|
Re: Peppers and peaches
From: gmshirley@suddenlink.net (George Shirley)
On 9/8/2010 2:26 PM, gloria.p wrote:
George Shirley wrote:
On 9/7/2010 9:22 PM, gloria.p wrote:
I have never had a problem with one item contaminating other items
through a vacuum sealed bag. What's up with that? Also I am envious
that you can get roasted chiles locally. We can get fresh chiles and
dried chiles but that's about it.
Our garden center and quite a few other places (including temporary
empty-lot vegetable stands have big, rotating mesh drums with propane
burners under them. You can smell the roasting for blocks. When each
batch is done they transfer them to heavy plastic bags to sweat and
loosen the skins. I don't think it would be too hard to do on a gas
grill, but they do such a good job, why bother.
I am looking forward to cooler weather for green chile, red chile,
soups, stews and roasts. Much of our cooking has been done on the gas
grill this summer because it has been SO HOT.
I take it you don't have air conditioning? We couldn't live here
without it so I find it strange that everybody doesn't have it.
ActuallY we Do HAVE A/C. It was one of my secret criteria when we were
house hunting here, but DH doesn't like to run up the electric bill so
we use it sparingly, around 11AM-5PM when it begins to cool off
outdoors. (That's one of Colorado's benefits, it cools down ~20 degrees
as soon as the sun sets.)
Total utility bills for August ran us about $189.00. That includes electricity, natural gas, trash pick-up weekly, water, and sewer. All for a 2000 square foot house. August is typically our hottest month but we did have several fairly cool days this year. Our average electric bill, year around, is only about $75.00 a month. The city utilities for trash, water, and sewer, no limit on water, runs $43 a month. We have pretty decent prices for utilities here.
I wish we cooled down ~20 degrees when the sun sets. If you take into consideration the heat index we do drop that far but, I have seen nights running in the high eighties if there is no wind that night.
I thought about peach jam but we have more jam in the basement pantry
than we can use in multiple lifetimes.
Think food bank. I gave a bunch to Abraham's Tent one year, they feed
needy people. They actually brought me the jars and rings back one
month later. Really nice people at these places.
I am sure, but the food banks are picky around here and are suspicious
of home made anything. I end up giving it to neighbors. Took jars of
apricot jam to my doc and his assistant today when I went in for my
annual physical. They were astonished that I had made it myself from our
own trees. (City folk...)
I thought I was done for the season. :-(
There is no season in home preserving to my knowledge, when you gets
it you cans it.
Seems I remember hearing that as Melba's Mom's motto. Thanks for the
reminder.
gloria p
I guess we're old fashioned, both raised out in the country on acreage, not on lots in town. I don't remember when my family didn't have a garden. We lived in town until I was almost ten years old and we had a garden and fruit trees in the backyard and went berry picking in the country in the berry season. Miz Anne grew up on nineteen acres with the two parents and five kids, you know they had a big garden, four apple trees, two pear trees, raspberries, asparagus patch, all of that.
I guess putting your own food up is a mindset you get into so deep that you don't realize we home food preservers are almost a dying breed. I think with the economy being what it is more people are going that way. I seem to spend an inordinate amount of time trying to teach well-meaning friends that great grannies canning habits can kill them either quickly or very slowly and painfully. The horror, the horror.
|
