Thoughts on food preserving

[George Shirley]

We've both been down with a sinus infection, coughing, gagging, you name
it. Having nothing better to do we've been thinking about our food
preserving habits. Mostly we've made lots and lots of jars of things our
grands and great grands will eat - jams, jellies, marmalade, pickles, if
it's sweet or savory the little ones will eat it.

We will not have the assets to keep that up here as we have a much
smaller yard, no more six or more fruit trees, large veggie garden, etc.
Don't have many acquaintances, yet, in this area, so no foraging to be
had of fruits, berries, etc. that other folks have but don't use. Oh, we
will have a much smaller lot of our own but that is still in the future.
Luckily we brought cases and cases of goodies with us and will issue
them out sparingly until we get into the swing of things again.

Our daughter tells us there are many "pick your own" berry and fruit,
even veggie, places nearby, some have been here for many years. That
means we will have somewhat of an assortment of stuff to pick and can.
Gives us hope until our not-yet-planted, fruit trees and gardens are in
and producing.

We can also depend upon the many supermarkets in the area to have lots
of bruised fruits so I can shmooze with the produce managers and buy
bags of such to make jams and jellies. Did that at the old place too.
Generally I can get a two or three pound bag of such for about a buck
American.

Any of you have any other ideas, anything that might work to keep two
old, sick, people with some hope. (How's that for pathos?) All
suggestions willingly accepted so at least we can dream.

Still unpacking boxes and wondering where it all will be stored. We have
way to much stuff but one member of the family just cannot part with the
bits and pieces of things we have gathered over fifty-two years of marriage.

Put your minds and wisdom together people, let's at least dream of jars
filled with goodies.

George

[Nyssa]

Hope the sinus infections go away ASAP, George. I've had 'em and
they're no fun, plus take their own sweet time taking a hike.

Since you're now close enough to the grands and great-grands,
why not let THEM help out by going to those pick 'em yourself
farms to do the actual stoop work of foraging and gathering?
You can always tag along in a supervisory position to make sure
they're getting the best and finest of the crops. And making sure
they're getting enough of each for a batch of canning.

Plus it'll make the young-uns appreciate it more finally finding
out first hand how much work goes into their precious jams and
pickles!

Added bonus is the fresh air and exercise they're get whilst
doing it.

You might also want to check if any of the pick 'em places
will actually pick 'em FOR you for an extra charge per pint/bushel/
whatever.

Nyssa, who has to do all the work herself and would appreciate a
bit of help too

[gloria p]

On 1/5/2013 6:59 AM, George Shirley wrote:

>
> Put your minds and wisdom together people, let's at least dream of jars
> filled with goodies.
>
>

I hope you are both on the mend, George.

I don't know what your local climate and vegetation is like but can you
scout out local undeveloped areas looking for berries, old fruit trees,
etc? We can't do that here because not much except scrub brush and
cottonwoods grow wild due to dry climate.

Do you have a County US Dept of Ag agent who could point you to a
canning or gardening group that could help you familiarize, get you some
gleaning contacts? You need some good contacts (church, coffee shop,
garden shop, sr. citizen organizations, etc.) to start. Are there
farmers markets where you could arrive late and make a offer for the
leftovers?

I know you have said it's mostly new developments but are there any
older neighborhoods where there might be fruit going to waste?

When we moved to RI I put a small notice in the local paper asking
people if they had grapes to share in exchange for some of the jam.
As I recall, three people called me also wanting grapes but no one
offered them and I saw them rotting on the vines in the older (Italian)
neighborhoods.

I bet you have lots of jars, but get in the habit of going to yard sales
and flea markets looking for bargains on them. Watch store ads for
sales on sugar, vinegar, pectin.

It sounds as though you have quite a few productive years left. I wish
we were your neighbors.

gloria p

[The Cook]

On Sat, 05 Jan 2013 13:19:24 -0500, Nyssa <Ny...@concentric.net>
wrote:

You beat me to it. That is what I was going to suggest.

--
Susan N.

"Moral indignation is in most cases two percent moral,
48 percent indignation, and 50 percent envy."
Vittorio De Sica, Italian movie director (1901-1974)

[meow...@care2.com]

On Saturday, January 5, 2013 1:59:38 PM UTC, George Shirley wrote:

> We will not have the assets to keep that up here as we have a much
> smaller yard, no more six or more fruit trees, large veggie garden, etc.
> Don't have many acquaintances, yet, in this area, so no foraging to be
> had of fruits, berries, etc. that other folks have but don't use. Oh, we
> will have a much smaller lot of our own but that is still in the future.

I use google maps to spot wild green areas, where a limited range of goodies grow in abundance. Exactly what depends on your location, but hopefully it can satisfy at least some of what you're after.

Some people volunteer to clean up or maintain other people's unkempt gardens to pick the produce.

I don't know what law applies to your location, it might be legal to plant trimmings off bushes and trees on wild ground for later harvesting. Primarily useful for species that 99% of people would never pick.


NT