field to pantry shelf

I need to apologize to my BBFG. I doubted that there was an green beans in this field. That being said don't judge a newly harvested field from a car. Sometimes the goal is hidden in plain sight.



Learn the way grasshopper learn the way. Teaching a son to fish so to speak, age 3.

To the left is about 30 feet of green beans that weren't mechanically harvested due to low hanging tree branches on the neighboring playground. Prime picking. I was able to glean enough green beans to fill my 10 gallon bucket.

Scored canning lids for free thanks to Ball coupons and my local mega mart doing a one week dollar coupon doubling. Thanks also to a non canner bbgf who printed me off extra coupons. And a neighbor who gave me hers from the Sunday paper. 84 small mouth lids. Good deal down to my last 332 acquired from an eBay auction years back.

Gone are the days when Big Lots or Family Dollar priced American Harvest for just under a buck. Currently in my area selling for $1.50. Wally World going for close to $3.
Since I am canning using electric not wood despite the lids being free (remember after 9 years of canning all equipment has been paid off) I really don't know how much my 1949 Hotpoint stove pulls on the meter. For July kWh is $1.46. I figure between two pressure canner loads = 18 pints, prep, and what not I will have had the stove on for 3 hours.

Any takers out there on calculating a rough estimate for me ?

~~ pelenaka ~~

Rocket Canning Stove version #1

K, here's my story as to why I haven't built the 1983 MEN's Canning Stove.

L&S (long & short) of it is - 1) want to reuse portions of my old canning stove, 2) the new stove must be able to be disassembled easily (think surprise city code inspection or insurance company), and 3) I don't think that my Amish canner will tolerate the high temps if it is submersed down into the fire pit. Although I could easily find 3 used Granny ware canning pots cheaply I want to use my Amish canner. I paid for it I want to use it.

I haven't given up on the idea completely. In the mean time produce needs to be canned.

Below is my first attempt at designing a rocket canning stove with limited sucess . Fired up easily but extreme difficulty in getting my 15 quart Amish canner to obtain a rolling boil. After a few hours of burning a variety of materials such as 108 year old lathe, seasoned maple branches, elderwood, then finally oak I put a grannyware canning pot on to boil on my kitchen range - 1949 Hotpoint.

Watched pots & all that ... 7 pounds of organic blueberries.

Fire pit made with 3 cinder blocks & capped off with 3 pavers. Lined with firebrick (beige rectangular bricks), borrowed from Hubby's blacksmith forge. Some would say that I have balls since he was out front running his chain saw on Maple that he dragged home from the city yard waste. I prefer to say I can do no wrong in his eyes. That's what I prefer to say.

Next I laid the old canning stove top down on the pit. I should have laid a thick layer of wet sand on the rectangular pavers to form a gasket. I also should have placed the bricks farther apart making the fire pit wider.

Reuse was the word of the day. A&P coffee can rigged into a coupling. The galvanized duct pipe on it's last leg. Dang my stove needs polish!

Before I give up on this version any suggestions ?

~~ pelenaka ~~

on the back burner

One of the many oddities that attracted me to my husband was his huge collection of MEN Mags. That said this particular issue dating from June/July 1982 is one of my favs. This project has been on my personal to do list since I first started outdoor canning.
The other day I pulled back the tarp from my antique coal cook stove only to realize that without some major repair work it wasn't going to hold a fire. The firebox or bowl as seen better days. There is also the fact that it is almost impossible to camoflage the stove form visitors (upcomming roof replacement followed by upcomming code inspection).
LSS time to build a version of Mother Earth News cool outdoor mud stove.
Hmm, if a two pot stove is da bomb baby, wouldn't a three pot stove be da kind !

K, if anyone runs across a link or pics from someone who has built a stove like this or if you have please grant me with your hard earned knowledge or opinions before I pour cement.
I want to incorporate parts from my old canning stove such as the door which houses the flue.
I also would want the stack to be removeable.


~~ pelenaka ~~

Alternative buying club

File this under alternative shopping venues - bulk buying @ your local restaurant supply store. If it's good enough for my favorite eatery & their bottom line then it's good enough for me. Besides the main advantage of purchasing food for pennies per once, (50 lbs. of movie house grade popcorn for 49 cents per pound), the shopping experience borders on old fashioned. Almost brings you back to the local corner store with simple metal shelving, perhaps an old am radio playing, and a simple cash register. No multiple receipts with frivolous coupons on the flip side. Just the facts.
Besides the bushel sized sack of pop corn I buy vegetable oil, 5 lbs. bags of yeast, and high gluten/bread flour a.k.a. Occident flour. This is also a great place to buy spices. If the quantity is an issue organize a co-op or use for gift giving.
Did I mention the lack of membership fees ? No old lady bouncers @ the door. No flat screen t.v. or radial tires. Just commercial quality stoves and really huge blocks of mozzarella. Ask about discounts on bulk order. My Resturant Supply Store offers 10% on any order that is more than 3 cases pick up only.

