Pectin and fruit questions

I read your posts this morning on the Pectin and the Cider and had a question. After we can that Pectin following that Cider recipe, how long will the pectin be good for?

Got a couple of fruit questions too, we were blessed enough to get several fruit trees at some unbelievable prices. 4 Elberta Peach, 1 gala Apple, 1 Jonathan Apple, 1 Santa Rosa Plum, 2 Kiefer Pears, 16 Blueberry Bushes (2 different varieties), 14 thornless Blackberry Bushes (2 different varieties). The Berry Bushes, believe it or not were $1.00 each and are in gallon pots. All were 1 to 1 1/2 foot tall (not counting the pots). We have hard clay for soil. After we dug our holes, we added some potting mix and peat moss to each and then put a good 3 inch layer of cypress mulch around the base of each plant/tree. My questions are, is there anything else we need to do, to prepare these new plants for winter. We live in Central Alabama. Also, what should I feed them in the spring? We have access to horse manure right now and just started a compost bin.

Jenny
From Alabama

Jenny, your pectin, once canned, is good for years and years. You got a real steal on your fruit! Good for you. Be sure to water your trees and berries until freezing weather hits. (If it doesn’t freeze tight in your area, give them a drink once in a while all winter.) In the spring, mulch them out to the drip line (trees) and around your berry bushes with rotted compost and manure. Do be sure your manure doesn’t contain hay that comes from a field that was sprayed with herbicides to kill weeds in the hayfield. Those chemicals can kill your garden plants and trees, too. Fortunately, this practice is not yet widespread. — Jackie

Ground meat jerky

I want to make some ground meat jerky. I have conflicting recipes, however. Some say to bake in the oven first, then put in the dehydrator and dehydrate, while some say to simply use the dehydrator. Do you have a preferred way of doing it? I’d love to get your recipe.

Sarah Axsom
Natchitoches, Louisiana

I just use the dehydrator or my oven with the heat turned down as low as it goes. Mine goes down to about 160 degrees. I do several different flavors and really don’t have one recipe I use exclusively. Here’s a start for you, though. Remember that the marinade is just that; it has nothing to do with the keeping ability of the jerky.

3 lbs. ground, lean meat
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. garlic powder or one clover garlic, crushed
1 tsp. liquid smoke
1 tsp. salt

Mix this well and either use a jerky gun (very cheap and really makes a nice product) or form meat into jerky-sized strips about 1/2-inch thick. Briefly lay the strips on a paper towel to absorb extra marinade, then lay another on top of the meat to absorb any extra from the top. Place in your dehydrator at 145 degrees. When your jerky is nearing doneness, raise the temperature of your dehydrator to 160 degrees and finish it at that temperature. Dry until it is leather-like. Store in the refrigerator or freezer. (In the “old days” people dried their jerky to stick-like dryness, which took real effort to chew. But it kept without refrigeration. Modern, flexible jerky won’t keep long at room temperature without getting moldy.) — Jackie

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Hopi Pale Grey squash

How do you get your Hopi Pale Grey squash to ripen in your climate? I am south of Detroit and last year they barely made it. I planted them in mid-June. Great job on your homestead. Why don’t you square the logs up on your bandsaw mill for the loft in the barn? Keep up the great work..

Jim
Petersburg, Michigan

We have no trouble getting Hopi Pale Greys to mature here. If I have the time and room, I start the seeds inside, in cups, four weeks before setting them out. If not, I just direct seed them in warm soil, about June 1st. They grow real fast and mature nicely for us. Try planting them earlier, as you live a zone or two warmer than we do.

Will didn’t square the logs as logs left with more rounded sides are 25-30% stronger than those that have been squared and we plan on putting tons of hay in that loft. — Jackie

Jalapeño jello

How do you make your jalapeño jelly? I just made some using the liquid pectin — per recipe — and it didn’t work. We have sweet jalapeno sauce.

Margie Buchwalter
Bowersville, Ohio

I use the recipe in the Ball Blue Book, but use 1 package of powdered pectin or 1/3 cup bulk, instead of two pouches of liquid pectin (Certo). This is 3/4 lb. jalapeño peppers, 2 cups vinegar, divided, 6 cups sugar, green or red food coloring (optional), and 1 pkg. powdered pectin.

Seed and stem peppers. Puree peppers and 1 cup vinegar in blender. Combine puree, 1 cup vinegar and pectin in large pot and bring to a boil. Boil 1 minute, stirring constantly to prevent scorching. Add pre-measured sugar. Return to a rolling boil. Boil hard 1 minute, stirring constantly to prevent scorching. Ladle into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch of headspace. Process for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath canner.

