Will has been working on our haying equipment. He finished repairing the wheel rake we got with our old New Holland baler and now has the hay wagon back in the shop, cutting the 2×6s (that we saved from that old mobile home), painting them with oil preservative and getting ready to screw them down to the frame. It’s looking very nice!

Meanwhile, I’m transplanting baby plants in the greenhouse. Since we will plant them out in the garden in late April in Wall o’ Water plant protectors, I start my pepper and tomato seeds earlier than I would if I were setting them out after our last spring frost date…June 16th! This year our plants look great. And so far, I’ve spent two days potting peppers, tomatoes, and petunias into 20 oz. styrofoam cups, with holes poked in the bottom. This lets us only transplant once, planting in the garden directly out of the cups. I reuse the cups and the plants seem to love them. Gee! I’m running out of “sunny windows.”

But boy do those plants look fantastic. And today it was 52 degrees. Our snow is going fast; I wish the MUD was too. I’m getting anxious to at least walk in the garden. And also to see how the orchard trees are doing. Maybe tomorrow after I run in to see Mom.

Readers’ Questions:

Tiny eggs

We have 14 hens of all different breeds. We are getting about a dozen eggs a day right now. The hens will be a year in May. We have 6 hens that I believe are Hamburg Chickens. My question is, we are getting two very tiny eggs from this breed. They are not laying daily, but when they do there is no yolk in these eggs and they are very very tiny, Will these eggs get bigger? So far its been a month and the eggs are NOT getting bigger.

Stephanie
Kinsey, Montana

These no yolk eggs are most often found in pullets who are just beginning to lay. But they can occur in any hen, regardless of age or breed. They are simply a “warp” in the hen’s reproductive process and are nothing to be concerned about. — Jackie

Preserving meat with salt

I would like to know about preserving meat by salting it. Is it safe with any kind of meat? Is there a special kind of salt that you use? How is the meat generally prepared afterwards? How long does it generally take to dry the meat…and how long will it generally last once it is dried?

Joy Goepfert
Alba, Missouri

Although people long ago did preserve meat and fish by salting it down, I don’t recommend it today. First of all, the food, even when soaked to de-salt it before eating, remains very salty. This is just not good for us. Then, there is no way of knowing if the meat is sufficiently salted so that it (or parts of it) doesn’t spoil. My own grandmother salted down Montana whitefish when a flood left them high and dry in their pasture. She worked hard for 24 hours, cleaning and salting down all those fish. And every one spoiled on her! Better to can that meat, rather than salt it. — Jackie

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?

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!

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?

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

Readers’ Questions:

Baking in a bread machine

We recently purchased a NutriMill and have been grinding hard white wheat into flour.  We also have hard red wheat but haven’t tried that yet.  We’ve been baking 2 pound loafs with a bread machine on the whole wheat setting.  We’ve been using a 100% whole wheat recipe from the machine’s manual; flour from the mill, water, butter, salt, gluten flour, brown sugar, skim milk powder, and yeast.  Each loaf has been delicious and very consistent but each time the top “collapses” so the loaf’s top looks weird.  Otherwise it’s great bread.  We reduced the water for a few loaves but it didn’t have much effect.  Can you recommend a recipe for using a machine to make bread from flour right out of the mill?  It would be especially helpful if it used eggs since we’ve got plenty of them.

Holly A.
Shevlin, Minnesota

I’m sorry, but I have never used a bread machine.  Mom used to have one, but I’ve always made bread the old-fashioned way.  Maybe Ilene Duffy could help you.  She’s a whiz with a bread machine.  Let’s ask her! — Jackie

I can’t exactly say I’m an expert either at using a bread machine since I let the machine run its course just through the dough cycle and then take the dough out, shape it, let it rise again for an hour, and then bake it in the oven. But here are some ideas to try to see if you can get some nice loaves right out of the bread machine.

First of all, I’d try a 1 1/2 pound recipe instead of a 2 pound. Most bread books have recipes for both of these sizes of loaves. It could be that your bread machine can make a 2 pound loaf, but for this particular recipe that you’re using it just is too much dough for the machine to handle.

