Protecting fruit trees from frost

I’m thinking about putting in a couple of apple trees and was wondering how you protect your fruit trees from the spring frosts. Here in eastern Washington, the orchardists use huge turbine fans to keep the air moving. Before that, they all used smudge pots.

Julie Fluaitte
Sunnyside, Washington

We don’t protect our trees from frost. However, we do plant fruit trees that are mid-to-late bloomers, when possible. Otherwise, we’ve just learned to accept nature. And yes, we DO sometimes get those killing late spring frosts and have little fruit. One more reason to can, can, can! — Jackie

Cloudy jelly

I have a Mehu-Liisa 11 liter stainless steel steam juicer. We have several crabapple trees on our property and last fall had bushels of nice, big, worm free crabapples. I made one batch of juice/jelly using the old cheesecloth drain method and the juice was clear as was the jelly. When I used the juicer the juice was cloudy. Of course I stirred the crabapples while they were steaming to get as much juice as possible so I assume that is why the juice is cloudy. I didn’t have time to make the jelly so I canned the juice so I can make the jelly now. I know it will be cloudy but will taste great. Do I let the juicer do its thing and not stir the crabapples? I prefer clear juice/jelly.

Phyllis Buys
Sioux City, Iowa

What I do is let the juicer alone until I have drawn off much of the juice. THEN I mash the fruit around and let it steam more. That juice is a little cloudy. Most of my jelly is clear as a bell but some ends up cloudy. What the heck, it sure tastes great. I just use the cloudy jelly at home for everyday use and use the clear stuff for company or gifts until the cloudy jelly is gone. Then we eat the clear jelly. — Jackie

Canning collard greens

I pressure canned my collard greens and they successfully sealed. There is a white substance around the top and on top of some of the greens. Is this mineral deposits? Are they safe to eat? Did I not add enough liquid?

Ruth Huling
Olympia, Washington

This is probably either a mineral reaction or oxalic acid crystals. Neither will harm you although foods containing oxalic acid should be avoided if you have kidney stones. It won’t cause them, however. Many healthy greens, including collards and spinach, contain oxalic acid so don’t worry about it. — Jackie

4 COMMENTS

  1. gen,

    Oh how I wish you could come so I could walk you through pressure canning. It’s really NOTHING to be afraid of, I promise. All you have to do is use common sense and follow directions. I PROMISE IT WILL NEVER BLOW UP or frighten you.
    Another way to sneak veggies to your kids is to chop them in small pieces and add to casseroles and stews, hidden by cheese sauce, tomato sauce or gravy.
    Ground cherries are sometimes called a husk tomato, grown on a sprawling vine sort of like a tomato. The cherry develops in a paper-like husk that usually pops open when they are ripe. They are very good for preserves.

  2. Nancy,

    I don’t think eating spinach, in moderation, will hurt even if we do have kidney stones. But I certainly wouldn’t eat tons of it often, as in every day.

  3. I can’t wait for the food stalls to open up this summer. I want dehydrate, tons, this summer. I like Jackie’s idea of turning dried vegies into powder, so I can hide them in ground meat and soups and such. My sil dislikes vegies, so my daughter serves meat, potatoes and corn. Forget anything else. The kids haven’t learned to like vegies, they are FOREIGN!!!
    I figure if I make meatballs, and casseroles, and even spaghetti, I can hide the vegies in them if they are in powder form. May not be the right way to teach kids that vegies are delicious, but at least I know they’ll be getting some more nutrition, hidden or not.
    I’m still afraid of the pressure canner, one of these years, if I take enough classes at the county extension office. ….. Thank goodness lots of items can be water bath canned, and I know not to can vegies and meats that way.
    I have to look up ground cherries, I don’t know what they are. Learn something new all the time, especially here.
    gen

  4. I love spinach and eat it raw and cooked. I have kidney stones, lots of problems with them. Maybe I should back off or drink more apple cider vinegar. Also, CANCANCAN!! I have 18 pints of carrots in the canner as we type. love it!

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