The other question is about canning milk. It’s been a year now since I first tried it, but it was a disaster, so I’ve not tried it again. I canned quart jars in a water bath canner. When they came out, all the lids appeared to be sealed, and I packed them away in the pantry. Within a month or so, I noticed them looking curdled, and had seen where you said canned milk would be thicker, so thought maybe they were ok and left them, but then they curdled all the way, and as they spoiled, the jars came unsealed! Ended up with a clear liquid on top with a mass of what looked like cottage cheese on the bottom. What went wrong here?

Angela Billings
Stronghurst, Illinois

Some noodles do that. I’d advise using the thicker “homemade-type” ones, instead of regular store noodles. But even the “yucky” looking noodles, when stirred up gently, make a tasty soup.

Not having been with you when you canned your milk, I don’t know what went wrong, but a lot of people routinely can up milk and have it turn out fine. I’d just give it another try, following directions. Who knows, you may have mis-read them or something. That happens to all of us one time or another. — Jackie

Bulk canning lids

Do you know of a good source for buying bulk canning lids?

Linda
Dorris, California

Unfortunately, no. I buy mine at our local dollar store for $1.00 a dozen (regular lids), and our local farm store on sale, for the wide mouth lids. I usually get the wide mouth lids for about $1.89 a dozen, which is cheaper than most other places. But I DO watch for the sale! Any readers have a better idea? — Jackie

Antibiotics for the first aid kit

…I was wondering about what we can use for antibiotics for our first aid kit that we have been making. If a situation happens, and one is unable to see a doctor, can one use animal antibiotics and if so how do you determine the dose?

Meredith Wendt
Rockford, Illinois

I’ll probably get hate mail for this, but yes, in a dire emergency, one can use “animal” antibiotics, such as penicillin, for human use. Most “animal” antibiotics are simply “human” antibiotics with a veterinary label. As dosage for animal use varies by body weight, so you would choose your dose for human use, by body weight. Again, only use this in a dire emergency situation, where no doctor is available. It’s also a good idea to have a vial of injectable epinephrine available, in case of rare, but possibly fatal, shock. — Jackie

Storing pecans

I have 12 pecan trees on my property and most years I get more pecans than I need. I crack and shell as much as I can and put them in the freezer where they will keep for a long time. But what about unshelled pecans? Can they be kept for a long time? I don’t want to put them in the freezer. Where should they be kept and how long will they keep?

Tom Hutyra
West, Texas

Unshelled nuts will usually keep for several months in cool, dry storage. But they won’t keep a long time before the nut meat shrivels and gets hard. How about doing your big batch, then slowly pecking away at the leftovers and canning them up? My friend Junita Saunders, down in New Mexico, and I used to get together and shell and can pecans all winter. It was fun, we weren’t “under the gun” to get ‘em done, and we got to visit a whole bunch. I’m still eating pecans from six years back! — Jackie

Canning pork and beans with franks

Can you, and if so, how do you can pork and beans with franks?

Also, I loved your book Starting Over, it gives me a boost whenever I start feeling like quitting my dream. Is there anywhere that a good overall supply list for equipment and supplies to help me start preparing a homestead of my own in South Georgia or North Florida?

Bo Suddueth
Jacksonville, Florida

It’s easy. Just make up a big batch of your favorite pork and beans, using chopped franks as the “pork.” Don’t bake it till done, just until thoroughly hot. Then pack it in pint jars, leaving 1 inch of headspace. Process at 10 pounds pressure for 75 minutes in a pressure canner. (If you live at an altitude over 1,000 feet, check your canning book for directions on increasing your pressure to suit your altitude, if necessary.)

Two handy, all around catalogs for equipment/supplies are Lehmans Hardware and Northern Tool. I also love Murray McMurray for poultry stuff and Hoeggers for goat supplies. — Jackie

Mom’s not doing well, but my plants are cheering us up

Jackie Clay — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 21:08:32 +0000

I’m sorry I haven’t been blogging like usual, but Mom’s having a bad time lately. She’s having symptoms of a bladder infection (again), such as hallucinating at night, being confused and disoriented. But so far, nothing showed up on a UA at the lab. So more tests, more worried nights. And she is getting weaker all the time. I’ve not had much sleep and days have been a whirl. But in the greenhouse, our little plants are growing, thriving, and trying to keep us sane through everything. Pretty soon, I’ll have to transplant my first peppers. How exciting!

