Farmin'/Homesteading Weekly Chat Aug 5-11

[chloecat]

i get my seeds either at a local feed store or from Guerneys online.

Dani, where is your home farm. i know where you live now, so i'm curious where the home farm is located.

[Dani_Phen]

Originally Posted by chloecat i get my seeds either at a local feed store or from Guerneys online. Dani, where is your home farm. i know where you live now, so i'm curious where the home farm is located.

It's located in southern Fulton County.

[chloecat]

Originally Posted by Dani_Phen It's located in southern Fulton County.

it is beautiful over there!! and quiet!! is it near needmore?

[Dani_Phen]

Originally Posted by chloecat it is beautiful over there!! and quiet!! is it near needmore?

Yes, it is. That's why I love it. Our farm is so private too. The main house can be seen from the road but ours can't. Yep, about 20 min drive. I have friends in Needmore. My brothers bestfriend's family has a small farm there.

[sahmofthree]

So jealous of all the jars you've put up Meagan! I'll be lucky to get half of that done this year it feels like, seems like there's never enough time for everything!

So far this year I've only done 4 pints of zucchini relish, 4 pints of watermelon jelly and 12 pints of raspberry jam. I also did 2 huge jars of refrigerator pickles. Finally got the supplies I need to can some pickles, so hoping to get some done today or tomorrow, I also need to get some more zucchini relish put up as dh decided that he loves it.

We processed 13 chickens this weekend, and parted them all up yesterday. So now I have 13 carcasses to cook down and can. I'm planning on cooking them low and slow in the crock pot and stock pot to get the rest of the meat off the carcass, then pressure canning the chicken bits in broth for chicken stews and soups. Should I process them at the same time/pressure as you would for plain broth since the meat will be cooked already? Or should I go for the longer time that's required for canning almost cooked chicken? I'm thinking 25 min at 12 lb pressure in quart jars should be ok, but what do you guys think? This is my first time using my pressure canner, let alone canning meat so I want to make sure I do it right. Everything I've read has been for either canning meat raw in no broth, cooking it 2/3 of the way through then canning it in broth, or canning plain broth with no meat so I'm not sure what to go with.

[chloecat]

for chicken broth/soup you have to do a very long process time. 90 minutes in the pressure canner at 10lbs pressure . it sucks but at least the jars don't pop. i had that happen last year and the smell is just too much!! not to mention how sad when you've put all that time and effort into it

[Dani_Phen]

So, much MUCH needed quick coffee break! DS wanted in his crib to "rest" and drink some "milky". He likes doing that each day for a bit and sometimes falls asleep. I'm greatful for it today though. I've been so tired, I can hardly stay awake! I mean, usually one cup of coffee kick starts me in the morning and I'm good to go all day. And usually, even after DS was born, I have plenty of energy even if I skip coffee. Lately though, it's like one cup in the a.m. then another in the afternoon. If I don't keep moving and take a break, I'm falling asleep at the computer or even while sitting on the floor playing with DS. I've also been starving constantly here lately and have been having cramps for two weeks that are at times so bad I feel like I am actually bleeding but I'm not. It's either a bad case of PMS (very possible) or baby #2 finally decided to come along (also very possible). I'm hoping it's the latter but not letting myself get too excited.

So far today I've gotten all the weeds pulled in all but a 4x6 foot area in the garden, that *might* get finished before my mom gets here tomorrow. Not sure yet. Depends on my motivation level in the a.m. I picked sweet banana peppers that need pickled on thursday, tomatoes and more squash. I don't have enough tomatoes to make anything with but I have too many to eat. Any ideas?
I've cleaned the house, caught up on dishes from our weekend in and out (with the help of the little man), washed all the laundry but diapers, made and cleaned up lunch, made our weeks supply of iced coffee (DH has me make a pitcher each week b/c he likes it better than regular old hot coffee, even in the winter time), I've got my list ready for tomorrow, and some other odd jobs done. Next, as soon as I get off my butt, is another peach pie (I'm limited in what I can make b/c DH hasn't brought home eggs from the farm yet ), a clean dog, making laundry soap, and freezing squash and hot peppers and then get supper on. Tonight after supper DH and I are going to go through potatoes, wash them up and get them ready to sell and separate out all the smaller ones for me to can on thursday. I'm ready for bed now! :yawn: I don't know how I'm going to make it through the afternoon and evening! Well, gotta run. DS is finished with his quiet time and wants "Mummmma"

[mamajoe]

Mmmmm! Sweet smell of fresh dill drying on my countertop.

Okay back to relish making. Batch number two here i come

And i *think* i just successfuly completed my first waterbath. Whoo hoo!

[aiyana4969]

I miss coffee, I cna't do much caffeine, some tea in the morning on most day s is ok, but more than that I get heart palpitations that drive me batty.

Took some turn overs to DH's base today and even tho it's a 25+min drive I guess they were still warm when they all dove into them. I guess it was a great hit!
Dh had to babysit contractors (basically they were there removing asbestos, but since they are not 'authorized personell' they have to be escourted and Dh was designated babysitter). Worked out great to. He gave them some turn overs and when they left they gave him rolls of 6mm plastic, and while not greenhouse 'grade' it'll work for a year or two. I'm tickled pink! I likely wasn't going to bother since we're fixing up the trailer and it's sucking up a lot of money. And, I casualy innquired about goats at the local feed store (they also sell chicks, pigs on occasion and can get thier hands on other livestock or point you in the right direction). They said that the pastor's wife has a nanny and a billy she'd like to give away, reliable milker. I told them I was looking at spring, but after telling DH he might let me take them if I can find a spot asthetically pleasing to him to keep them until he gets more land cleared for me

Really good day. Put up more jam too. Took a ride inot the city with DH so he could get woood to fix up the trailer. Tomorrow I'm bringing goodies to base for the contractors who will be leaving for a 3 hour drive home tomorrow as a thank you for the plastic, and then working on the trailer. Canning and baking tonite.

Ok, supper is wayyyyy overdue and DH will be back from picking his bike up on base any min. But just had to take a few sec's to share

[mamajoe]

My day ...

9 jars of zucchini relish, 5 jars green relish, beans are picked, washed and snapped ready for blanching and freezer first thing in the am. Peas shelled and ready for freezing. Berries in the freezer. My back hurts

(hmmm i had some pretty pics, but they won't upload to phototbucket maybe tomorrow)

Hope everyone else had a wonderful day! Tomorrow i'm planning a "relax day" (cleaning house, playing with kiddo and not much else ) garden is caught up for now, start all over in 2 days.