Squash Bees

 

Who doesn't love a pumpkin patch? Pumpkins all shapes sizes and colors, gorgeous blooms, and a canopy of green leaves. Lots of bees buzzing around doing their thing and pollinating. Most gardeners appreciate the fact that pollinators are necessary and important when it comes to pumpkins and squash.

Cucurbits have separate male and female flowers.  The pollen is too heavy to be carried by wind and must be moved by pollinators from male to female flowers in order for a squash to develop

. Bees are the best suited for this job but it might surprise you which bee is most efficient at this job.  Meet the native squash or gourd bee!  These bees look similar to honey bees but while a honey bees legs are hairless the squash bees legs are hairy.  The hairs allow dry pollen to collect on the legs.

Squash bees are solitary with the female bee digging a vertical tunnel 1 to 2 feet deep with numerous compartments.  She deposits a pollen ball and lays an egg in  these compartments underground.  She will continues this throughout the end of summer unto she dies.

The squash bees emerge the following summer when squash flowers bloom.  By reducing tilling you help these amazing pollinators survive and in turn they help you. While other bees such as honey bees, carpenter bees, and bumble bees will also come visit your squash, The squash bees sole source of pollen is gourds, squash, and pumpkins.  They do not visit watermelon or cucumbers which are in the same family.

Squash bee nests among pumpkin vines

Since they are active in the early morning hours avoid spraying at this time.  Use pesticides that target your pest instead of broad spectrum non selective chemical sprays.  I only use Neem and organic pyrethrin only if squash bugs are present and after monitoring and squashing eggs and adults.

The Best Tomato Sauce!

I've been on a quest to find the best canned tomato sauce that you can use straight from the jar without adding anything. Something for a quick easy meal. I think I found a keeper.  This recipe, Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce comes from "Better Homes and Garden Special Interest Publication: Canning," with some of my own additions.  Never adjust or admit the lemon juice.  This ensure you have the proper acidity to use a water bath canner.  Herbs you can adjust to your liking.

Last night I breaded some tenderized chicken and just dumped the sauce on top and baked it.  The last 10 minutes I added a slice of Mozzarella cheese on top.  I cooked pasta to go with it.  It was an easy and delicious chicken Parmesan.  This sauce is great on any pasta, my family likes spirals or on zucchini, eggplant, or pasta mixed with sautéed zucchini.

Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce

• 12 lbs peeled tomatoes
• 3 Tbs packed brown sugar
• 2 Tbs salt
• 1 Tbs balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp ground black pepper

To peel tomatoes, submerge them in a pot of boiling water until the skins split.  I put them on a large cookie sheet as I remove them from the water.

• 2 cups lightly packed fresh basil leaves or 2/3 dried basil
• 1 cup lightly packed assorted fresh herbs such as oregano, thyme, Italian flat leafed parsley or 1/3 dried herbs.
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 to 1 Tbs crushed red pepper
• 6 Tbs lemon juice. 1 Tbs is added to each pint jar
• 1/2 cup Clear Jel
• 2 small cans tomato paste to thicken

• 
  

Any tomato can be used.  Paste tomatoes require less cooking time to reduce the sauce but a mixture of tomatoes offers a great combination of taste.

• Put peeled tomatoes in a small batches in a food processor and pulse.  Do not over process
• Place in a stock pot.
• Add brown sugar, salt, vinegar, and pepper to tomatoes bring to boil for 60 minutes.
• When reduced, stir in remaining herbs and crushed red pepper
• Mix a small amount of sauce with the Clear Jel and whisk til smooth and then add to tomatoes along with 2 small cans of tomato paste.  Simmer till sauce thickens.

Basil, oregano, and parsley from the herb garden.

• Add 1 Tbs of lemon juice to clean pint jars.
• Ladle hot sauce into jars leaving 1/4 inch head space

• Wipe the rims and adjust lids

• Process in a boiling water canner for 35 minutes adjust time  for altitude. In New Harmony add 10 minutes to the time.

• Remove lid of canner when time is up and leave jars for 10 minutes in canner before removing them to cool

• Remove jars to cool and check for a seal.

I like using a crock pot to reduce sauces.  I feel like I can leave the sauce and get something else done.  On a stove top you cannot do that. Just remember to stir occasionally. I do not do that with this sauce but if it is more convenient for you to do this it works well.

 You can add one cup of snipped sun dried tomatoes that you dried yourself to add to the tomato flavor.  Do not use sun dried tomatoes in oil.  

Meet the Heirloom Tomatoes Meant for Sun Drying!

I love that this recipe uses so many herbs from the garden.  I like that the seasoning out of the jar does not require any additional adjustment.  My family agrees this is a great canning choice for tomatoes.

