Merry Christmas to you and your family!

Despite what the weather forecasters are calling “THE STORM OF THE DECADE” we are expecting a very wonderful and peaceful Christmas. Our wood is up, the critters are all up to their ears in hay, and they have warm shelters, we have plenty of food in the pantry, each other, and a nice comfy fire in the stoves. We’re healthy and happy. I feel truly blessed out here in the backwoods.

Readers’ Questions:

Aphids

I have aphids on one of my houseplants, a purple passion plant. Not sure if you are familiar, but they have fuzzy leaves. This plant was on a shelf over my kitchen sink and I think I brought in some dill for making pickles and didn’t realize it was infested with aphids, and they must have gotten on my houseplant. So far they haven’t spread, but I haven’t been able to get rid of them.

Carmen Griggs
Bovey, Minnesota

Aphids are terrible! So tenacious! I’ve had great luck using Safer. This is a spray containing organic soaps and pyrethrins for quick kill, yet quite non-glow-in-the-dark. The trick with getting rid of aphids is to treat the undersides of your leaves every few days to break the life cycle of the beasts. Train yourself to closely examine your plant every few days and spray if you see “new growth” or living aphids. I also use the yellow sticky strips, which catch the adult flies. These look like little fruit flies and you’ll often see them on the soil of your plant. Keep after them and you will get rid of them. Also examine your other plants, especially under the leaves and on tender new growth and treat any affected areas. Aphids have certain plants they love and don’t bother the others unless they are totally out of control. Some they love are tomatoes, peppers, citrus, and hibiscus. Good luck. — Jackie

Electric pressure cookers

I have seen several brands of electric pressure cookers in catalogs. None of them refer to or mention canning. Can you tell me if you know anything about them and if you can safely can with them. Thank you,

Sally Baker
Kamiah, Idaho

I have never heard of an electric pressure cooker. The only ones I’m familiar with sit on the stovetop with a locking top and pressure gauge. You regulate the pressure by regulating the stove’s heat. There IS no electric pressure canner. You’ll need one that sits on your stovetop. — Jackie

Canning catsup

When it comes to canning catsup, I cook the sauce for hours and hours and it still remains somewhat thin and runny. Do I have to continue cooking it down for hours more, or is homemade catsup naturally thinner?

Cathy Adams
New Vienna, Ohio

I cook my catsup, tomato sauces, and barbecue sauces down in my oven until they are nearly thick enough, then bring them out onto my stovetop. YES you have to cook it a long time to thicken it. Some folks run their tomato puree through a jelly bag or settle it out in gallon jars to remove the watery liquid before cooking it down. This cuts down the cooking time a whole lot. — Jackie

Removing snow from the roof

How do you remove heavy and deep snow off of roof?

Clinton Hoffman
Dunbar, West Virginia

A lot of times, depending on the slope of the roof, of course, you can use a long-handled “snow rake” to pull the snow off the lower part of the roof. This allows the higher snow to slip and slide off like an avalanche in a day or two. If this doesn’t work or your roof is too flat, about the only thing I can suggest is to get on the roof with an aluminum scoop shovel and shovel it off. Wear a safety rope and take care NOT to shovel up-slope, which will damage shingles or roofing. On dormers or valleys, sometimes you can use a shovel on the lower parts and a snow rake to reach steeper and higher portions. Be very careful, as many people are seriously hurt or injured every year, cleaning off roofs. That frozen snow on a slope is VERY slippery! — Jackie

Grass burrs

My brother has grass burrs in a patch of his property. He is wanting to put a small garden in that area as it is sandy in comparison to the rest of the property. He is thinking about putting something like round-up on it but is not sure how long that is retained in the soil. Our garden season starts here at the end of March. Would it have worked out of the soil enough that he could plant something there?

Nanna Cantwell
Celina, Texas

There are a lot of mixed and very passionate responses to using Roundup on garden soil. I really prefer not to, and will do about anything to avoid it. He might try burning the patch with a propane weed torch. This burns any living plants and dry seed heads. Then till the plot well, hand-picking any roots he can find. I’d suggest planting only larger plants this year: tomatoes, peppers, corn, potatoes, etc. Not carrots, turnips, etc. that remain small for quite a while. Then cultivate while the plants are small and mulch just as soon as they get large enough — about four to six inches high. Be sure to pull any sprouting burrs as he mulches. If he is vigorous and observant, he should be able to rid his garden plot of these nasty buggers in a year or two. Without Roundup! — Jackie

Canning soy milk

I’ve searched all over the Web, and still am curious to know: is canning homemade soymilk possible? I’ve got a soymilk machine, and I love it, but it just isn’t always possible to whip it out and crank out a batch of fresh soymilk when it is needed. Someone asked you the same question in 2007, and you threw the question out to the audience for feedback–did you ever find someone who had the answer?

