Watermelon Rind Pickles

Lately, I have been trying out recipes from the first The Foxfire Book.  This book came out in 1972 and the material (oral histories) collected and put together almost entirely by high school students in Rabun Gap GA in the Appalachian Mountains.  The books are introduced and edited by Elliot Wigginton, the teacher and inspiration for the books. There are many interesting recipes for breads and cakes and how to preserve fruit and vegetables.  I have used the recipe to make Watermelon Rind Pickles.

To make four pounds (1.8 kg) of watermelon rind pickles, here it goes:

Remove the pink pulp and also remove the green peeling any way you can.  Weigh out four pounds (1.8 kg) and cut the rind into 1-inch (2.5 cm) strips or cubes.

Combine 8 cups of water with 2 full tbs of baking soda.  Pour over the rind and let stand for on hour.  Drain.

Cover with fresh cold water and simmer for 1.5 hours or until tender.  Drain.

Wrap up 2 tbs whole allspice; 2 tbs whole cloves, and ten 2" (5 cm) pieces of stick cinnamon in a clean small cotton cloth.

Combine 4 cups of cider vinegar with 4 cups of water and 4 pounds (1.8 kg) of sugar.  Heat until sugar dissolves.  Add spice bag and rind.  Simmer gently for 2 hours.

Pack rind and liquid into clean (sterile) jars.  This watermelon rind pickle recipe makes about 6 pints (12 cups)

I cut down on the initial cooking time by 15 minutes because I wanted the rind to remain crisp.  I had some trouble with peeling. I ended up using the big knife.  I didn't have allspice so I used whole dill and celery seed along with the cloves and cinnamon sticks. I am storing my pickles in a cool place.  (1 cup = 2 dl.)

Eat and enjoy.

Peanuts as Cover Crop

For many years, we have used Southern field peas such as crowder peas and black eyed peas for a cover crop during the hottest time of the year when nothing but weed seems to flourish.  For a change here at the Back Forty, we are planting peanuts this summer.  It is a cover crop with "nitrogen-fixing" properties that is basically adding nitrogen to the soil.

Peanuts are also known as groundnuts and they grow best in full sun in highly loose, well drained fertile soil.  The peanuts develop small yellow flowers that grow on long stems called "pegs."  After pollination, the pegs drop and push into the ground to produce new peanuts on the buried tips.

Each peanut plant may produce 25 to 50 peanuts after 90 to 120 days from the planting.  At the seed store, we bought a pound, approximately 75 peanuts, which should cover a 100 foot row.

When we came home from the seed store, we shelled the peanuts, planted them 2" deep and 3 to 4 inches apart, and then covered them with soil.  Mostly, peanuts are planted in the spring but for Northern Florida they should do well as a cover crop.  To harvest the peanuts, dig or pull the plants when the kernels fill and the interiors of the pods are still light in color.  A spot check now and then is recommended and necessary.

When the plants with the peanuts are pulled, dry the pods still on the plants in full sunshine for 4 to 7 days before separating the pods from the plant.  It is suggested that the peanuts be stored with their shells intact.

The peanuts or the groundnuts are high in protein and vitamins E and B.  The peanuts can be eaten raw or roasted.  To roast, place the peanuts in a single layer on a cookie sheet and roast in a 325 degree F oven for 25 minutes.  It is not necessary to shell them before roasting.  With a grin on his face, my husband strongly suggested that the peanuts be shelled before eating.  (Sigh.)

Source:  Encyclopedia of Plant Care by Miracle-Gro

Tropical Storm Andrea

It didn't take long for a storm to develop shortly after the start of the hurricane season.  Andrea blew in.   We stayed put yesterday,Thursday, and watched television in the summer kitchen.  We had lots of hazelnut coffee to drink while waiting for the rain to subside.  We received two and a half inches of rain.

What concerns me the most during a storm is the wind and the damage it can do.  We have some large pine trees on the Back Forty but there is no hint of root balls showing above the ground.  I consider that a good sign.  The wind does blow down cones and  branches.  It is cleaning out the deadwood.

