Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds

I am so excited as I logged onto Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds to get Hopi squash seeds. I will be getting some and I also ordered a catalog. I would like to ask you if there are any other vegetables in the catalog that you grow and would recommend.

As you live in northern Minnesota I figure anything that grows there will grow here in eastern Ontario.

M. Blaney
Ottawa, Ontario

I’ve been getting mixed reviews of Baker Creek’s supposedly Hopi Pale Grey squash. It doesn’t seem to be the original Hopi Pale Grey. The skin is a different color as is the meat. I will just send you some of my seeds so you’ll get the right one. Then you can share with friends so we can keep this wonderful squash from disappearing. –Jackie

New canner

My husband surprised me with my very first pressure canner this Christmas. There’s only one problem, it’s huge and we have an electric range, and the recommendation in the instructions is to not use it on an electric stove.

My question is this, I know that I’ve read it’s easier to maintain correct pressure on a gas range, but since I don’t have one, are there any other options, possibly portable, that could be used in place of a gas range? Do you know of any product that I could use to start my adventure into pressure canning?

Stacy Dayton
Haralson, Georgia

I have canned with my old HUGE canner on an electric stove with no problems, long ago. Most canners you would buy today are much smaller. The only caution is if your stove is a glass top, the manufacturers don’t recommend canning on them. BUT many homesteaders DO can on their glass tops with no problems. I’m sure they are careful.

You can buy a relatively inexpensive portable propane three-burner cooktop from Northern Tool and use that in your kitchen or even in the garage or outdoors, out of the wind. They are sturdy and do a good job. Coleman campstoves aren’t strong enough to regularly can on though.

Congratulations on your new canner. May you have as much fun canning as I do! — Jackie

16 COMMENTS

  3. Dear Jackie

    You are an amazing kind and generous person. I received a wonderful little package in the mail late last week. It was from you – thank you so much for sharing what I am sure are precious and priceless Hopi pale grey seeds. I cannot wait for spring now – I will start some of the seeds indoor and then at spring (our summers are hot and moist here and squash does well when seeded outside). I will also share some of them with a good friend of mine who has a larger garder than I do and yes it our intent to start saving seeds ourselves to help reduce cost.

    I soooo love reading your column/blog. You are a true inspiration, not just in your writing but in your generosity as well.

    Again thank you sooo much – M Blaney

  4. All,

    Hopi Pale Grey squash are a light blue-gray on the outside with a “belly button” on the blossom end. The flesh is orange and very sweet. It is not usually stringy. Anyone who wants some seeds from us can send a padded SASE to the magazine and they’ll forward bunches of them on to me and I’ll give you some seeds. There is no charge.

    Jackie

  5. I planted the Hopi Pale gray seeds from Baker seeds last summer. What color are the squash suppose to be? The inside was orange and very sweet taste. My husband really liked it. Do you have pictures of your squash?

    I also buy Bonny Best tomato seeds from Bakers and a lot of their summer squash. They are a very nice company to order from. The Bonny Best tomatoes are big and juicy. They are great canners too.

  6. Hi everybody ,I’m from central ,NY state.It’ quite rural and I’d love to have a few of those Hopi gray seeds too. Jackie how much do you sell them for?…and how do we contact you,do you want a self addressed envelope or some $???.thanks …MA

  7. The new appliances are made so much cheaper than the old ones. I found that out the hard way. Instead of replacing my old range I should have had it fixed.

  8. Judy Hiatt, Another possibility is to check auctions and garage sales for an older (heavier) range. You may not get the color options, but you may get something more serviceable while you save for the gas…..and it may be cheaper than the new elements if it is “harvest gold” or “avacado”…..

  9. I too would like some seeds,i love the idea of getting real,,hard to find seeds,im still looking for Oregon giant pole beans,they were very nutty flavored…thanks sandy

  10. Jackie, I purchased Hopi Gray seed from Baker Creek and the squash are as large as your pictures, the skins are the same color. The flesh is light orange and the smaller ones were a little stringy not sure if it was from the dry hot weather and lack of water however. Are your squash darker orange like a pie pumpkin? I had great luck with the seed am wondering if mine are true.

  11. Donnie,

    Sure you can. Just send a padded SASE to the magazine and they’ll forward it on to me and I’ll send you some of our seeds.

    Jackie

  12. I’ve canned on an electric hot plate before. It works, just make sure to get a sturdy one, as the canner can make it top-heavy.

  13. for Judy Hiatt: I could have written exactly what you did including the sparks! While you wait to get a new gas stove, you can easily replace the plugs. It is a simple procedure, they are made to just plug in, no complicated wiring or tools. Got mine online from Sears for a Hotpoint stove and it cost under 12.00 to fix it. Might be worth checking out. I intend to continue using mine, just pay a bit more attention when I start smelling that burning electrical parts smell.

  14. Jackie, down South there is a type of portable gas stove called a Cajun cooker. Very sturdy, not too expensive if you get just the stove and not the one with a pot, and readily available. They were designed to boil large pots of seafood (my family typically boiled 2 or 3 sacks of crawfish or crab plus potatoes and corn on the cob). I’ve used mine to can before. They work wonderfully and have plenty of capacity for even the largest canner. However, the one from Harbor Freight is not nearly as large, nor as sturdy.

  15. Just a word of caution, I did a lot of canning on My 3year old electric stove,now wishing I did not. the stoves are not built as sturdy as they were in the past, my results are the top of the stove has dipped from the heat and weight from the heavy pots and 3 of the plugs have gotten so hot they actually have turned into burnt brittle plastic and crackinng into pieces one actually shot sparks when it came into contact with the underneith of the stove. And money tight I am having to use it, with only 2 burners, all canning is on hold untill I can afford to get a new GAS stove. However I have a friend that has an old elec. stove and those burners are much heavier as is the metal the stove is made of. My advise if you choose to use your stove to can be very careful.

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