Canning lime juice
I was given a whole box of limes which I juiced and wanted to can. But our extension office could not find info on how to do it — like time. Can you help?
Gail Erman
Palisade, Colorado
Pour simmering hot lime juice into hot jars then process 15 minutes in a boiling water bath canner. This is the same time required for all citrus juices.
Lucky you! I’d also save some of the lime zest to use in baking. It’s very good. — Jackie
Codling moth
Do you have any experience with Codling Moth and Apple Maggot traps? Do they work?
Sherry
Paulding, Ohio
Yes, they do work. But they mostly catch male moths, giving you notice that you need to get busy and spray. There are organic sprays available such as Surround (Gardens Alive! and many other mail order companies) that do a good job in controlling these pests. If you choose traps, be sure to use enough — a mature standard apple tree needs five to be effective. Also, pick up all dropped fruit as this is a prime place for these insects to continue their life cycle. — Jackie
If you don’t have thousands of apples to protect, you can also use fruit socks. (I use them on apricots too.) When I had fewer trees and apples I tied the ends of each one over a branch. Now I staple them closed – it’s quick. Either way it’s a tedious job compared with traps and Surround. But because chemical control depends a lot on spray timing, socks are a dependable backup that so far has been 100% effective for me. A band of Tanglefoot around the trunk will trap the larva/caterpiller as it comes down to the ground looking for a place to pupate. Because of the moth life cycle you’ll likely get better control using as many different methods as you have time for, instead of relying on one or two.
For the moth problem in fruit trees use this formula—–
1 cup molasses and one and half cups water and mix together.
Pour into containers and hang from the fruit trees.
The containers I use is emptied out frosting containers and the emty yellow instant choc. milk containers and poke holes in the sides and use ribbon/cording to go through one hole and knot it, put ribbon around the limb and go through the other hole on the container and knot it, keeping the ribbon tight as to not let the wind blow the container around. I use about 3-4 containers per tree. I found it is best to hang containers first then add contents of the solution.
It works——-just look into the containers after a few days and the moths will be there. Keep containers there and refill containers as needed.
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