Another concern is the "scenic creek"-- so coined by the local paper for the tourists.  Is is a tidal drainage ditch, plain and simple, bordering the east side of the Back Forty.  The city has made a lot of improvements for drainage over the the years.  So far, the ditch has been able to move the water to the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) without problems.

This time the tropical storm gave us some long awaited and welcome water.  The grass needed a good soaking and it is greening up and growing.  As soon as it dries out, it is time to cut it again.  The garden soil was bone dry and also in need of much water.  Hopefully, the corn will take off and grow.  It is struggling.

The weathermen continue to talk about a long and wet evening ahead.  This is only the beginning of the hurricane season and we are off to an early start for storms with Andrea as its forerunner.  We can only hope and pray for the best.

I wish you a cool and calm weekend.

Cover Crop or Green Manure

I have it on good authority that a cover crop or green manure is a plant that is grown in the garden and then turned over into the soil.  It is often a legume from the bean family such as garden peas, snap beans, and butter beans.  These plants are known as "nitrogen-fixing" plants.  To me, in a most simple term, it means that these plants restore nitrogen to the soil.  I am not sure that I would be patient enough to hear a biologist's explanation for this term, nor fully understand it.  There is, however, plenty of information on this subject on the Internet.

The UF IFAS Extension scientists, the ones with "Solution for Your Life," begin their explanation of nitrogen-fixing plants by stating that "Much of the topsoil in Florida is very sandy and has very little organic matter."  Tell me something that I don't already know.  This soil condition is one important reason for adding green manure to the garden.

This is the time of the year when vegetable production is coming to a close for summer here on the Back Forty in Northern Florida.  It is getting too hot for the vegetables to grow and too hot for me to plant them and harvest them.

I have just turned over all of the greenery after harvesting the last of the snap beans.  The remnants of the bean plants will decompose in the soil adding organic matter, biomass, and providing nitrogen-fixing elements.

For the last few years, we have planted various kinds of field peas in the garden plots.  This year, we are planting black crowder beans.  In addition to providing the nitrogen-fixing properties and providing us with wholesome food, the black bean plants will control topsoil erosion, reduce weed, pests, and disease.

This is the first time we have planted black beans and it will be interesting to see the result.  I spaded the dirt, smoothed it out with a garden rake, and made a furrow a few inches deep and sowed the seeds about 2 - 3 inches apart.  It will take 63 days for the beans to mature according to information above the bean bin at the seed store.

Letting the cover crop do its work should give us plenty of time to enjoy the summer before we start gardening in the fall again.

Source:  University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

How to Make Peach Jam

The other day, my husband and I made a trip to the Farmer's Market in Jacksonville, Florida.  My husband went one way and I went the other but we were still within eye sight of each other.  I wanted to find out if the peaches were in yet while my husband had already bought 1/2 bushel of South Carolina peaches and loaded them into the car.  They were the smallest peaches I have ever seen but they tasted pretty good.

After we had our fill of peaches and cream, it was time to make jam.  I decided to make one batch without  pectin and another with pectin.  In either case, I rinsed the peaches and removed the pits while slicing and dicing the peaches.

For the batch without commercial pectin, I poured the required amount of sugar over the peaches in an enamel pot and let it stand for two hours.

In the meantime, I washed the jars and lids in hot water.

For peach jam without commercial pectin:  I used 4 lbs of peaches including the skin, 2 tbs fresh lemon juice, 3 cups of sugar, and 1/2 cup of water.  I also tossed in a small piece of a cinnamon stick.  I added the sugar, lemon juice, and water to the peaches in the pot and put it on the stove.  It is important to stir often to keep the peaches from sticking and burning.  I let it cook/boil/simmer for a good hour.  At this time, it should be thickened.  If not, keep cooking and stirring.

You can test the readiness of the jam by placing a spoonful of jam on a cold plate.  If it gels, it's ready.

For peach jam using commercial pectin:  I followed the direction on the pectin box and used 3 lbs of peaches which should equal 4 cups of finely chopped peaches.  I let the chopped peaches, 2 tbs of lemon juice, and the one box of pectin come to a full rolling boil while stirring constantly.  At this time, I quickly stirred in 5 and 1/2 cups of sugar, let it again come to a rolling boil and let it boil for one (1) minute.