This makes a hot, hot pepper jelly, depending, of course, on what variety of jalapeños you used. — Jackie

Canning meat

As a kid I remember the wonderful beef my mom canned; so convenient to prepare quick meals (soups, stews, hot roast beef sandwiches with mashed potatoes and gravy). YUM!! She is now 89 years old and can’t remember how she did it, whether she packed it raw or browned it and packed it hot, or whether she just added water and salt to create the delicious broth. Which method do you prefer? I also remember that she made sure to pack at least one or two small bones into each jar. Do you know why she would do that? Our local grocery store is having great buys on beef chuck roasts and I would like to take advantage of the great prices. The canned meat is so much more tender than frozen, not to mention quicker to prepare for a meal. I plan to purchase your canning book soon but thought this may provide a quicker answer. My mom also canned delicious sausage. Does your book have a method/recipe for canning sausage? I apologize for being so lengthy. I cannot imagine accomplishing all that you do and certainly appreciate your time, and thank you so much for your input.

J. Phillips
West Virginia

I brown my meat lightly, then add water to the pan drippings to make my broth. I used to pack my meat raw, but found that by using the broth I got a more tender, juicier meat. I have no idea why she included the small bones; perhaps for the flavoring of the marrow?

Yes, my book does cover canning pork sausage, in patty form on page 173. Basically, you season (lightly) your ground pork, shape into patties, and lightly brown them. Then pack hot patties into hot wide-mouth jars (pints work well), then make broth from pan drippings and pour over patties, leaving 1 inch of headspace. Process pints for 75 minutes and quarts for 90 minutes at 10 pounds pressure. If you live at an altitude above 1,000 feet, consult our canning book for directions on increasing your pressure to suit your altitude, if necessary. — Jackie

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Canning sausage patties

I processed 17 pints of sausage patties. I browned them and then put 4 Tbsp. of water and fat from the pan (as you suggested in an article I read) into each jar, which contains 4 patties. However, I did not fill the jars up with any additional water or other liquid. I thought that fat would render out from the patty and it would be sufficient. I processed the jars in my pressure canner at 11 lbs. pressure for 75 minutes. Everything sealed perfectly, but only the bottom patty is covered with liquid the other 3 are not. My question is are the patties good or should I throw them out?

Angela
Vero Beach, Florida

Your patties are still good. Most people cover the patties with broth to keep them soft, but I prefer them without it. When they are heated, you can add a little water while heating, if you wish, then let them fry down, evaporating the water. — Jackie

Shelf life of canned meats

I’ve been successfully canning meat for years but with money being tight, want to determine the best financial avenue for storing meat. Cans of meat from grocery stores have a 3-4 year shelf-life. What is the approximate shelf-life for properly pressure canned meats kept in a dry, 70 degree storage?

Ruth Knutson
Broken Arrow, Oklahoma

Who says store meat only has a 3-4 year shelf life? I’ve kept it for a dozen years or more and it does nearly as well as home canned foods. Home canned meats will remain good for as long as the lids are solid; the most common cause for them going bad is rusted out lids (often caused by damp basements or leaving the rings on during storage).

In my opinion the “freshness dates” stamped on store cans are a marketing ploy meant to make people fearful and throw away perfectly good food and go buy more. It is true that foods stored for a lengthy time may lose a little of their nutrition, but they are still good tasting and definitely good to eat provided that the container is solid and store cans are not dented or bulging on the ends. — Jackie

Flavor of canned meats

It seams that all my canned meat — beef, pork, lamb, etc. tastes the same. Can you give me suggestions to help improve the flavors of the various meats or is there a different way to process the different types of meat?

Teresa
Grover, Colorado

You process most meats the same, but you can certainly vary the flavor by using different flavorings and spices. For instance, we like our venison canned with a little powdered beef stock added to each jar. I add black pepper and onion powder to my pork, and beef gets nothing but salt or a combination of seasonings such as onion, garlic, black pepper, basil, etc. Flavorings do not alter the time or pressure necessary for safe canning but can dramatically alter the flavor of the canned meat. Be a little stingy on using the spices at first as some really get strong during storage.