The flour pictured above was a 3 way split put together by my prima bbgf. 50 lbs. = $17.99 divided 3 ways so $6/16 lbs. or 37 cents per pound.


~~ pelenaka ~~

Framed

Would you like a 2,000% return profit after just 4 years on less than $20 ? A profit that not only will save you money on your grocery bill but also make you healthy naturally ? One which gives you a return on your investment even while your asleep?

Not true you say. What's the catch ? Really just send me $19.99 with a SASE to ...

Of all the various urban gardening aspects such as container or raised bed, a cold frame will get you the most return on your dollar. Built in 2006 this frame has easily given us a few thousand $ in gourmet organic salad greens. The seed packets were bought last Fall on discount for a dime each. Seeded with mustard, red oak, arugula, butter crunch, and 2 over Wintered Swiss Card plants in early April. There's also the complimentary volunteer Naturism's that pop up. Need to replace the cracked plastic before Winter.

Made it a point to place a sheet of plastic over my 8 year old Rhubarb plant last month to increase the quantity of harvest. Will gift some to bbgf & use the rest in baked goods both now & Winter for bartering. Since it's a small amount freezing will be the preservation method of choice. No need for canning up - still have over a dozen pts. of Strawberry Rhubarb jam on pantry shelf from the last two years. Considering thinning this patch & potting up what I can to sell or trade.

Snow peas & White Radishes. Unfortunately something has nibbled on the leaves. Marigolds would come in hand shoulda started some in late February. Noticed the plastic sheeting on this bed & the next pic. Packaging off our new mattress & box spring. Hoops are PVC odds & ends.

This is the year that I am all framed up. The plastic covered bed in the foreground is where Green Bell Peppers were last year. DD#2 planted this bed with Yellow Wax Beans & Carrots in Mid April. So far no seeds have sprouted. Sometime this week I'll rework the soil & replant with tomato seedlings that I didn't start from seed. Yes, you read right. Despite the fact that the plant light stand has been set up since March no seeds to speak of have been started for the main garden. Only excuse that can be offered up is that when Mom works outside the home amnesia is epidemic. The plastic covered box behind this bed is a covered bunny cage. Direct placement of organic fertilizer.

However DH was able to start a few for his cold frame. Today he took down the light stand with the barren plywood table underneath 'cept an old collection of empty containers & toilet paper tubes once destined for seedlings. I had such great ideas for blog posts on seed starting.

He is taking me plant shopping on payday for veggies.

So much for my plans of no "bought" garden stock but realistically speaking our home life is in huge turmoil. The job I accepted here in the neighborhood which was originally scheduled for a few hours a day has developed into full time, with many over night shifts. Also I & one of my brothers have entered the sandwich generation, caring for & overseeing all of our Mother's affairs. Add in two daughter's playing JV softball, orchestra concerts, church youth group meetings, there goes my child labor pool. That's my excuse as lame as it is.

Up side is the roof fund has $1800 dead presidents.

Something to be said for a man who plants his rows straight.

Another version of a cold frame made out of scrap lumber, collected plastic sheeting, & hardware taken off of odds & ends found while curb shopping. Think drawer knobs & cabinet hinges when you see discarded furniture.

~~ pelenaka ~~

Baby's Got Wood

This is what's left of the oldest tree on my street after a wind storm the night before Mother's day. Those are city workers & a few of their posse gleaning firewood. As you can see DH & I were out numbered. The Public works fella on the far left is no doubt texting his gang of urban lumber jacks this location.

This is a street shot showing how the base of this 80 year old Maple took up the city side walk along with the median. Again we were out weighed by the sub contractors a.k.a. well connected friends of city public works. Notice the bright yellow truck is gone.

NP, got my own lumber jack. While the firewood down the block was divided up we went around our hood & score very well. And yes this is our own modern day version of a horse & wagon. And yes it is an Aveo 4 cylinder.

This is about 4 & half face cords that we collected prior to the gleaning effort pictured above. Mostly Linden and some Sugar Maple. Will be used in early Fall & Late Spring because of the low BTU value. Also for the canning stove.

Notice the 100 y.o. Maple in my neighbor's yard. Come June it will have blocked out majority of the sun for my garden from 11:00 a.m. until about 4:00 p.m. Then around 5:00 or 5:30 my house blocks what is left of the day.

If only I had a posse of well connected lumber jacks ...

~~ pelenaka ~~

P.S. 5/17/2010 - Cash out lay for trailer; $330 tax included, $25 for regirstation, inspection $8, hitch with wiring was $200 ish installed last year. So far IMHO I'd say that the hitch, inspection, gov. taxes, and a 1/3 of the cost of the trailer has been recouped in the value of the firewood that has been collected.