Victoria Weaver
Concho, Arizona

Sorry, but no one must have had a recipe. How about it readers? Can any of you help? — Jackie

Keeping seeds in the freezer

I have been given some seeds that have been kept in the freezer. Will keeping the seeds in the freezer hurt them?

Mike McIntosh
Rudy, Arkansas

No. In fact, this is one of the safest ways to ensure that the seeds stay good over a long time, provided that they were packaged in an airtight container. The seeds just are sleeping happily, thinking that it sure is a long winter. — Jackie

Seasoning cast iron

I have many cast iron pots and skillets and understand about seasoning them. I have two large (20 gal) pots that I will cook beans over a campfire for larger get togethers. How do I get them seasoned? I’ve had them sand blasted and the first two batches of beans came out almost black.

Jeff Gaskin
South Point , Ohio

Like cast iron frying pans, you’ll need to first clean your pots, then heat them gently and rub shortening or lard into the inside surface. Again heat them for an hour or so. I do my big Dutch ovens on top of my wood range, away from the heat so they don’t get TOO hot. You want steady, GENTLE heat. If they’ll fit in your oven, use that. Otherwise, use a coals-only, gentle outside firepit. You don’t want your pots to start smoking; the grease is too hot, then.

I’d suggest making a couple of smaller batches of something easier and smaller; perhaps a roasted pork loin or beef roast or brisket. Either of these has adequate grease to help further season your pots before you toss serious cooking their way.

Good luck with your cast iron pots. Once you get the hang of them, you’ll simply love them and their slow, steady heat distribution. One other tip: cook your beans with a slow heat; never use a fire with flames. Hot coals work much better and even then, be gentle with the hot coals. I use the edge of my fire and shove coals under my pot when they need more heat. Sometimes burying the pot partway in medium-hot coals works, as does piling coals on the lid, as well. — Jackie

Keeping pickles crisp

I’ve read your explanation regarding keeping Bread and Butter pickles crisp. (Boiling the syrup then putting in the cukes) I was wondering if that same process will apply to Watermelon Rind preserves and also to dill pickles to keep them crisp?

Johnny Thompson
Midland, Texas

Yes, it does. But you DO have to boil the watermelon rind before you pickle it or it will end up tough. Pickling is an art, and you spend years getting them just right! — Jackie

Pickling fish

During gun season my brother asked me about pickling fish–and canning it. I’m thinking Northern? Anyways, I’m wondering if you have any recipes or ideas. I sure wouldn’t mind trying that. I canned my venison this year, along with bulk trays of chicken breast and hamburger and the pheasant my husband got out west. It sure is nice to have it thawed and precooked like that. With my goofy work hours it is very handy to have this on hand.

Tracey Coleman
Holmen, Wisconsin

You can certainly pickle some northern pike; it’s one of the best fish to pickle, in fact. But I’ve never been able to find a safe recipe to can the pickled fish. If you try, using either pressure canning or boiling water bath, you’ll end up with an unappetizing mushy-type product. Instead, do up a batch at a time (you can even pickle frozen and thawed fish, so you can make more anytime), holding the pickled fish in the refrigerator. Here’s a recipe from the University of Minnesota Extension office that you might give a try:

General Method for Precooked Pickled Fish: Soak fish in a weak brine (1 cup salt to 1 gallon of water) for one hour. Drain the fish, pack in heavy glass, crock, enamel, or plastic container in a strong brine (2 1/2 cups salt to 1 gallon of water) for 12 hours at refrigerator temperatures (40° to 45° F). Rinse the fish in cold water. Combine the following ingredients in a large pan or kettle. This makes enough for 10 pounds of fish.
1/4 oz. bay leaves
2 Tbsp. allspice
2 Tbsp. mustard seed
1 Tbsp. whole cloves
1 Tbsp. pepper, ground
1-2 Tbsp. hot, ground dried pepper
1/2 lb. onions, sliced
2 qt. distilled vinegar
5 cups water (avoid hard water of high mineral content)

Bring to a boil, add fish, and simmer for 10 minutes until fish is easily pierced with a fork. Remove fish from liquid, place on a single layer on a flat pan. Refrigerate and cool quickly to prevent spoilage. Pack cold fish in clean glass jars, adding a few whole spices, a bay leaf, freshly sliced onions, and a slice of lemon. Strain the vinegar solution, bring to a boil, and pour into jars until fish is covered. Seal the jar immediately with two-part sealing lid, following the manufacturer’s instructions. Pickled fish must be stored in the refrigerator as stated in general directions.
Always keep any pickled fish refrigerated for safety. — Jackie