Once you open a jar of your meat, get creative in using it. I don’t just dump my meat out into a saucepan and heat it up. I make such things as sweet and sour chicken, orange beef, tamale pie with Mexican seasonings in the ground meat, casseroles, stews, soups, and much more. (Check out my new book, Jackie Clay’s Pantry Cookbook for tons of recipes for using your home-canned meats and hundreds of other yummy things from your pantry shelves and home garden.) — Jackie

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Canning smoked meat

We enjoy smoking turkeys, chickens, brisket, etc, in our smoker, then we normally package and freeze the meat. This year we have come into several extra chickens, once the meat is smoked we would like to can it. I would like to know if we can “dry can” the turkey and chicken meat, my husband is afraid we will not have good heat transfer due to no liquid.

Team Riggle
Madison, Alabama

With small smoked foods, such as salmon and other fish, you need not add liquid for safe canning. However, with thicker meats like chicken breasts, I’d advise adding broth to ensure both safe heat penetration and tenderness of the end product. You don’t want to end up with chunks of chicken jerky. — Jackie

Canning corn and tomatoes together

You mentioned canning corn and tomatoes together and I was wondering what proportions you use and what processing procedures. I’m anxiously awaiting the arrival of your Pantry Cookbook.

Carol Bandy
Hightown, Virginia

I use about 2/3 tomatoes with 1/3 corn, but that’s sure not set in stone. I process the jars in a pressure canner for the time required for corn — quarts for 85 minutes and pints for 55 minutes. I hope you’ll like the Pantry Cookbook and get lots of good use out of it. — Jackie

Canning tuna

I just ordered your cookbook earlier this week, Growing and Canning Your Own Food, and am anxiously awaiting it. My question is, do you have a recipe or instructions for canning fresh tuna? We may be getting a few fresh tunas from a friend in the coming week (possibly before your book arrives) and I’d like to put some aside and heard that you can can tuna at home for a similar flavor to a metal canned tuna.

Carrie Timlin
Scranton, Pennsylvania

Yes, you can home can tuna. It’s easy to do and you’ll love the taste. It’s better than store bought tuna!

Raw pack: Fillet tuna. Remove skin and lightly scrape flesh to remove blood and any discolored meat. Cut into quarters, removing all bones. Discard dark meat (or can it for your cats). Cut quarters crosswise into half-pint or pint jar length, allowing for 1 inch of headspace. Pack fish into hot half-pint or pint jars only, leaving 1 inch of headspace. Add 1/2 tsp. salt to each half-pint jar and 1 tsp. to each pint jar. Pour boiling water over tuna, leaving 1 inch of headspace. Remove air bubbles. Wipe rim of jar clean and place hot, previously simmered lid on jar. Screw ring down firmly tight. Process half-pints and pints for 100 minutes at 10 pounds pressure in a pressure canner.

You can also hot pack tuna but most people choose the raw pack method for speed and ease of canning. — Jackie

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Canning ground beef

I have both of your books and I’m wondering about canning ground beef. I see you have a recipe for canning patties and meatballs, but I noticed in your new book you mention that you can use canned ground beef in some of your recipes that would be appropriate for beef crumbles. Is it possible to can the beef as browned crumbles?

Sherri Grubbs
Mosby, Montana

Yes, it is. In fact, you’ll find the recipe in Growing and Canning Your Own Food, on page 179. Canning ground meat is so handy for quick meals. — Jackie

Canning time and measuring tomatoes for canning

I really enjoy your blog and am knee-deep in canning from your canning book and wondering how you get so much canning done. I have an All American canner for 7 quarts or 18 pints which I love. It takes so much time to heat up and cool down I only get about 2 canners a day done if I am doing something with meat in it that takes 90 min. Maybe you have some secret that we all need to know? My next question is from the spaghetti recipe. The recipe calls for 30#’s of tomatoes. I weighed mine after I put them through the Victorio Strainer then wondered if the weight should have been from the whole tomato before I put them through the strainer. Which is correct?

Ruth Martin
Kalamazoo, Michigan

What I do is to can different foods the same day and try to time processing with preparation so that one batch is cooking down in my oven at low temperature (tomato sauces), pickles are soaking in salt brine, and I’m pressure canning another food. I do not can two types of food at once; it’s too easy to get the times mixed up! I have, when I had 8 kids at home, run two pressure canners at once…and one is a huge devil, processing 9 quarts and 14 pints at once! But I was younger and needed to get it done!

The 30# of tomatoes is before you run them through the strainer. (Some folks don’t have a strainer and have to use a food mill, like a Foley, to remove seeds.) — Jackie

Recanning peaches

We got a large can of peaches in light syrup. Can we preserve these into smaller sizes? What is the best way do this? We do have a dehydrator, pressure canner, and water bath canner.

