Hello, friends. Last week, I juiced the muscadines in the steam juicer, sweetened it with coconut sugar, and canned it in the steam canner. I love the steam canner, for the amount of water it saves, and also time (much less water to bring to a boil), which saves propane as well. It was definitely a worthwhile purchase. J picked lima beans and green beans, mostly dry for seed, which was our intention. There were enough fresh lima beans for a meal, which were blanched and frozen. I just finished a MM raw food cleanse, so couldn't eat the beans last week.
After delivering soap, I went back to the thrift store that has all $1 clothes. When I got ready to wash the two flannel shirts I picked up there last time, I noticed one was a cotton/rayon blend. I guess I just assumed all flannel shirts are cotton. I really prefer to wear natural fibers, so went by to check for more, and found two thick flannel shirts for J, and a small men's one for myself. Rayon is created from plant cellulose, but is energy-intensive in it's manufacture and undergoes extensive chemical processing, so is not really what I want to wear.
I also went by the Dollar Tree, and noticed shrinkflation on cotton swabs. I thought the package looked smaller, and when I compared it to one I had put back, where the package used to be 300 ct., it's now 225 ct. After around 6 weeks without any rain, we are finally getting some, a little over 1/2" so far. Some trees and shrubs appeared to be dying. I hope they'll be able to recover. Guinness and I saw this box turtle on a walk one evening. The next morning, I saw an Eastern black swallowtail caterpillar in the carrot patch.
All the winter squash have been washed with a vinegar solution, so they're ready to move from the porch into storage now. The sumac was processed into zaater. I knew sumac has significant ascorbic acid, which makes the sour taste, but was surprised to find a huge list of health benefits. For anyone interested in clinical studies on it, here's some info. That's it for the week. I've got some out of town trips coming up, so posting may be a bit spotty. Keep yourself and your loved ones safe.
4 comments:
Is the steam canner the one with the small reservoir for water and the huge (stovepipe hat shaped) lid? Can you share which brand you purchased? That is what I would buy if I decided to take up canning in my later years.
I agree about the fabrics. I prefer all cotton or linen fibers, and since I also thrift for my wardrobe, it's usually pretty easy to find. The bonus is that they are nice and soft from being used by others. I need to make a trip back to Goodwill tomorrow, as it's Senior Discount day.
Love the box turtle. Wouldn't the pattern on its back make a nice design for a quilt? Sounds like the critters are enjoying your homestead.
We thankfully got 2" of rain this weekend, and the garden is loving it!
Be well, my friend.
May your travels go well and, yes, stay safe.
Yes, that's the one. It's a Fruitsaver steam canner by Kitchen Crop. Mine is aluminum, but it appears there are also stainless ones, possibly different brands. Soft, pre-loved clothes are definitely a bonus. The variety of patterns on box turtles is pretty amazing. Nature is awesome. There's a lovely, steady rain falling. Hallelujah!
I hope you get more rain! (And not too much at that also). My skin only likes cotton! We bought cotton swabs (Q tips generic) from Amazon brand and they had flimsy sticks. Didn't like them. andrea
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