The Italian seasoned tomatoes below is another favorite.  I do add additional seasonings to this depending on the recipe I am using.

Italian Seasoned Tomatoes 

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

 

Wondering what to do with all that zucchini?  If you think you are tired of traditional zucchini bread, here's a delicious chocolate zucchini bread recipe you will love!

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Combine dry ingredients:

2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

1 tsp salt

2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

3/4 cup cocoa 

Mix together wet ingredients:

3 eggs

1/2 cup of oil or for low fat 1 1/2 cup applesauce

3 cups shredded zucchini, if frozen thaw and drain before adding

Add your favorite chocolate chips and nuts if desired

Mix wet with dry ingredients and add to loaf pans.  Preheat oven to 350 and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Test for doneness.

Variation use 3 tsp cinnamon and 2 tsp vanilla extract in place of cocoa.

Goats on the Homestead: What to Consider!

If your are considering the addition of small animals or livestock to your homestead or farm, consider the dairy goat.  Goats are hardy and thrive with attentive simple care.  Their size makes them easier to handle than other livestock.  Because of their size, the space and feed needed to maintain goats is more practical and less costly.  

The milk is delicious and nutritious!  Milking can be done easily by anyone willing to learn including your children. The milk can also be used to make soap, yogurt, and cheese.  Goat milk is more easily digested and does not cause allergies like cows milk.

Goats are good for the family.  Your children learn to be responsible in caring for a living animal.  If that goat is properly cared for then it provides food for your family.  Many life lessons are learned from raising animals.

Goats have personality!  They are curious and easily bond with people.  The kids are so fun and delightful!  Never a dull moment.

Important Things To Consider

There are some important time and commitment issues to consider before you step into this new adventure.  This is just an overview.  Future posts will focus on more detailed care, but perhaps this will help you determine if goats are a good fit for you and your homestead,

1.  Be sure you don't have an allergy to goats. Find someone with the breed of goats you are interested in and spend time with them and in their barn.  This will also help you determine if goats are an animal you would enjoy.

2.  A goat needs to be milked twice a day for 6- 8 months of the year.  There are ways to milk only once a day,  but for highest yields milking twice a day is the best option.

3.  Goats live 10-15 years.  They have relatively few health and kidding issues, but you need a basic knowledge of goat illnesses and disease.  They require immunizations and testing for CAE and CL to have a clean herd.

4.  If grazing, you need to manage the pastures to prevent overgrazing. 

5.  If you do not have grazing options a good source of alfalfa is a must.  Goats also need grain and supplements and clean water.

6.  Goats need a good shelter from the elements and protection from predators.

7.  Good fencing is required they are adventurous, climbers, and chewers. 

8.  Goats can reproduce every year.  You need a plan to sell and manage the offspring

9.  A buck must be kept on site or be available close by for breeding.  Bucks are smelly and obnoxious  but access to a good buck is extremely important for good breeding and of course necessary for milk production.

10.  In some areas, it is hard to find a vet with experience with goats.

11.  Babies need to be dis-budded for easier management and hooves need to be trimmed.  There is a trend to leave horns however there are some issues with that. You can learn to do both these chores. I use a vet to dis-bud.  I feel its more humane and done properly.  Frequently misshaped horns regrow when disbudding is done improperly

12.  Goats usually have 2 or 3 three kids.  They are social animals and need at least one companion.

13.  Goats have a strong hierarchy social order.  You need adequate space and feed areas so that the dominant animals do not guard feed and keep others from eating.

14.  Mature bucks have a very strong musky order and unpleasant habits during breeding season that make handling them an unwelcome task  They also should be kept separate from the does and milking area.

I have been raising Nubian goats for 21 years and love my goats! I have had Alpines and meat goats but Nubians are my favorite.  I love the ears and their personalities.  I look forward every spring to new babies and fresh milk.  A well bred Nubian can produce up to 1 gallon  of delicious milk a day.  Nubians can be bred off season. I prefer full size not minis they produce more and are easier to milk. If you are committed and able to provide the necessary care, goats are a wonderful and rewarding addition to your homestead.  My next post will focus on housing goats.  

Making Goat Cheese- Chèvre

 Cherve is French for goat cheese.  If you have access to goat milk goat cheese is easy to make.  It is a soft spreadable cheese unique in flavor being somewhat tart and tangy.  A variety of herbs, fruits, and and even honey can be added giving endless options for your palate.  Chèvre can be spread on crackers, bagels, and and topped with your choice of jams or jellies. There are lots of recipes using this delicious cheese.

Chèvre is lower in fat and higher in potassium and vitamin A than cheeses made from cow's milk making it a healthy option.  The following recipe is a semi-soft cheese.

