Good Reads: Transforming Florida Yards

 Transforming Florida Yards: A Regional Food Forest Guide by Dr. Amanda Pike is the best book I’ve found covering the idea of turning your yard into a bountiful food forest and doing so in a hot, humid climate.

I learned about Amanda Pike and creating a food forest by following her on Facebook group Transforming  Florida Yards.  She shares her amazing original recipes and gardening tips in a personable manner.  Did you know that green papaya is a great substitute for zucchini?

The book not only describes the process for planning a food forest, but is filled with information sheets on unusual heat loving, edible plants.

I highly recommend this book for anyone living in a place where it’s hard to garden because of the heat and humidity.

God bless,

Pam

Canning Blueberries

 As I stated earlier I went blueberry picking with my husband and friends.  I picked fifteen pounds of blueberries.  We ate as many as we could fresh, but I wanted to put some by to use in muffins and pie.  Fortunately the upick site has a whole section on canning blueberries.

I gathered my equipment, steam sterilized the jars and started lightly packing the jars with blueberries.  The option I chose was to can them in a light syrup.  I used my steam canner for both sterilizing the jars and processing them.

I ended up with a good supply of canned berries and I decided to use the rest for jam, but that’s another post.

Please note that I haven’t given explicit instructions on canning.  It’s much safer for you to learn from an experienced canner, your local extension office, or a reliable book (such as the Ball Blue books).

God bless,

Pam

Spring Mulberries

 If you want quick fruiting, fast growing trees, I highly recommend planting mulberries.  I started mine from seed and after one year I had a small harvest.  It has now been three years and I have more mulberries than I, and my neighbors can handle.

Spring is such a fun time with the mulberries fruiting.  I love to go out in the evening to pick berries for the next day’s breakfast and other recipes.  Plus the trees are so attractive year round.

One caution is that mulberry trees can be messy, so plant them where there’s little to no foot traffic.  Pick them wearing clothes that can get stained.

So far I’ve frozen berries for future use and made jam for the family and neighbors.  I’ve invited friends and neighbors to come over and pick berries whenever they want.  The benefits from two mulberry trees are beyond eating berries and move into the realm of creating community.

God bless,

Pam

My link for seeds:  https://www.trueleafmarket.com/?rstr=TheFrugalMennonite

Upick Blueberries in Florida

 It’s blueberry season in Florida and today we went blueberry picking with friends.  It was so much fun and now I have fifteen pounds of blueberries to process.

We went to Starkey Blueberry Farm which also has strawberry upick from December to March.  It’s very well run and an attractive piece of acreage.  I really enjoyed seeing families with small children and their excitement.  Plus there was the zen of picking down a row and being outside on a beautiful day.

Remember to take the time to relax with friends and family while enjoying the Spring weather.

God bless,

Pam

Growing Mushrooms in Straw Bales

 Several months ago my neighbors threw out a straw bale that they had used as a Fall decoration.  Hating to see anything go to waste, I asked my husband to lug it home.  At first I was just going to use it for mulch, but I had been reading about growing mushrooms in straw, so I decided to experiment.

The most heat tolerant mushroom (Florida here) that is readily available is pink oyster mushrooms.  I hauled the straw bale to a partially shaded area under a tree and gathered my tools:  pink oyster spawn from Northspore , and a hori hori knife (crowbar would also work).

I broke up the spawn within the bag, used the knife to pry open holes, and stuffed the holes full of spawn.  Since then I’ve watered the straw bale every day.  Within a week or two I began to see fruiting mushrooms.

Once the weather started warming up, occasionally in the 80’s F, the pink color began to fade.  In speaking with other mushroom growers in Florida they confirmed that the pink fades in warm weather, but doesn’t affect the quality of the mushrooms.

Many people sterilize the straw substrate before inoculating with spawn.  I would have, but the straw bale was so big I didn’t think it would be effective.  Some ink cap mushrooms also started growing, but I have been hand picking and discarding them before they can mature and release spores.

I’ve enjoyed this experiment and I’m looking forward to seeing how long the bale keeps producing oyster mushrooms.  Growing mushrooms has been a great addition to my frugal garden and adding variety to our diet.

God bless,

Pam

Northspore mushrooms

My coupon code is:   FRUGALMENNONITE

I’ve Been In California

 Sorry folks for the lack of posts, but I’ve been visiting my brother in California.

God bless,

Pam

The Frugal Kitchen: Steam Canning

 Up until recently the USDA did not recommend steam canners for preserving food, mainly due to a lack of research on the subject.  The Amish have been using steam canners for decades with good results and, just recently, the USDA has enough research to state that steam canning is a safe way to preserve high sugar and high acid foods.

What does that mean to me:  I no longer have to carry a large canner filled with water from the sink to the stove top.  A steam canner has about two inches of water in the bottom and is easy to handle.

 

Considering my arthritis and general aging this steam canner has made food preservation much easier.  The handle on top contains a gauge, so you can tell when the steam has reached the level where you can start your timer.  The times for processing are the same as a water bath canner.

If you are in the market for a canner or are finding canning to be too strenuous, I highly recommend this type of steam canner.

God bless,

Pam