Another thing to try is to adjust the liquid to flour ratio as you’ve already done, but write down exactly how you’re making your adjustments so you can better tell in the future what’s working and what isn’t. You might try lessening by just one or two teaspoons the amount of liquid and with the same loaf add an extra tablespoon or two of flour, which will give you a denser bread.

Egg bread is great and I use up eggs too when I have an abundance. (Nice problem to have!) I’ve found my homemade egg breads to be more dense than loaves made with just milk and/or water. They make wonderful sweet breads when you add a teaspoon of cinnamon to the dry ingredients and later add a handful of raisins during the first mix cycle. You can also add the raisins to the dry ingredients which works fine too.

You’ve inspired me to make a nice loaf of whole wheat bread this weekend! — Lenie

Sweet limewater

Your book and articles have inspired me to try grinding my own corn for cornmeal and hominy flour.  I know you like the Native American corns, but which one would you use for your hominy?  Also, you said the you soak the corn in sweet limewater.  What is sweet limewater?  I’m looking forward to trying parched and dried corn as well.   Thanks for all your insights and help.  Whenever I wonder how to do something with crops or canning or something, my husband always asks “What does Jackie say?”

Carol Bandy
Hightown, Virginia

The lime you want is slaked lime (calcium hydroxide), although pickling lime will work.  You can often find slaked lime at Mexican groceries, or in the ethnic section of larger stores.

My favorite corns for hominy are Cherokee White Flour corn from Seed Dreams (gowantoseed@yahoo.com) and Santo Domingo Blue from Native Seeds/SEARCH.  Of course you can use just about any larger seeded dry, mature corn.  Have fun!  Your own cornmeal, hominy, and corn flour is SO much tastier than store-bought!  (Like everything else.) — Jackie

I got a few last-minute tips from Will and climbed aboard. Oh boy, was THAT FUN! It didn’t take long before I was shoving stumps and logs into a pile and even pushing down smaller trees. Of course I couldn’t stay down in the field long because I needed to keep a watch on Mom, but I really enjoyed learning to run a bulldozer. I’ll definitely be back aboard, soon! It makes hard work oh-so-simple.

We’re already deciding on where the corners, gates, and fences will go and what to plant. Just wait till spring!

Readers’ Questions:

Mold on outside of bean pods

So happy to read that you will be writing an article on seed saving. I have tried with little success. Please address the “rust” issue on beans. I had a few spots on the bean sides which I did not consider good enough to eat. Then I had some beans with the rust in a small circle line around the part of the bean where it sprouts. I wasn’t sure those were good enough to plant, but kept them. Then there is always the weather. We had a very wet Summer and Fall and it was hard to let the beans dry on the vine in the garden. When I got to them, the pods were moldy and grey/black although some of the beans inside looked good. ANY help with the seed-saving thing will be most appreciated.

Jan Eylar
Savannah, Missouri

I’ve also kept beans and peas that had mold on the outside of dry pods, but not inside. They germinated perfectly fine. Some years you just get certain problems; this year was so wet, we had the mold problem, too.

I also buy 50 pound bags of popcorn at Sam’s Club. I store it in a 35 gallon, new garbage can and just take out some if I want cornmeal or popcorn for “Saturday Nite at the Movies” when we watch a video at home. So far, it’s not only stored well (past 2 years now), but still pops great.

Be watching for the seed saving article for more answers. — Jackie

Rhubarb

I would like to know. If you get a rhubarb root from someone out of their garden can you get fruit off of that same root that year or not and why?

Linda Walters
Mineral City, Ohio

No. If you take the stalks from your newly divided rhubarb root, you’ll weaken the plant, as it is desperately trying to establish itself in its new home. You may even kill the plant. Much better to be patient and wait till next spring, when the plant is well established and healthy! — Jackie

Canning cheddar cheese

I followed your recipe for canning cheese from your book “Growing and Canning Your Own Food.” My cheddar cheese turned out to be permeated with holes when I opened it. Did I do something wrong or does cheese always do that?

Chuck
Livermore, California

No, cheese often does this because you never get it melted quite perfectly, and there are air spaces in the melted cheese. If your cheese seems dry, add a little milk to your recipe and you’ll have a great, creamy cheese sauce. — Jackie

Canning potatoes

I found a good deal or russet potato so I canned some up using the method from your new book. Problem is the water turned milky cloudy color is this normal? It also thickened like a medium syrup, is this normal?