What you will need:  a thermometer, stainless steel pot with a heavy bottom, slotted spoon or ladle, and the Chèvre culture.  The culture needs to be stored in the refrigerator or in the freezer for long term.


 1.  First heat 1 gallon of raw goat's milk to 86 degrees. Stir constantly.

2.  Add one packet of the culture and allow it to rehydrate for 2 minutes and then stir it into the milk.

3.  Cover and let it set at 72 degrees for 12 hours.  Do not stir during this time.

After 12 hours the whey will separate from the curds.  

3.  Ladle the curds into a muslin lined colander or a muslin cheese bag which is what I prefer to use.

Next you will hang the bag and let it drain for 6-12 hours.  If you want to save the whey place a bowl under the bag.  I hang it from a cupboard above a small prep sink.  Some of your animals may enjoy the whey.

After hanging, the cheese can be shaped into loaves or put in containers.  Herbs and spices can be added at this time.  Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks. Goat cheese can be frozen.

Tomato Basil Goat Cheese
Into your finished cheese stir:

• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 Tbs sun-dried tomatoes snipped fine

Garlic Dill Goat Cheese
Stir into finished goat cheese:

• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground pepper
• 3/4 tsp dry dill weed
• 1 1/2 Tbs finely minced fresh garlic

What are your favorite herbs to add to goat cheese?

Canning Blackberry Pie Filling

Who doesn't love a homemade blackberry pie?  If you grow your own berries or have access to berries at a farmer's market this is a great and easy way to process and preserve blackberries.  Pie filling can be used as a topping on a pound cake, ice cream, crepes, or waffles.  Honestly it's amazing out of the jars but you should be good and mix it with something else.  

When choosing berries they need to be firm to hold up.  Vine ripe berries are dull and very soft.  Those are perfect for eating fresh or jams but the shiny firm berries with full color are better for pie filling, canning whole, and for preserves.  During berry season I pick every other day.  I use them immediately.  Wash well and sort as you wash those for the pie filling and those that are too soft you can make into a batch of jam.

You can also use frozen berries.  Retain the juice and use if you are using frozen fruit.

Making the Pie Filling:

Whisk sugar, ClearJel, cinnamon, and the cold water together.  Heat, stirring constantly until thick.  You will notice clumps of gel forming which is normal as it continues to heat the filling will turn clear and become evenly thick.

Filling before it thickens.  The cinnamon gives it the color.

Whisk in the bottled lemon juice.

Add the fruit.  Gently fold into the filling.  Do not over stir or you will not have whole berries.  I let it heat on low stirring occasionally for 10 minutes.

Ladle hot pie filling into clean quart jars. Use plastic spatula to remove air bubbles.  Leave a 1" headspace.  This is important for the jars to seal and prevent the filling from seeping out. 

This green canning spatula is great for removing air bubbles and determining headspace.

 

I like to use wide mouth they are easier to fill.  Ripe rims and place lids and rings on jars. Lids should be heated in a pan of water until bubbles appear.  Dry before place on jars.

The water in the canner should be boiling when you place the jars in the canner.  Be sure that lids are covered by an inch of water. Bring back to a boil after adding the jars and process for the appropriate time which varies according to your altitude.

Start timing after canner is boiling.  Remove lids and let the jars rest in the canner for 15 minutes then remove to cool.

After jars are cooled remove the rings and wipe down jars.  I never store canning products with rings.  You want clean jars when you store your products. Wipe down the rims and jar in case any product leaked out. Test for a seal.

Enjoy this delicious pie filling!  

Recipe:

                            1 Quart                7 Quarts

Blackberries        3 1/2 cups          24 1/2 cups

Cold water        1 1/2 cups            10 1/2 cups

Sugar                1 cup                    7 cups

ClearJel            1/4 cup                1 3/4 cups

Lemon Juice    3 TBS                     1 1/4 cups

Cinnamon                                        1 tsp

You can do half blackberries half raspberries.

Processing Time For Water Bath Canner for both Pint or Quart

Altitude     0-1000ft    1001-3000ft    3001-6000ft    >6001

Minutes        30              35                   40                    45

SureJel

Canning Supplies

                    

How and When to Harvest Berries

 

Mouth watering berries are irresistible!  The advantage of growing your own berries is that you pick them when they are fully ripe and the sugars are completely developed so the berries are incredibly sweet not tart.  Berries at the grocery stores are picked when firmer so they ship better and can sit on the shelf longer.