When the jam has thickened, I ladle the jam into the clean jars.  I like to seal my jars with hot wax after they are filled.  This way the jam does not have to be refrigerated.  According to the pectin recipe, this should yield about 7 cups.

Using the pectin does cut down on the cooking time but it does not make any difference in the taste.  The chopped peaches show up more clearly when pectin is used and the color is lighter.

Have a peachy day!

Purifying Water for Drinking

The hurricane season was ushered in with gentle sea breezes and plenty of sunshine but after a few days the heavy rains came and it is going to stay with us for the coming week.  The weathermen did not have a promising forecast.  It bothers me to hear of the severe weather and possible hurricanes that we may encounter.

I was having coffee in the summer kitchen when I pulled out the Hurricane Guide for 2013 from the morning paper.  I became quite concerned when I saw one list after another of things to do in case of evacuation.  Another equally long list had things to do if I decided to stay put and weather the storm.  Not to mention the grocery list and the list for the hardware store.  It was clear to me that I was not ready to stay nor was I ready to leave.

An interesting piece of information in the Hurricane Guide told how to purify water for drinking as specified by the Red Cross.  For a gallon of water (about 4 liters) add sixteen (16) drops of liquid chlorine bleach. "A sodium hypoclorite concentration of 5.25 to 6 percent should be the only active ingredient in the bleach." I had to go and check the bottle of bleach by my washing machine and it qualified.  Also, no added soap or fragrance should be in the bleach.

Let it stand for 30 minutes.

This is important:  If it smells of chlorine, you can use it.  If it does not, add 16 more drops to the gallon/4 liters of water.  Let it stand another 30 minutes.  Use it if it smells of chlorine.  If it does not, discard it, and find another source of water.

The guide recommended that we have seven (7) gallons of water for each person for a 72 hour period if we should decide to stay during a hurricane.  Now I wish that I had saved all those milk bottles.

Source:  2013 Emergency Preparedness Guide prepared by The Florida Times-Union, Jacksonville FL

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Soil Solarization

When I was preparing the garden plot for planting the sweet corn and at the same time digging and pulling out the dollar weed, the idea of soil solarization occurred to me.  It seemed so promising.  Wouldn't it be quite marvelous if it would work and destroy the dollar weed in particular as well as soil borne pests and insects that are not beneficial for the vegetable plants?

The idea of soil solarization is to "reduce pests, diseases, and weeds." and even nematodes, a foe for Florida gardeners. Solarization is the process of using heat from the sun to solve, "to kill," soil problems by prolonged exposure to high temperatures.  To be most effective in North Florida, this procedure should be carried out during the hottest time of the summer.  Not only that, but it will take six to eight weeks to be successful.

To prepare the soil for the solarization process, all plant debris need to be removed, the area should be tilled, smoothed out, and moistened.  After this is done, the area is covered with a clear plastic and the edges should be tightly secured.  The thinner the plastic is, the more heat will penetrate.  Clear plastic produces higher temperatures faster than black plastic.

We tried this at the Back Forty a few years back.  We had a small area in the garden free of vegetables--a bare spot with nothing growing.  We followed instructions for soil solarization and removed debris, tilled the area, smoothed it out, and wet it down, and covered it with clear plastic.  To make sure that the plastic would stay in place, we covered all the edges with dirt.  We let it sit for at least six weeks which is a long time.

I overheard a lady at the hardware store with the helpful people telling a salesperson in the garden department about soil solarization.  She liked it very much and thought that it was working for her.
She highly recommended this process.

Soil solarization may not be necessary or advisable in color climates where pests and disease may not be as prevalent and obnoxious as in humid and warmer/hotter areas.  Some claim that vegetables or any other kind of plants will grow better in soil that has been treated by solarization.  What do you think of this idea?

Source:  "A New Leaf," a publication sponsored by University of Florida IFAS Extension, July/August 2006.

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