[Ag-eq] Catching Up

[Susan Roe]

Hi Nella,

A good first canning project would be either simple pickled vegetables or 
fruit jam or preserves.  You don't want to go with straight vegetables such 
as green beans, squash or corn, because their processing time is hours, even 
some up to four hours and that is why you use a pressure cooker.  The 
longest time in a pressure cooker we've ever done is 45 minutes.

My husband will be home tomorrow night and he is already talking about the 
steam canner of his brother's.  Supposedly, on the Walmart on-line store, 
they have a steam canner for about $40.  He's going to check it out and then 
we have a catalog of Amish supplies that also has one, but it is square 
instead of round.  There are several items in that catalog that I have 
marked on my wish list.  They even have a Christmas catalog!  I thought the 
Sears Christmas was bad enough when we were kids, but this one is pretty 
good too.

Doctor's visits have gone pretty good.  I was hoping to be off the 
bloodthinner shots by Friday, but he wants me on them until I come back 
Monday afternoon.  So I have to continue being a bruised pin cushion for a 
bit longer.  LOL

Once Matt's home, we're going to our produce guy and get some pumpkins to 
carve and maybe try canning some pumpkin.  We always give our chickens 
pumpkins and that keeps them happy pecking away for at least a week.  I'd 
like to cut one into strips and try testing Homer's taste buds.  He likes 
carrots and apples, apple peals after we pealed and sliced for the drier, 
bruscel sprouts, honey suckle, pine branches, small sassafras branches and 
sweet gum.  He does not like cedar and we have to keep oak and wild cherry 
away from him.

Well, it is about time for me to get this day started and I have a few more 
e-mails to wade through.  Later!

Susan
dogwoodfarm at verizon.net