robin_d - Do you remember when McDonald's french fries were so good? They formerly used a small amount of beef fat in the shortening. I try to avoid junk food, but I would make an exception for those fries! I can only imagine how good they would be in all beef fat. We did get our half cow last year, and have enjoyed the meat very much. Unfortunately, my request for the fat and all the bones for stock was passed from me to DH to the butcher. The result was that I got the usual soup bones, but all the long bones and fat were disposed of. The butcher did tell DH that we could have all the bones we wanted any time, because most people don't want them. One of these days I'll take him up on the offer, and I'll ask for all that connective tissue as well. Since the butchers normally pay to get rid of these, I imagine other butchers would be glad to get rid of them as well. Fat is one thing that I don't like to store in plastic, as it absorbs molecules of plastic quite easily. I imagine this absorption no longer occurs once frozen, but would be even faster than normal when the fat is warm. I realize that this isn't a concern for most people! ".........When you buy beef to be butchered, you pay for the hanging weight of the side/whole/quarter on the hook after the obvious parts are disposed of. Hooves, head, etc., and it's sectioned. That's how our local butchers do it, anyway. It's your call within bounds what you want off it and how you want it since you have paid for it by the weight........" calliope - that's the system used around here as well. We also paid a slight fee for the wrapping, that was either based on the pound or the number of pieces wrapped - I forget which. One reason I didn't go back and get some fat from another cow was that I particularly wanted the healthier fat from a grass-fed animal. It occurs to me now that I can call up the farmer who sold us the cow and ask when they are taking another animal in to be butchered. Of course the 100 mile drive was also a factor! Fortunately there are some great German restaurants in the town where our butcher is located, so it makes a nice outing.

Hi Drew. There are a lot of GW threads on this with a lot of information. Basically, when pods change color and get rubbery, seeds are fully mature. If possible, let pods dry on the vine. If frost or excessive rain threaten, pick the pods and dry them in a warm place with a fan or good air circulation. When pods are dry, shell them and let the beans further dry in a warm dry place on a paper plate or in an open paper bag. I put them in a plastic bags about the end of the year. At that time they can be frozen for 48 hours to kill bug eggs. Store them in a cool place. They can be stored in a freezer in at least two layers of Zip Lock freezer bags.

Ezzirah, You can store them in an airtight container in the freezer or fridge, but let them thaw out for several hours before you open up the airtight container after you remove it from the freezer. This will reduce the chance of condensation harming the seeds. You can store them in a container like a plastic storage container, box, etc. in a cool, dry location indoors where they will not be exposed to excessive fluctuations in temperature or humidity. So, inside a house is preferable to the interior of a garage or shed or barn. I leave my seeds inside their original packets, put each packet into a zip lock bag, and store all of the seeds of each type of vegetable in a gallon-size zip-lock bag inside a large (32-quart I think) Rubbermaid storage container. All the small zip-lock bags of herbs are in a separate one-gallon ziplock bag and all the small zip-lock bags of flower seeds are in a couple of one-gallon zip-lock bages. All the zip-lock bags of seeds are then stored in a Rubbermaid-type storage box year-round. That box stays insided the house during the gardening season as I am in and out of it quite a bit as I do succession planting. In the gardening off-season, roughly from October through January, I put the storage box in the tornado shelter, which doubles a a root cellar for us. If you save your own seeds, be sure they have dried down to the proper moisture level before storing them or they'll lose their viability. I'd store my seeds in a fridge or freezer if it were a viable option for me. However, due to the large amounts of seeds I have....and the fact that the summer harvest fills up all our refrigerators and freezers, I don't have the space in a refrigerator or freezer for seeds. Dawn

It does not freeze well. It's stored like onions, shallots. The problem with purchasing any store bought is the unknown of when it was harvested. Or how it has been stored. I would take a clove off, lay it on your counter with a knife over it, pound it, and see how easily the skin releases and check the clove. (garlic firms and shrinks in its skin as it ages-moisture loss). If it is difficult to peel, it is very fresh. But nothing wrong with a little age. It only freezes if it has been roasted soft, maybe a bit of olive oil. I go through garlic quickly and just store it in my pantry in a basket next to the onions. Another method is to peel and cover with olive oil and store in the fridge. It perfumes the oil and can be used as you would any garlic. I seem to always have a small lidded container with rosemary and sea salt we use for fresh bread or a drizzle on soup. Fridge life? i give it a month-ish. Best that way, a bit fresh. If it has green sprouts it is still good, but use that one up soon. We love it roasted. Whenever the oven is on for anything roasting, I've got a few full heads in and use it like butter and in soups. Can be roasted uncovered or in a foil packet. I like to roast them with some beets as the cooking time is similar. (all out of my garden beets now) Garlic harvested fresh from the garden is often stored in netting in a cool dark place to cure. It likes air circulation. preferably hanging. Easily last a year.