Hollis
Wilmington, Delaware

I’ve done just that, after being given several #10 cans of peaches. Here in Minnesota, we just DREAM about peaches! What I did was to drain the store syrup off, as it tastes slimy to me. Then I made a fresh batch of light syrup using sugar, not corn syrup, and canned the peaches up as if they were fresh ones, in my water bath canner. They turned out very good. I’m sure yours will, too — Jackie

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Propane generator

 Can you recommend a propane generator and set up with a 500 to 1000 gallon tank? After the research with other fuels, this type of fuel seems less complicated than gas or diesel, but would like your input on it.

 F.Johnston

Hot Springs, Arkansas

 We will be buying a propane generator when our gas generator goes dead. (So far, we’ve had it running pretty frequently, for over three years with only minor work.) It’s a 5500-watt generator with a Honda engine. Propane is cheaper than gas and you can connect it to your large household tank. Less fuel to buy. Many newer gasoline generators can be converted (with an installed kit) to propane. Some can’t, so have a serviceman advise you. As for a dependable brand, Generac makes a moderate priced LP generator, but there are several out there. Talk to a serviceman in your area and get his input. He sees and repairs many brands and he can probably advise you at no cost. — Jackie

 Canning chicken

 I’ve been canning for a couple of years but recently started to can meats. My question is my jars of chicken have developed a layer of what I think is fat and the top inch or so of meat has turned a greyish yellow color (the meat below this still looks good) is this safe? Or should I pitch the whole lot? The chicken is the only meat that has done this; what am I doing wrong?

 Fisher William

Grinnell, Iowa

 The layer is probably fat; mine do that too. Is there broth on the meat, or is it dry where the different colored meat is? If it is dry, the color change is probably due to that. Without seeing it, I can’t be sure. If the jars were properly canned and the jars are sealed, and the meat smells fine on opening it, it should be safe to eat. — Jackie

 Tomatoes and powdery mildew

 My tomatoes all fell over even though I had them staked up so I picked all of the tomatoes, brought them all inside and was waiting for them to ripen. They are all turning brown. What is wrong with them? I was planning on dehydrating them. My cucumbers and summer squash are all blossomed but the leaves are all covered with a white powder can they be saved?

 Susan Carmichael

Houlton, Maine

 Sometimes tomato vines get really heavy and despite staking, will blow over in the wind. Some of mine did that this year, despite heavy stakes 5-feet tall and strong cages. We really have awesome vines! Instead of picking them, you probably should have re-staked the plant or even let it lay on the ground if re-staking was not an option. Did you store your picked tomatoes in the sun? That can cause them to brown and rot. That old wives’ tale about setting them on a sunny windowsill to ripen doesn’t work.

 It sounds like your vines have powdery mildew. This is a fairly common garden fungus. It can often be treated by using a sulfur-based fungicide, mixed with water and sprayed on once a week until the condition improves. You can also try using a baking soda treatment: 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 quart water, and a few drops of liquid soap. Spray on your plants weekly. — Jackie

 Bad timer

 I think I already know the answer to my question but I just wanted to make sure. When canning green beans yesterday, I used the timer on our microwave. Because we have been having trouble with the microwave shutting off at any given time, I thought I better have a “backup” timer just in case. So, I used our old-fashioned wind-up one. Well, the old timer (ha ha) went off before the microwave did by a few minutes. This got me really concerned as I just canned corn, in quarts, on Friday using the wind-up timer. I live in Colorado at 4600 feet, so I canned the corn at 13 lbs for 85 min. I did a test today on both the old wind timer and the timer on our stove and after the 85 minutes it was off by 11 min. My corn only processed then for 74 minutes. My question is; since the corn has only been in the pantry for four days, is it safe to put in the freezer or do I have to get rid of it? Thanks for all your advice. …Even though I have never met you, I still consider you as a friend. Congratulations on your marriage.

 Kelli Nothem

Gilcrest, Colorado

 Sorry, but to be safe, you’d better dump the corn in an animal-safe location (bury it, etc.). I, too, consider all my readers/bloggers family and friends! That is what makes this job great! Thank you for your congratulations. — Jackie

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Soaking deer meat

 I was reading in your first gardening and canning book last night and saw something I have to ask you about. When we are preparing to freeze our deer meat, we always soak it for a couple of days, changing out the water and ice often. Without doing that the meat tastes somewhat “gamey” to me and I really don’t like eating it. But when we soak it, it tastes great to me. In the book you said not to soak the meat before canning it. Can you please explain a little more about that? Does it have anything to do with canning it?