Last year, we used Miracle Gro potting soil to start the seeds and boy was that a bust! My friend, Jeri, did too and her seeds had poor germination and just didn’t grow at all, just like mine. This year, I bought professional seed starting mix from our local greenhouse and it’s made all the difference in the world. I’ve made my own seed starting soil in the past, but lately I just haven’t had the time. It’s made from good garden soil, well-rotted compost, vermiculite, and perlite. You bake the soil and compost to kill weed seeds and any pathogens present, then mix everything to lighten the soil. It works well and I hope to do it again soon. But for now, our plants are great and I can’t wait to get in the garden!

Readers’ Questions:

Bay leaves to deter moths

I am preparing a 12 month storage area in my home. I have read that bay leaves can be placed in grain to deter moths. Can bay leaves also be used in flour?

Jean Ann Wenger
Fairbury, Illinois

Yes. Place a few on top of your flour, inside its container, for best results. Don’t mix it up IN the flour. And make sure the container you choose is airtight, rodent proof, and moisture proof. — Jackie

Canning sandwich spread

I make a sandwich spread that of course contains mayonnaise. If I made a large batch of it could it be canned?

Tammie Stiltner
Vancouver, Washington

No. There is no current information on safe canning of mayonnaise or salad dressing. — Jackie

Salsa using canned tomatoes

Do you have a salsa recipe using canned tomatoes? Would I be able to can it?

I have gotten a lot of flack about canning salsa from already canned tomatoes – “not safe,” “will be mush.”

Alison Martin
Waretown, New Jersey

You can use any salsa recipe to use your already canned tomatoes. But it will be less chunky than fresh tomato salsa as tomatoes cook down quickly. It will be safe and tasty, though. — Jackie

Perennial vegetable bed

I talked to you on here before about a gas stove that wouldn’t go down low enough to let me pressure can. Just wanted to let you know we had a guy come and fix it, and now it works wonderful!

I recently ordered some garlic, walking (potato) onions, and horseradish from members of Seedsavers Exchange, and I was wondering about a perennial vegetable bed. I was thinking I would plant these all together, and was wondering if you had any advice on making a perennial garden bed. I’m concerned about it being taken over by weeds. Since all these items would need to be regularly dug up, my normal answer to weeds, semi-permanent mulch like black plastic, won’t work here.

Angela Billings
Stronghurst, Illinois

I really don’t think I’d plant these together, if it were me. You’ll be digging the garlic and horseradish at different times, in all likelihood, and the walking onions at another time, if you do (you often just use the top bulbs). Horseradish has a way of taking over a garden, so I’d advise against putting it in at all. Put your horseradish far away from your garden and flower beds and you’ll be much happier! My friend, Jeri, now has horseradish in her flowers, rhubarb rows, and along her greenhouse, from a small planting on one end of her flower bed.

The walking onions and garlic could go together in the same bed, but in separate areas for ease of harvest. — Jackie

Goats hair falling out

I have a six year old Nubian doe, about twice a year all of her hair falls out. It isn’t lice or fleas. And it doesn’t ever affect our other goat that is penned with her. Someone said to try brewer yeast in her feed, didn’t help. Someone else said she must be Vitamin A deficient, that didn’t help either. They have a mineral block, get grass alfalfa hay, and a handful of three way grain daily. Neither doe has been bred in several years. When her hair falls out, I mean all of it. Not just patches. And sometimes its in the winter here in Montana so we have to set up heat lamps for her. Any ideas?

Terri Ogle
Kalispell, Montana

Our wether, Oreo, does the same thing. It’s kind of shocking, but the best I can figure out is that it is his body’s way of changing hair coats from winter to spring and vice versa. You might consider making a goat coat for her, similar to a horse blanket, to save on electricity from those heat lamps. — Jackie

Canning on a propane turkey cooker

We have recently moved into a house that has a glass top stove. After watching the stove cook for a while, I have decided that I will need to come up with an alternative way to can. I know you have talked about propane stoves. I have a propane turkey cooker, would that work?

Cindy Adams
Florence, Alabama

I’ve never had or seen a turkey cooker in action, but anything that is sturdy enough to support a full canner and produces sufficient heat should do the job. Any readers have any thoughts here? I’m sure someone has a turkey cooker and could give Cindy some help. — Jackie

Canning pork loin

I canned pork loin on two different occasions months apart using the same instructions for raw pack loin with water. In the first batch the water is clear with no color. In the second batch the water has kind of a brothy color to it. It is still transparent just with a little tint. I’m wondering if the color difference could be due to different brands of pork or different solutions used when packaged back at the plant. I bought the loin at the same store just a few months apart. Should I be concerned with the difference?