Richard
Keyser, West Virginia

Yes, this is normal. It is only the starch from the cut potatoes. You can use the potato water to make the best bread you ever ate! The yeast LOVES potato water! Otherwise, the potatoes are great in soups, stews, and roasts. Of course, you can also use them for “cheesy” potatoes, mashed potatoes, or refried potatoes, too. — Jackie

Canned tomatoes for salad

My husband and I were hungry for salad this week and thought we would treat ourselves. At the grocery store there are only tomatoes grown in MEXICO. What is this about? What happened to the California ones? There are also some beef steaks and other beef MEAT products from Mexico. Do we not grow beef in this country anymore?

Cindy Hills
Wild Rose, Wisconsin

Let me say “AMEN” to your comments! I’ve gotten so I not only read every little sign in the grocery store, but ask to see the box out-of-season produce has come in. I, also, will NOT buy foods from Mexico, Chile, Argentina, Vietnam, etc.

YES, whole tomatoes that you’ve canned are great in salads. I save the juice to use in soups, chili, etc. I also use my fresh-tasting canned salsa in salads, on burgers, and as a relish. Not only does your own product TASTE better, but you feel oh-so-good, eating something you had control of during its growing and processing. — Jackie

Bugs in oatmeal

Can you please give me an effective, safe way to store rolled oats? I have been keeping them in a plastic storage container with the tight sealed lid. I have been using out of them fairly regularly, but when I got them out today, there were little bugs or weevils crawling all over them. I have never had this problem before. I purchase them in bulk from a local Amish store, so I would like a long term storage solution.

Rebekah Robbins
Richmond, Indiana

Unfortunately, this sometimes happens. Usually it’s because there were eggs in the product (flour, cornmeal, or other “cereal”). To avoid the possibility of this happening, many people put the bags/containers of food in the freezer for a few days. This will kill any eggs, making a “surprise” like you had much less apt to happen.

If you find bugs in any other of your pantry foods (usually a cereal or flour product), I’d recommend that you pick up some pantry moth traps and use them to catch any of the little flying moths that may be hanging around in your pantry or kitchen. They are small and can squeeze into many storage containers, although I doubt that they could have gotten into your plastic container unless the lid got left partially unfastened at some point. — Jackie

Canning water in beer bottles

For a canning question, (which I am just learning because of your recommendation), Can I can in my used beer bottles? I’ve been thinking it might be a good idea to can water against emergency needs. As an occasional brewer I tend to save them around, and have a capper for them. Would they be capped before pressure heating, (since water has no acid), But I wondered if the caps should be crimped after heating? How long should they be processed? I imagine the caps should have plastic rather than cork seals.

Glenn Willis
Redondo Beach, California

Sorry, Glenn, but I’ve never canned water for long-term storage; I have canned it to test lids, etc., but never for potable water. Have any of our readers ever found information regarding canning water in bottles with crimp-on lids? — Jackie

In about a month, I saw little, very pale leaves growing from the stems! Oh oh. Not good. So back upstairs they came, into the greenhouse. I felt sorry for them and started watering them. And now they are blooming! Wow! Rose scent in the whole house. Naturally. Who would have thought? It really perks us all up. Aren’t they gorgeous?

Readers’ Questions:

Canning walnuts

Can walnuts be (dry) canned in jars?

Carole Woodcock
Dora, Missouri

Definitely YES! This year I got a bunch of pound bags really cheap and will be canning them up myself real soon. Canned, they last for years without going rancid. And they’re so easy to can. They say you can water bath can them, but every time I tried, the jars, being full of air, floated! I used to oven can them long time ago, but now I pressure can them to be safer. To do this, toast the walnuts on a cookie sheet in your oven, set at 250 degrees, stirring them to keep them from scorching. Toast until dry but not browned. Pack hot into hot, dry, sterilized jars (pint or half pint), leaving 1/2″ of headspace. Process dry, with NO added liquid, at 5 (FIVE) pounds pressure, for 10 minutes, in a pressure canner. If you live at an altitude over 1,000 feet, consult your canning book for instructions on increasing your pressure to suit your altitude, if necessary. You’ll love the results! — Jackie

Are hybrids sterile?