 Shirley Owens

Milton, Florida

 If you prefer to soak it, just be sure that it remains below 40 degrees. Sometimes meat that is soaked in warmer water can have bacteria begin to grow in it, which can affect the taste and safety of the meat. I’ve never soaked my venison, and never found it “gamey” tasting; as I don’t like that taste either! We just skin it while it is still warm, then cool it very quickly, quarter, and store in a refrigerator until I can it. No, soaking won’t affect canning it. — Jackie

Storing water

 I have been working for a few years now trying to get a good supply of food storage and have done quite well. Though all experts say you should do water first, I only recently purchased some 55 gallon barrels. We were wanting to hook them up to our gutters. The only problem is all recommendations said that you needed to drain over the winter. Any suggestions on how you could keep water in them all winter. I do live in North Alabama, but we still have some freezing weather.

 Cindy Adams

Florence, Alabama

 If you don’t have ice on ponds and other still water over much of the winter, you can just leave the water in the barrels. The problem with leaving water in barrels in climates that have freezing weather is that they will expand and burst, leaving cracks in them. Then in the spring, they won’t hold water. — Jackie

Eggplant

 … From your new cookbook I made the recipe for baked eggplant and it was very good but was wondering if the dark skin is edible. I have never eaten it because I didn’t know whether to or not. Also how do I preserve eggplant?

 Joan Toothman

New Carlisle, Indiana

 The skin is edible, but some folks choose not to eat it because of appearance or possible toughness if the eggplant was a little mature. You can home can eggplant. Here are the directions from my book, Growing and Canning Your Own Food: choose young, tender, non-bitter eggplant fruits. Rinse and peel, then slice, or cube, as you wish. You may salt slightly bitter eggplant by layering it in a colander and sprinkling on salt, more eggplant, more salt, etc. Let it stand for an hour, then press the eggplant to squeeze out the juice the salt has drawn, then rinse and drain well. Boil in fresh water for 5 minutes to heat thoroughly. Drain, reserving the liquid. Pack hot into hot jars, leaving 1 inch of headspace. Ladle hot liquid over eggplant, leaving 1 inch of headspace. Remove air bubbles. Process pints for 30 minutes and quarts for 40 minutes at 10 pounds pressure, in a pressure canner. (If you live at an altitude above 1,000 feet, consult your canning book for directions on increasing your pressure to suit your altitude, if necessary.) Tip: You can use tomato juice instead of water to boil your eggplant in, then pour it over the eggplant in the jars. This makes a very good recipe base and masks any bitterness of the eggplant. — Jackie

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Breeding chickens

 I have been wanting to start raising my own Cornish-rock Cross chickens, but was not sure where to begin, which breed for the hen and rooster? Also you mentioned breeding back; can you explain that to me? I already hatch my own chicks for egg laying.

 Michelle

Peebles, Ohio

 We’re not sure, either; we’re just experimenting now. We’re going to cross the crossbred chicks back to a White Rock rooster, then those chicks back to a Cornish rooster and see what happens. We’re not going commercial here, just trying to find the best cross for our homestead. The “mistakes” are all good meat birds and we’ll have plenty for the pantry as we go along! — Jackie

Sweet potatoes and poison ivy

 This is the first year that we have planted sweet potatoes….is there anything special to do after digging them up? I thought I read somewhere that they had to get a “second skin”, so how long do we have to wait for that to happen? Also, how long can I expect to store them?

 Also, for the first time, we have poison ivy (the five leave type) coming up everywhere. What can I use to stop this plant other than using “ROUND UP”?

 Meredith Wendt

Rockford, Illinois

 There was a recent article in BHM (May/June 2011, Issue #129) on sweet potatoes, which was very good. You should allow your sweet potatoes to cure for a week or so in a dry place, out of the sun before storage. Then store them in a cool, dry place where they’ll develop their sweet taste. They should store for at least 4 months, and often longer under good conditions.