Also, I wanted to let you know that we finally bought some chicks and I’ve been following the instructions in the Chickens: A beginner’s handbook. So far everything is going well. I look forward to gathering eggs late in the summer.

Marlana Ward
Mountain City, Tennessee

I wouldn’t worry about the color, provided you followed instructions and the jars are sealed. You’re right; it may be a different pork loin solution or even packing process. Some are packed with a mild brine to keep it moist; others are not. Enjoy it and have fun with your new chickens! — Jackie

And they say animals can’t think!

Jackie Clay — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 17:38:35 +0000

Our lab’s favorite dish is one of my hanging basket pots. It’s usually full of dry dog food. But when it got empty, Will taught Spencer to pick it up and carry it outside for a refill. Then he taught him to carry it back inside, full. Well, yesterday we were sitting in the living room and Spencer looked at us, then trotted in the greenhouse, picked up his dish and came out and sat in front of Will. It was empty! And Spencer wanted a refill. We laughed until tears ran down our faces. Then Will went out to refill the poor puppy’s dish. Now if only our government could figure out things as easily! Maybe Spencer should run for President?

Readers’ Questions:

Recipe for pecan butter and purchasing saltpeter

I need a recipe for canned pecan butter and where can I purchase saltpeter?

Charlene McGallagher
Irvington, Alabama

I have never had enough pecans, or peanuts even, to make butter, and also don’t have a recipe for it. Do any readers have any help here?

You can usually find saltpeter at larger stores that carry hunting and sporting goods, where the jerky spices are located. If not, try sausage-making supply houses, such as Harvest Essentials, or even your local butcher. I’m assuming you’re going to make some cured meat; you might look for Prague powder, which contains saltpeter. — Jackie

Milking goats

How many milking goats do you have? I know you talk about spreading out your breeding season so I know you have more than one.

Margie
Palmer, Alaska

We presently have two does, Buffy and Fawn, who have freshened before, and this year we will have two of our triplet doelings freshening, Jewel and Onyx. We also have two doelings that we didn’t breed this winter, to get more size on them, Dusty (Buffy’s daughter) and Strawberry, the Boer daughter of our new buck. We try to keep our herd small and manageable, yet always improving. We DO love our goats! — Jackie

Vacuum jar sealer

I am looking for a nonelectric hand pumped vacuum jar sealer. Can you help?

Ruby Baker
Leesville, South Carolina

I’ve read about folks using hand vacuum pumps from auto parts stores. (You can buy one that’s used for testing vacuum lines for about $40.) I think this would work fine for you. — Jackie

Canned pickled eggs

Do you can pickled eggs and is it safe to do so? I have been looking for a recipe for canned pickled eggs and everywhere I look it says that they are dangerous and it is not advisable to do. If it can, do you know of a good recipe?

Joe Spearman
Cameron, Oklahoma

I’m bringing you a recipe from my new canning book that’s worked for a hundred years or more:

18 whole, hard-boiled, peeled eggs
1 1/2 quarts white vinegar
2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. whole allspice
1 Tbsp mixed pickling spices

Mix vinegar and spices in a large pot and bring to a boil. Pack whole, peeled, hard-boiled eggs into hot, sterilized wide mouthed jar, leaving 1/2 inch of headspace. Ladle boiling pickling solution over eggs, leaving 1/2 inch of headspace. Remove air bubbles. Wipe rim of jar clean; place hot, previously simmered lid on jar, and screw down ring firmly tight. Process for 25 minutes in a boiling water bath canner. NEVER leave unsealed pickled eggs out at room temperature. You risk danger from botulism and other bacterial diseases. — Jackie

Canning soup with cabbage

My granny used to can vegetable soup with cabbage in it, do you happen to have a recipe for that? She would also put pinto beans in it.

Tonya Bowles
Paoli, Indiana

Recipes are personal, and I’m sure your Granny developed her own to suit her taste and used foods she had available. You’ll have to experiment a little until you get a soup that tastes “just like Granny’s.” Most soup bases start with a base, such as beef or ham broth, with vegetables added. In this case, probably corn, potatoes, tomatoes, cabbage, and pintos. Add seasonings as you like and give it a taste test. When you get it “right,” just make up a big batch but don’t cook it thoroughly; just bring it to a good boil. When you can it, fill your jars, leaving 1″ of headspace, then process it in a pressure canner at 10 pounds, for the length of time required for any one ingredient in your soup. (If you live at an altitude over 1,000 feet, consult your canning book for instructions on raising your pressure, if necessary.) Good eating! — Jackie

A few questions

Thank you for answering ALL our questions. A few more…

1. How long will it take pasta products to go rancid? How should we be storing them?
2. Have read that tomato plants with blooms/small tomatoes on them will not do as well when planted in the garden. True/False?
3. Why should you “blanch” veggies before drying? Can we get away with not doing it?
4. Can you make your own self-rising flour? If so, how?
5. Can you make your own dehydrated shortening? How?

