Veggie Tales - May 2018
Jamie
5 years ago
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LoneJack Zn 6a, KC
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoKevin Zone 6b - PIT, PA
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Veggie Tales - June 2018
Comments (588)I potted up the second wave of micro tomatoes this morning (all but 4, I ran out of pots) they all look pretty good except that the Elfin seedling is leggy - in spite of having the same lighting conditions as the other plants. The first Elfin I tried had (and still has) the same issue. The first two Orange Hats and the first Elfin (my sun counre decorated the pots with shredddd newspaper and I was too lazy to pick it out for the photo - I guess he through they needed mulching). That spindly, leggy plant in the distance is the first Efin. I’m feeding them with Schultz Liquid all purpose Plant (10-15-10) food. I am going to use some reflective garage door insulation to add some reflective surfaces to the sides of the shelves. I also placed the pots on disposable aluminum oven rack liners to help reflect some light back onto the plants. That’s a north-facing window also, so the plants won’t get any bright, direct natural light. They will be relying totally on the grow lights. You can’t tell from the photo, but i have a double row of lights on that shelf with the majority of the plants (4 bulbs total) those pots were $0.97 each at Walmart. I was going to order some nursery pots online but these seemed to be sturdier and were more convenient - and I think they were a bit less expensive. This is going to be a fun experiment....See MoreVeggie Tales - July 2018
Comments (428)And the rest of it: CANNING & PROCESSING The recipe for pressure canning originally specified 1/3 cup vinegar and copies of that recipe are still available on the Internet. Pressure canning salsa has not been tested, therefore it is not officially recommended. If you wish to pressure can the salsa, you must include a full 1 cup of vinegar. Processing time that is currently used by some is 10 lbs. pressure for 30 minutes. Adjust for your altitude (see below). Because salsa is eaten out of the jar without heating and includes low acid vegetables such as garlic, onions and peppers, it is one of the riskier products to can at home due to two factors: the pH or acidity level (the normal cutoff point for boiling water bath vs. pressure canning is a pH of 4.6 and salsa can edge very close to that) and the density of the product. The salsa should be thin enough for the liquid portion to thoroughly suspend the chopped vegetables so the very center of the jar heats up to the same temperature as the outer portion next to the glass during processing. If you want it thicker, puree it AFTER you open the jar. DO NOT puree before processing - this would affect the density. Or, add a thickener such as Clear Jel or cornstarch AFTER you open the jar. DO NOT add other low acid vegetables before processing, such as corn or black beans. Only add them after you open the jar. ADJUSTMENTS If you live above 1000' in elevation, you need to calculate your altitude adjustments for both boiling water bath (BWB) and pressure canning (PC). As your altitude goes above 1000 feet the atmospheric pressure is reduced. This causes water to boil at temperatures lower than 212 degrees Fahrenheit. For safety in water bath canning, you must bring the contents of your jar to at least 212 degrees Fahrenheit. To compensate for the lower boiling temperature at altitude, you must increase processing time. For this salsa recipe, BWB times at altitudes of (per the Ball Blue Book): Up to 1000 ft. Processing time is 15 minutes. 1001 - 3000 ft. Increase processing time an extra 5 minutes to 20 minutes total. 3001 - 6000 ft. Increase processing time an extra 10 minutes to 25 minutes total. 6001 - 8000 ft. Increase processing time an extra 15 minutes to 30 minutes total. 8001 - 10,000 ft. Increase processing time an extra 20 minutes to 35 minutes total. Adjustments for pressure canning can be found in the Ball Blue Book or on their website. Do make sure you know the altitude where you do your canning. People that live in Denver know they are in the Mile High City and have to make adjustments, but portions of cities like Atlanta, Pittsburgh, and Oklahoma City are all above 1000' and it may be something you're not aware of and need to be compensating for. DO I HAVE TO USE BOTTLED LEMON JUICE? The pH scale runs from 0 (very acidic) to 14 (very alkaline). Each increment from 0 to 14 is 10 times more acidic/alkaline (remember the "magic" number of pH 4.6 for BWB vs. pressure canning). pH testing on fresh lemons ranged from 2.20 to 3.20, so one variety of lemon or even an individual lemon grown in a different orchard might be 10 times LESS acidic than another. Bottled lemon juice, which is processed to a standard acidity, is used for testing in recipes and is also pasteurized, therefore it also will not create any further enzyme reactions in your canned goods (per the folks at ReaLemon a couple of years ago). Note: Bottled lemon or lime juices are only called for when canning borderline pH foods (tomatoes and salsa usually). If you are making jams and jellies with high acid fruits (any fruit excluding Asian pears, bananas, mangoes, figs and melons), feel free to use fresh lemon or lime juice. Do I personally like using bottled lemon juice? Not particularly, but when a canning procedure SPECIFICALLY CALLS FOR IT, I use it without questioning it. A very good explanation is in this publication from North Dakota State University -"Why add lemon juice to tomatoes and salsa before canning?" Especially note the different pH values of individual varieties of tomatoes (and there are thousands more varieties). For the more science oriented, this 2004 paper from the NCHFP:...See MoreVeggie Tales - October 2018