 I don’t think you have poison ivy. Poison ivy has leaves in a grouping of three, thus, the old saying: “leaves three, let it be!”. There are several good photos online of poison ivy in all seasons for you to check out. You probably have Virginia creeper, and most folks think of it as a bonus in the yard. You’ll often find it climbing on folks’ chimneys and on brick house walls. — Jackie

Meyer Lemon tree

 This summer our relative from Jacksonville, Florida brought us a Meyer Lemon tree. We planted it in a large (18-inch diameter) pot. We live in zone 5 and plan to bring it inside when the temps drop. It will be in a southwest facing window. Will we have to give it supplemental light? We keep the house at 68 degrees during the day and 58 degrees at night during the winter. How much water should we give it and how often? Any hints on the care of the tree would be most welcome.

 Jim Goeschl

Mount Vernon, Ohio

 Lucky you! That Meyer should begin to produce a few lemons within a year’s time! You shouldn’t have to provide more light than it will have in that southwest facing window. They do like quite a bit of moisture, including a good misting a couple of times a week with a spray bottle. But let the soil in the pot dry out on the surface before watering again. Make sure your pot has drainage holes in it. I planted one in a large pot and thought it had holes. No holes. I drowned the tree! Do keep watch for spider mites, which will kill it (webs on leaves and branches) and aphids on the undersides of the leaves. — Jackie

 Chickens

 Help! There seems to be something wrong with one of my chickens. Tonight after filling their feed trays, I noticed this chicken was lying flat on the ground and was letting the other chickens stand on her. Earlier, I noticed her kinda holding her wings out.

 Last week, a different chicken, with similar markings, was also acting ‘weak’ compared to flock. I decided to separate her, she seemed to be all feathers and no meat on her. She had food, water and I thought shade. I found her dead later that day. Either I was right that something was wrong with her or really mistaken about the amount of shade and the heat got her.

 Does this sound familiar to you, at all? The birds are only 13 weeks old.

 Erica Kardelis

Helper, Utah

 Are these birds Cornish Rock meat chickens? I’ve had them do this, as they’re very susceptible to the heat and also have a lot of heart problems due to their weight and the fat around their hearts. The heat can also get other breeds, as well. Be sure they have plenty of shade and fresh cool water at all times. — Jackie

Peaches and apples

 How do you start a peach tree from seed? So far I have had no luck freezing it a little to splitting the seed open. Any suggestions?

 Is there any way that I can find out what kind of apple tree we have? The apples get a little bigger than a golf ball, but not by much. They have light red stripes on, they tend to also have knobs on them. Are usually hard to cut, BUT oh so sweet, I can make apple pies or apple sauce with them and either not need sugar or very little. I asked our Ag Ext agent and got the answer that the apple type was “ugly but sweet” apples.

 Ralph C. Lincoln

Berlin, Pennsylvania

 The easiest way to start a peach tree from seed is to plant several pits out in the yard in a corner of your garden or in an enclosed bed, such as a tire full of soil, right after harvesting the peaches dead ripe. Let them winter over and chill naturally. In the spring, the little peach seedlings should emerge. If you have squirrels, you might want to lay a wire over the area until next spring; they will sometimes dig them up and eat them. Understand that peaches from seed may or may not produce a tree that will have good peaches. Some do and some don’t. That’s why most modern fruit trees are grafted onto hardy rootstock. That way, the new tree will be exactly like its parent tree.

 Unfortunately, that’s probably what happened to get your bumpy sweet apple! It’s probably a chance seedling that turned out very well. You might get a FEDCO tree catalog; they have great descriptions of a wide variety of apples — many old, heritage varieties. You just might find your apple tree listed there. Good luck. — Jackie

Apple trees

 You mentioned putting wire around your apple trees this fall. Can you tell me why?

 Do you have a solution for tree robbers? We have never been able to harvest our apples in the three years they’ve been producing, and now this year the peaches all went too — before we could harvest them ourselves. We think it may be raccoons, but it is possible it is possums. I just don’t know for sure. Any advice?

 C. Hickman

Brush Creek, Tennessee

 We wrap the trunks of our fruit trees with metal window screen or small-mesh hardware cloth, up to at least 3 feet or farther if the trunk is tall enough. This protects the trees from having their tender bark eaten by voles and rabbits during the winter.

 As for critters robbing your trees, about the best solution is to keep the trees out in the open; no long grass/weeds around them or other places for these animals to hide in. The don’t like to cross big expanses of open ground. Then use electric fence around each tree or orchard, after mowing the grass where the fence will be. Have the bottom wire about six inches off the ground, with four more strands about six inches apart, above that. There is also an electric netting that works well for this application. If the trees are where there is no electricity, use a solar fence charger and be sure to install either the electric or solar charger properly. This will keep all but birds away from your trees during ripening time. — Jackie

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