Jan Eylar
Savannah, Missouri

It takes pasta products years before they get rancid. Whole wheat pasta will go rancid long before white flour pastas, though. I’ve stored pasta noodles for more than six years without any special treatment and had them taste like just-bought.

Tomato plants in nursery packs (6, 4, 12 packs) that are blooming are too small to be producing fruit, so when they are stressed by not only being root-bound, but also replanted in the garden, they are set back so much that they usually never “get up to speed” like plants that were just “babies” without having blooms or fruit. It’s much better to plant non-blooming and non-fruiting tomato seedlings. One exception, though, is raising or buying larger, potted (in large pots) tomatoes with blooms/fruit on them. I’ve planted some of my indoor winter tomatoes in the garden and they never seemed to know they were moved. They kept on producing tomatoes with no hesitation.

You should blanch vegetables before freezing to stop enzyme action that ripens them further. Sometimes you can “get away” without blanching them, but most of the time the veggies will not taste as good as if you spent a few more minutes blanching them before freezing or drying.

Self rising flour is simply flour with baking powder and salt added to it. Yes, you can easily make your own. Here’s a basic recipe. You can double or otherwise increase your batch, as you wish.

For 1 cup self-rising flour use:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
a pinch of salt.

No, you can’t make your own shortening powder at home. — Jackie

Drying peas on the vine

Last year I allowed my purple hull peas to dry on the vine and the bugs sure did a lot of damage to them. So I was wondering if I could pull them off the vine when ripe and let them dry in the sun under a screen?

Challis Moffitt
Ramseur, North Carolina

Yes, you can, provided that the seeds are mature and relatively dry to start with. If not, the pods will likely mold and the seeds wither inside. If they’re mature and quite dry to start with, you’ll have dry seeds and no bug diner! — Jackie

Our trailer/bridge gets dismantled and I’m doing germination tests on seeds

Jackie Clay — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 20:38:07 +0000

On the nicer days of this late winter season, Will and I have been out dismantling our new, old mobile home. Boy what a mess! We’re salvaging a lot; some interior paneling for the goat barn and chicken coop, electrical wiring, boxes, switches and outlets, hinges, a good propane kitchen range, a nearly new turkey roasting pan, with lid, sauce pans, cake tins (not good enough to eat out of but make terrific seedling trays!), sheet aluminum from the roof and sides, to be re-used or recycled, AND the best of all, more than 40 14-foot 2×6s in great shape!

Of course, we won’t talk about the load upon load of particle board and cardboard that went onto the burning pile, along with assorted other crud. Yeah, I don’t like burning it either; all those not so nice fumes…but we did it in the snow, where most of the smoke was held to a low minimum.

We’re down to the frame now, which is what Will wanted to make a bridge over our creek with, and that will start to happen tomorrow when he and our friend, Jim, start cutting it down and welding it back together.

While they do that, his wife, Jeri, and I will be starting to plant my first tomato seeds. A great break from that UGLY trailer!

As a long-time seed saver, I have a lot of old seeds in my huge tubs of seed containers. So this year, I’m doing germination tests on some of them, to see how they’re storing. I did some 10-year-old corn seed and 11-year-old cabbage seed. The corn germinated 100%, but no cabbage yet. I dampen a paper towel, lay out the seed, each kind in its own towel, fold up the towels and put them in a jar, screwing down the top. I put the jar in a nice warm place and wait. It works very well to find out how good a batch of seed is; if lots germinate, great. If only a few or none, it’s time to switch to a different batch of seed and toss the old/non-viable seed.

But seeing those little corn roots gave me a burst of spring fever! So what if we have two feet of snow on the ground! Spring is coming to the backwoods.

Readers’ Questions:

Egg eating chicken follow up

This is more of a follow up than a question. I had asked about my egg eating chickens a while ago, well I have solved the problem by about 98%.

First we tried “Operation Spicy Chicken.” We planted three eggs that were filled with Frank’s Hot Sauce. Well the chickens took the bait, but unfortunately, I think they liked the hot sauce!