I think that Jackie was talking in her last blog about breeding back the Early Cascade to a hybrid. How do you do that? And isn’t a hybrid sterile?

Debby
Helena, Montana

NO. Hybrids are definitely NOT sterile! Hybrids will produce plants, but they may or may not resemble the variety from which you saved the seeds. What I do is to plant my Early Cascade hybrid tomato seeds, raise a crop, saving the nicest tomatoes to save seeds from. Then the next year, I plant a small flat of those. I choose the nicest plants, raise them, then select the tomatoes from the plant whose fruit most closely resembles Early Cascade. I save the seed from those, then next year plant again. In the case of my Early Cascades, I got very stable open pollinated Cascades after only three years. Some varieties and crops take longer and more work, but it CAN be done. And I’m no plant biologist! — Jackie

Raising grandchildren and homesteading

Three of my grandchildren have come to live with me. I consider it a great honor to love and raise them, especially since I can now show them the delights of homesteading life. The problem…I am already exhausted all the time, and it’s only January! Since I wasn’t living like this when my own children were young, I need some time-management tips. The answers are probably so obvious that I will be embarrassed when you mention them. But Thinking is part of what shuts down when there is no sleep!

Deborah McEnulty
Priest River, Idaho

I think you’ll find that once spring hits, and things get more settled, you’ll also find more energy. I know that works for me. I don’t know how long you’ve had your grandkids, but I do know that each time I adopted new children, the whole family went through a trying and tiring period of adjustment which was, at times, exhausting. Top that off with the mid-winter blahs, which also makes ME tired all the time, and I feel for you wholeheartedly.

My best tips are to try to get into a routine. For instance, kids put their dirty clothes in a basket and put away clean ones, help out with chores, carry firewood, have a time for a movie, reading or working a puzzle together with you. Go for walks, go swimming, pet the goats, cook meals together often. I promise it’ll get better! But also set bounds. You can’t be a parent/grandparent and also a “buddy.” All the best of the best in life! — Jackie

Green tomato pickles

I have a recipe for Green Tomato Pickles, which I inherited from my Mother. In the south, we have lots of Catfish Houses and they serve these pickles with the catfish and hushpuppies.

Carolyn Barr
Green Forest, Arkansas

Thanks for the recipe! I’m sure I’ll try it. I have ordered seeds from Wilhite Seeds. Unfortunately, they have more 90 day plus varieties that grow wonderfully further south. I’m really lucky to get an 80 day tomato to ripen, even with using my Wall’ o Waters! — Jackie

Canning whole milk

I just love your Growing and Canning Your Own Food Book. I have learned alot and was wondering on the canning of milk. Can I can whole milk that I purchase at the store?

Brenda Wells
Montpelier, Ohio

Yes you can. (Of course we homesteaders think our homegrown, canned milk tastes better…) Just remember that canned milk is really not a milk you’d want to drink. It’s more for cooking and baking. — Jackie

Saving seeds

Happy New Year! I have been looking at the seed catalogs too and have noticed the increase in prices also. Some are not affordable! So how do I begin to save seeds? I have never done that before. I am assuming that you save the seeds when you scoop them out of squash, pumpkins, etc. What about a tomato? Then how do you dry these seeds? Do you let bean and pea pods dry on the vine? Then pop out the seeds? If you can give a novice some direction that would be greatly appreciated.

Cindy Hills
Wild Rose, Wisconsin

You know, Cindy, you’ve given me a great idea for an article! Look for in depth information real soon in the magazine. Briefly, you just choose a squash or pumpkin that is ripe, cut it in half, scoop out the seeds, “squish” the seeds out of the strings onto a pie plate or cookie sheet, and put in a warm, dry place. Stir them with your hand every couple of days to prevent molding. When they are very dry, scoop them up and place in a clean jar and keep in a dry place; they’ll keep good for years.

Bean and peas are dried on the vine, like you figured. Keep watching the vines, as they’ll pop out of the pods and fall on the ground when the pods are very dry, before you get to harvest them!