Comments (191)Yeah sorry I should have been more specific! Cat tunnel is short for Caterpillar Tunnel. It is a more economical version of hoop houses or high tunnels. The other advantage beside the cost is that they are more readily movable. Since there are minimal endwall/sidewall structures to assemble and take down its as "simple" as driving new rebar stakes, taking the plastic off, and moving the hoops one by one. Its a good way to ensure you arent growing tomatoes in the same place year after year after year. This is an installation video from the company that I ordered from. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QK_HFoS3hU Jack - we are crossing our fingers that the weather will cooperate! Good luck with the broccoli and cauliflower! How many frosts have you received so far? It looks like you have some decent weather over the next week or so!...See MoreVeggie Tales - December 2018
Comments (388)stacy You have a real challenge there, trying to grow heirlooms and not having control over what's around your own space. My uncle ran a community garden here 35 years ago and I had a plot there for two seasons. I've been fighting blight for about 8 years. I've found that I can grow tomatoes in a new plot, and I can lower the problem, but not totally eradicate it by rotating crops. But it's apparent to me that you must rotate crops if you want to grow heirlooms today. I grew 10 different beefsteaks, a yellow pear and a yellow Kellogg's Breakfast tomato last year. I had two plants, each of most of those. I've decided that I won't buy transplants in the future. So I grow my own from seed I saved, although I do add varieties from purchased seed. I've also decided to stick to heirlooms as much as I can, because it gives me the ability to save seed and in many cases they're the best tasting varieties. I intentionally set 4 tomatoes out in mid June with the idea that I may get the big tomatoes that I seem to get in the first flush. That worked great. The plants were the last to start showing blight and it was minor. This year I plan to repeat that and try setting out a plant in the 3rd and 4th week of June. It's my opinion that what you learn growing heirloom tomatoes will make you a much better gardener with your non heirloom varieties. If you can grow heirloom tomatoes you can grow anything! Grow at least a few in the middle of your plot, while leaving room for a few next year....See MoreChris (6a NY)
5 years agoLoneJack Zn 6a, KC
5 years agohtwo82
5 years agoChris (6a NY)
5 years agoJamie
5 years agoJamie
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agojacoblockcuff (z5b/6a CNTRL Missouri
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoKevin Zone 6b - PIT, PA
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoKevin Zone 6b - PIT, PA
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoLoneJack Zn 6a, KC
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoJamie
5 years agoKevin Zone 6b - PIT, PA
5 years agocindy-6b/7a VA
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoJamie
5 years agojacoblockcuff (z5b/6a CNTRL Missouri
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoJamie
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoJamie
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoLoneJack Zn 6a, KC
5 years agohtwo82
5 years agoChris (6a NY)
5 years agocindy-6b/7a VA
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoLoneJack Zn 6a, KC
5 years agohtwo82
5 years agoKevin Zone 6b - PIT, PA
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agohtwo82
5 years agoSteve Lng Islnd NY Z-7a SunSet Z-34
5 years agoLoneJack Zn 6a, KC
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoChris (6a NY)
5 years agohtwo82
5 years agoLoneJack Zn 6a, KC
5 years agoSteve Lng Islnd NY Z-7a SunSet Z-34
5 years agocindy-6b/7a VA
5 years agoChris (6a NY)
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoKevin Zone 6b - PIT, PA
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoKevin Zone 6b - PIT, PA
5 years agoitsmce (zone 6b, Kansas)
5 years agoChris (6a NY)
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoKevin Zone 6b - PIT, PA
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoJamie
5 years agoJamie
5 years agoitsmce (zone 6b, Kansas)
5 years agoKevin Zone 6b - PIT, PA
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoChris (6a NY)
5 years agoSteve Lng Islnd NY Z-7a SunSet Z-34
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoJamie
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoJamie
5 years ago
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