This led to plan B, “Operation Fowl Mouth.” We filled a couple of eggs with dish soap (you know, getting your mouth washed with soap!). This seemed to have slowed them down for a day or two, but didn’t do much good.

So then came plan C, “Operation Keep Away.” I took your advice and built a roll out nesting box. It’s more like a cabinet with 6 boxes, three on the top and three on the bottom. The chickens lay the eggs and as soon as they get up, the eggs roll safely out of reach. They have managed to peck a couple of eggs before they roll to the “safety zone” where there, the contents spilled out. However, they have not been able to actually eat any eggs for a while, and I think they forgot the taste. It’s been about a month since “operation keep away” and we’re back to having close to a dozen eggs a day!

David Rose
Buena Vista, Colorado

I’m really glad to hear back from you and that you’ve had such success. Egg eating is a learned behavior, so hopefully, it will be un-learned! Enjoy those eggs, the hens certainly did! — Jackie

Bugs in potting soil

Last year I planted some seeds in a commercial potting soil mix. About 6 weeks later I had thousands of real small flying black bugs show up on the small plants. Since the room was sealed. The buys had to enter from the potting mix. How can I stop these bugs from hatching out? Or is there a special potting soil that is commercially available that is sterile? How does one sterilize a large volume (50 cubit feet) of potting or garden soil.

Larry Danler
Pinedale, Arizona

Your flying black bugs were probably “fungus gnats,” kind of like fruit flies of potting soil. Yep, you probably got them from the potting soil. It happens with all but the “professional” grade of potting mix. You can sterilize any potting soil by putting it in large turkey roasting pans and cooking it in the oven at 250 degrees for 20 minutes. It does the trick and kills not only bugs and their eggs but also bacteria and fungus. — Jackie

Boiling home-canned foods

In the past few months I have seen several sources suggest that home canned foods should be boiled for 10-15 minutes before serving. This is supposed to be done to insure that no harmful bacteria that may have survived the canning cycle make it to the dinner table. I’ve been pondering this advice for awhile and I can’t make sense of it.

Low acid foods must be pressure canned at 240 degrees in order to kill any harmful bacteria. No amount of processing in a water bath canner at 212 degrees is sufficient to kill these microbes. If the preceding statements are true it would seem then, that if for some reason the trip through the pressure canner failed to kill the microbes, boiling the food after the fact would be pointless and ineffective. Am I missing something in my analysis or is the conventional wisdom of boiling home canned foods prior to serving perhaps just an old wives tale?

FH Aydelotte
Stevensville, Pennsylvania

No, it’s common sense. If everything goes perfectly during a typical session of pressure canning, the food, if sealed would also be perfect. Unfortunately, human nature gets in the way. The kids are sick and screaming and you don’t let your canner exhaust long enough. The dog is having puppies and your pressure goes down then spikes up as you “adjust it back.” The UPS man is at the door and you leave the almost simmering food warm on the stove, then pack it into jars and “hurry it up,” removing it from the canner 5 minutes early. You get the picture. To err is human! And the 10-15 minute boiling time is just to safeguard ourselves. This boiling time can also be roasting time, frying time, or broiling time, as well. — Jackie

Canning pickled cabbage

You recommended that someone can “pickled cabbage.” Can you give me the recipe for this and the processing times (pressure or hot water bath)? Also if you use Tofu in soup, is this canned like a meat or how long do you can it? I really enjoy your canning book. I’ve tried canning some of the things that you have answered to your readers (like hot dogs, meatballs, etc.) and I must say – my husband and I have really enjoyed them. Ball Park dogs taste better than the others. Much better than store canned vienna wieners.

Teresa Parker
Evansville, Wyoming

Pickled cabbage is a sweeter product than is sauerkraut and it is not fermented. It’s easy to do, too:

PICKLED CABBAGE

2 medium heads of cabbage
1 qt. cider vinegar
2 green peppers
2 cups sugar
1 bay leaf
1 stick cinnamon
1 tsp. whole cloves

Wash cabbage, shred, drain, and sprinkle salt over it, then cover barely with ice water. Let stand overnight. Drain and press water from cabbage. Cut peppers finely and add to cabbage.

Combine sugar, vinegar, add spices, and bring to a boil; boil for 10 minutes. Pack cabbage mixture into hot, sterilized jars; pour boiling hot pickling liquid over it, leaving 1/2″ of headspace. Process for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath.