So there are two things to consider when harvesting your berries.  If you are picking them for fresh eating you want them fully ripe. Fully ripe berries should be eaten soon after picking.  I doubt you will have a problem with that advice. If, however, you are processing blackberries it's ok if some are not fully ripe and are firmer.  So if you are making preserves or jams and it is going to be cooked you can pick before fully ripe.  Raspberries, however need to be ripe to pick free of the receptacle.

Harvesting Strawberries

• Morning is the best time to pick.  Berries are firmer.
• Pick with caps on the berry
• Refrigerate as soon as possible
• Do not wash or remove caps until you are ready to use them
• Carry a plastic bag when you are harvesting. When you encounter a berry that has rot or mold put in bag and throw away.  
• This will minimize fungal disease

Harvesting Raspberries

• Raspberries will pull free easily  from the receptacle or core when picked 
• This leaves a hallow depression in the berry.
• Pick regularly
• Remove and disgard and overripe or unscaled berries to keep the canes producing

Harvesting Blackberries

• Color of Blackberry develops before flavor
• Immature fruit will be shiny black
• Mature, sweet fruit will be dull black
• Fruit will separate easily from plant
• Pick mature for fresh eating and slightly immature for canning

Things to consider for all berries

• Berries can be individually frozen then packed in bags

• Wash only when you are going to use the berries or if you are going  to freeze the berries
• Everbearing continually produce and ripen throughout the season so pick frequently.  They will produce until a freeze
• Summer bearing usually set one big crop

How To Store Potatoes

Fall is my favorite season.  It means harvesting, canning, and holidays. Many of the crops harvested in fall can be stored and enjoyed for months to come.  Apples, winter squash, pumpkins, roots crops, cabbage, and potatoes can all be stored and eaten "fresh" when the garden is long gone and winter has set in.

Potatoes

  I love the smell of the fresh turned soil as you harvest potatoes.   Your potato harvest can be enjoyed well into the winter with careful planning, planting the right varieties, and correct storage.

PLANTING THE RIGHT POTATOES FOR STORAGE

Not all potatoes are storage potatoes.  Late season potatoes have the best storage potential. Early harvested potatoes will last 4-6 weeks, but under proper conditions late season potatoes can store from 4-6 months.  Darkness, cold, and humidity are the keys.

Good options for storage potatoes:  Kennebec, Katahdin, and Carola.

Red and purple potatoes which have thin skins are not very good storage options.  The thinner skins means the potatoes are more easily nicked breaking the skins.  This allows for bacteria a rot.  So use these potatoes first.  They can be harvested earlier than storage potatoes.

La Soda

PLANTING AT THE RIGHT TIME

Potatoes can be planted early spring as soon as the soil can be worked; however, a late spring planting which is harvested in early fall is ideal for potatoes you plan on storing.  Make 2 plantings and enjoy potatoes longer.  Be sure to use certified disease free seed potatoes.

Kennebec

HARVESTING CORRECTLY

I like to harvest as late as possible which for me is late October early November.  You can, however, harvest whenever the tops die back and dry up.  Provided you do not have an extremely wet season, you can leave the tubers in the ground up to six weeks.  If the potatoes are partially exposed cover them with soil to prevent greening.

Potatoes should be cured before storing this toughens up the skins and allows small nicks to heal.  Dig the potatoes and lightly brush the dirt off.  Do NOT wash.  Spread them out under a porch where temperatures are around 60 to 75 F.  Protect from sun and wind while curing.

After 2 weeks they are ready for storage.  

Purple Viking, my favorite potato

STORING POTATOES

Ideal conditions are cold and damp.  The perfect temperature is 35-45 F with high humidity around 80-90%.  

If potatoes are stored below 35F some of the starch begins turning to sugar.  To remedy this, bring small batches of potatoes into a 70F room and in a couple weeks the sugar will revert to starch.  (Root Cellaring, Mike and Nancy Bubel)

If temperatures are too warm sprouting and shriveling will occur.

Sort and remove any diseased or damaged potatoes. Those can be used first. Choose only the best to store long term.  Find a container that allows for good ventilation such as root cellar bins, cardboard boxes with slits cut in them, or bushel baskets.

Cover with burlap to prevent light from turning the potatoes green. The burlap allows for ventilation.

WHERE TO STORE

The ideal spot would be a root cellar.  Other options will depend on the climate where you live.  A basement, window well, garage, or extra refrigerator may all be options.

A hygrometer measures humidity.  Too increase humidity in a refrigerator soak a sponge, wring it out, and put it in the fridge.  In a root cellar the gravel floor is sprinkled with water.  Other storage areas such as a garage or basement will be difficult to control humidity.

Periodically check the potatoes and remove any rotting ones.

Don't forget to get your potato orders in early.  Many of the varieties I mentioned sell out soon.