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What Did You Do Today?
Eric Krewson:
I planted my greens garden last Friday evening with perfect conditions for planting, I had this Monday evening; this is some kind of record for me. These are sprouting turnip plants, turnip seeds germinate quicker than the kale or collards.
Pat B:
Today, Marcia and I took our yearly trip to the NC farmers market over near Asheville. We bought two 25# boxes of Roma tomatoes, $10 each and 6 bell peppers, $1 for all, some garlic and we had Vidalia onions at home.
First thing I did is bring a large pot of water to a light boil and drop tomatoes into it until their skin splits. Then I take them out of the hot water and drop in cold water to stop the cooking. Now I cut off the connection ens and remove the peel then cut into chunks.
While prepping the tomatoes I chop onions, bell peppers, garlic and place in a large pot with olive oil, salt and pepper. After these veg saute for a few minutes I start adding the chopped tomatoes. After adding the tomatoes I add about a tablespoon of sugar, something my Mom thought me to help cut some acidity. When the pot of tomatoes cooks down by 1/3 I turn it off, cover and let it cool slowly.
Tomorrow I will bag the cooked tomatoes in freezer bags for use later this year.
Eric Krewson:
I like to stockpile food as well; we have an Amish community 45 miles away. I can't grow some things in quantity like corn nearly as cheaply as I can buy perfect ears of very good corn from the Amish for $3 to $4 for a dozen ears.
I have grown a garden almost every year for the last 55 years. It surprises me now with food prices going out the roof that so few of the people who have a back yard they could grow a garden in don't. I have 4 1/2 acres but 4 1/4 of those acres are thick woods, I only have a strip 30' ft wide and 60' long that is level enough to grow a garden on, even that piece of ground has some slope to it but it terraced itself with repeated tilling over the years to be almost flat.
Pat B:
I ended up with about 30 bags of tomato sauce in the freezer. Each bag holds about 1/3 gallon. They are laid flat, stacked on a cookie sheet and put into the freezer. These will last us all winter and it is nice to have fresh tasting tomato sauce to make chili, spaghetti, red beans and rice or stewed okra and tomatoes and other good eating. -C- :OK
PaulN/KS:
We do the same thing with our sauce Pat. It stows so much easier in the bags and the wife has different amounts for various dishes. We also just just do the blanch,skin,crush and freeze fresh ones in gallon bags for the big pots of soup or stews.
It's just about the end of the tomatoes here but we had a good crop this year of them as well as the peppers. :)
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