Tomatoes are easy, too. For one or two tomatoes, just let them ripen well, then squish out the seeds onto a piece of wax paper. Again, put in a warm dry place and stir around every couple days to prevent mold and them sticking down.

For more tomatoes, put the jel and seeds in a jar, add warm water and ferment for a couple of days. It helps separate the seeds from the “goo.”

A few great tasting squash for you to try are Delicata, Sunshine, Hopi Pale Grey, and Mayo Blusher (rare, from Native Seeds/SEARCH). They all keep well and are very sweet.

Watch for a seed saving article soon. — Jackie

Growing rice

I love brown rice and was hoping to find seeds for it somewhere. Also any growing tips for it would be much appreciated.

Katrina Ancel
Auburn, Washington

Rice is really not a homestead crop for most folks. You need a specialized wet area and planting/care/harvesting are quite a bit beyond us “regular” folk. Concentrate on more traditional crops. I sell a few veggies and buy those foods I can’t grow handily. — Jackie

Re-canning syrup and BBQ sauce

I was wondering if you can re-can store bought sugar free syrup. What about store bought BBQ sauce?

Teresa
New Free, Pennsylvania

The sugar-free syrup, not really. However, the BBQ sauce can just be heated, then processed as if you made it up from fresh. Just use the time for BBQ sauce in your canning book (water bathing), which is usually 20 minutes. Be sure you take altitude adjustments into consideration if you live at an altitude over 1,000 feet. — Jackie

All-American canner

What are your thoughts on an All-American Canner? We’re looking at a 941

Dan
Prescott Valley, Arizona

They’re a good unit. I have one, myself. You’ll be happy with it, I’m sure. — Jackie

Dehydrating lemons

I plan to dehydrate some lemons and then grind them to a powder, as you described in your column once or twice. You mentioned how great this powder is in baking, etc., and I’d love to have one or two of your recipes using the lemon powder, and your advice on how much powder you might use for a recipe calling for, say, 2 cups of flour.

Lene Colbert
Springville, Iowa

I don’t have space for a bunch of recipes here, but I’ll tell you a few things I use the powder in: sugar cookies, white cake (becomes lemon cake!), simple vanilla or tapioca pudding (becomes lemon and a great between-cake-layers filling!), and quick breads (lemon bread) — I also mix a bit with sugar and sprinkle it on top while it’s hot. Tangy! I also use it sprinkled in some salsa, mixed with pepper and salt on sweet corn, in salads, and oh so much more. For cakes and cookies, I use about 1 tsp. You’ll have to taste; you may need more, depending on your taste and the lemons. Remember to scrub the lemons well, as they are often grown in foreign countries and who knows what sprays have been used on them. — Jackie

Hauling water

At one of your earlier homesteads you didn’t have a well and you hauled drinking water from a car wash. What were the best ways to make that work?

Steve near Philadelphia

We hauled water from a water dispenser at a fire hall and also a car wash in Montana. In that area, many ranchers had cattle on ranges that had little or no water and needed to haul water, in bulk. For 25 cents or 50 cents, we got 350 gallons or more of spring water, dispensed from a huge holding tank, via a three inch fire hose hanging down from it. If you think that didn’t gush!

We sometimes also hauled water from one of our friend’s ranches nearby, as his water was from a spring, and it didn’t cost them any electricity to let us fill from his pipe.

We had two large poly water tanks and could use one in the back of our truck to haul the water. One was 300 gallons and the other, 350 gallons. The smaller one was used to haul water from a nearby spring-fed creek in the early summer, to our garden, before our own seasonal spring would start flowing. We have a small, gasoline water pump that will fill a 300 gallon water tank in about 20 minutes. We used either gravity to dump the tank, once we got home, onto our gardens, into our stock tank, or with the potable water, into a buried 400 gallon tank, above our house. From there, a buried water line carried the water to our house, giving us water pressure. So we could have a propane water heater, running water, and even a bath. Not enough pressure for a shower, though.

If I knew then what I do now, I would have hooked up a cheap 12-volt water pump onto our water line and we could have had plenty of water pressure, like we do now. Oh well, you live and (hopefully) learn!

The poly water tanks sure beat the heck out of milk jugs, 5 gallon plastic cans, and garbage cans! — Jackie