I honestly have never cooked much with tofu, but it is a bean product, not a meat, so you wouldn’t process it as a meat. Any canners out there who HAVE canned with tofu? — Jackie

Jars not sealing in the pressure canner

I have a canning question. My water bath canned items almost always seal. I never have had a batch go wrong. BUT when I pressure can, I always have some jars that don’t seal. Today I tried canning some chicken stock and only 1 out of 7 of my jars sealed. I am very discouraged and not sure what I am doing wrong. I had 1 inch headspace, tightened the lids just as I do for the water bath, wiped rims well, etc. Can something be wrong with my pressure canner or am I doing something wrong? Do all your pressure canned items seal every time?

Erica Leake
Manor, Texas

Yes, my pressure canned jars nearly always seal every time. Of course, there are oddball jars that don’t. A bit of fat or food gets lodged under the lid during processing, or the canning fairies are on strike. But, yes, nearly all the jars DO seal. Okay, it’s possible that something is wrong with your canner, but probably not. Let’s go over the steps and see if you’re missing something:

1. Put a couple of inches of water in the bottom of the canner and put the rack in. The rack keeps the jars off the bottom, reducing breakage.

2. Put the filled jars on the rack and tighten the lid down evenly.

3. With the exhaust petcock(s) open, turn on the heat and exhaust steam for 10 minutes or more depending on your canner’s instructions. Be sure there’s a STEADY stream of steam coming out, not just intermittent spurts.

4. Close petcock or put on weight.

5. When desired pressure (10 pounds unless you live at an altitude over 1,000 feet; consult your canning book for directions on increasing your pressure to match your altitude, if necessary) is reached, begin timing your processing, adjusting your heat to keep the pressure even.

6. When the desired time has passed, turn off the heat and allow the pressure to return to zero. DO NOT touch the petcocks to release any steam!

7. When the dial has reached zero, release any steam carefully and remove the lid.

8. Carefully remove jars and place on a folded, dry towel in a draft free area to completely cool. DO NOT touch the jars. NO wiping off residue, tightening rings, NOTHING. DO NOT PRESS on lid to “help” it seal.

9. When the jars are completely cool, you may check the seals and remove ring. You may also wash the jars, if needed, dry them and put them in your pantry for storage.

I sincerely hope this helps you find your problem! Canning is so much fun, but frustrating if something continually goes haywire! If this doesn’t work, have a friend bring their pressure canner over and can up a small batch of something together. If she does everything you did and has success, I’d suspect your canner. But quite probably, you’ll go “Oh my! I didn’t do that!” and your problem is solved. The best of luck! — Jackie

Dehydrating eggs

I have been looking for a way to dehydrate eggs. I have my own chickens and fresh eggs daily, And I have heard every thing from dipping them in bees wax to regular wax and also heard you can scramble them up and then dehydrate them until hard, then put them in a nut chopper until they become powder… And then take and wisk them with a fork and then strain them and place them on a solid bottom tray and put them in the dehydrator until totally dry and then place in chopper until powder.

Holly Cannon
Milton, Florida

To tell the truth, I’ve been leery of trying to dehydrate my own eggs because they are a very prime incubator for several not-so-nice bacteria. I prefer to buy my dehydrated egg powder, unfortunately, as I feel that processing companies have better control of humidity, temperature, etc. in the dehydration process. — Jackie

Breeding older goats

My friend has 3 Saanen goats, and she was wanting to breed her 8-year-old. This goat’s in heat, so she tried to find a stud. The woman who owned the stud told her that 8 years old is too old, is dangerous for the goat at that age, to be pregnant. Do you think it’s safe for her to have this 8-year-old bred?

Jeanne Allie
Storrs, Connecticut

Yes. If the woman who owns the buck feels strongly against breeding, find another buck. At 8 years old, the doe is just “middle aged”. I’ve had many does older than that in my milk string, which, of course had to be bred to produce milk. My one 12 year old doe produced not only triplets but 1 1/2 gallons of milk every day! — Jackie

Canning soup with cabbage

I have a wonderful veggie soup recipe. The recipe calls for cabbage, which I used. I was wondering if the cabbage would sour (like sauerkraut) if I canned the soup with the cabbage in it. I am afraid it would, what do you think?

Jane Dunn
Carrollton, Illinois

No, the cabbage will stay just sweet and mild. But add it last to your soup that is simmering and only simmer it long enough to wilt it down or it could get too soft during processing. Do be sure to can your soup in a pressure canner, using the length of time required for the ingredient needing the longest processing (i.e. meat, corn, etc.). — Jackie