Drying Eggs for future use

Posted on April 12, 2011 by Just another day on the farm

So DH brought in 53 eggs the other day, and lets face it no matter how much I love my fresh eggs, when you start getting close to 60 eggs in a single day, you had better start working on ways to use them up.

So I took the big duck eggs and gave them a wash, Something you would not to do if you were storing them, the hens lay a “bloom” on them that helps keep them fresh but as I wanted to use them right away it didn’t matter any. So a dozen duck eggs would be like using 24 chicken eggs size wise.

I didn’t want to dry the egg raw, so I cooked it first and then into the dehydrator, where it took about 12 hours from start to finish.

I did put a catch tray at the bottom of the two full trays, which meant that anything that dried small enough that it fell though, ended up on that tray so there was no loss of product.

Now, I could have ground it up to a fine powder, but as I intend to use it as a crumble on and in my old girl Lily’s dinner bowl, I don’t need to do that extra step, so this batch made one full pint jar.

For my own use, I much perfer to freeze eggs for my eggs, if I want them for omlets etc, then I put a pinch of salt in a dozen eggs, beat them and freeze in ice cube trays, when solid, pop out and double freezer bag, one cube equals one egg, for baking, I do the same thing, but with a good pinch of sugar instead of salt, and just take your cubes and thaw them in the fridge in a bowl and then use like normal.

So how to you save your flush of spring eggs for later use?

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Strawberries

Posted on April 11, 2011 by Just another day on the farm

Ah, Strawberries, those ripe sweet juicy red non-fruits that we all think of as a fruit. I have a lot of strawberries in my soft fruit garden, I have two kinds of strawberries my June producers, that give me one big push of fruit in the spring, and then spend the rest of the summer sending out babies, which is great for transplanting and as give away gifts to friends. 

The second type of strawberry that I grow is a everbearing, this means that I get less strawberries but I get two or sometimes even three crops from them, I love having the mix, the june ones give me the first fresh fruit of the spring, other then rhubarb, and then the everbearing keeps me in strawberries thoughout the rest of the summer and typically even into the fall.

I have enough june bearing strawberries that this year I hope to preserve at least a hundred pds of strawberries plus fresh eating, I have found that I like strawberries perserved three ways, Dried, Canned and frozen. I don’t make a lot of strawberry jam, but I do like to do strawberry fruit which is very easy to turn into jam once opened.

When I am drying them, I wash, top and slice an dry, sometimes I will dip some of the biggest peices in suger and save them in a glass jar, and then use them as a finishing touch, once they are fully dry, you can also grind them into a strawberry poweder.

For Canning, I find strawberres are a little touchy when it comes to mold, so I do can them in a med syrup, raither then a light.

For Freezings, I like to put them out on a tray in a single line and fresh as fast as possable and then pop them off frozen solid and then into freezer bags, or I will cook them down with fresh ginger or a touch of lemon juice or other fruits and then cool and bag, freezing them flat and then stacking them for later use.

I like to do my strawberry plants with clean straw bedding, I find that it helps keep the berries clean and the bedding helps keep the soil from drying out.

I do have a third type of strawberries but I consider them to be wild fruit, I have alpine or wild strawberries growing in my front yard, only DH has the ability to lay on the ground and pick those tiny, tiny but o so flavorful berries, he brings me in a couple cups, which I then mix with my garden grown and use them to Booster that amazing flavor.

Strawberries have to be one of the easiest plants to grow in a garden, if you give them some compost, full sun, and around 1 to 2 inches of water per week that they are producing, including flowering time, and you have it made.

Ways to keep your rows vary with folks like and dislikes, its totally up to you on how you like to keep them, some folks like single thick rows like you would get at a U-pick, some folks like to do a stagger double row with about 12 inches apart, and other’s like myself will do a three row stagger, its like a V with a plant on the points with a three foot raised bed, the raised beds should be around 6 inches or more high.

Early spring yet in the strawberry rows.

The first thing I want to do when we have our first flush is just a simple wash, slice and sugar to pull the juice out and then serve dripped over with our maple syrup.

What or how do you eat the first batch of strawberries of the season?

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Smoked Homemade Corned Beef

Posted on April 10, 2011 by Just another day on the farm

Ok, so my new amazing book called Meat Smoking and smokehouse Design, has all these ideas of things to try to see why things work they way they do, and I can’t wait to try out them out, from the very rough it to the formally made smoke house, that allows you to cold or hot smoke as required.

So this morning, I just happen to have two nice big hunks of freshly made corned beef, that was just begging for a good smoke to be done on them, only how do I want to do it, I decided to pretend that I didn’t have anything, and had to knock it together from scraps, so got a old oven grill, gave it a good clean, then found old wire to build a ring for it to sit on over the fire, as it would be high enough to keep most of the heat off but the smoke on, but the wind said NO, and blew my smoke down and to the right.. fine.. so two maple buckets got pushed into play, and a couple hours later of hot smoke with wet wood and here is the results.. What do you think? would you want to sink your teeth into it.. cuz I sure did..and it was heavenly, and I got lots to play with in coming recipes, we had about  1/4 of the first peice for lunch with fresh 12 grain bread out of the oven, with hot mustard mayo.

Posted in Charcuterie, food, Food Production and Recipes | Tagged | Leave a comment

Mushrooms and more Mushrooms planned.

Posted on April 10, 2011 by Just another day on the farm

I love mushrooms and I like to hunt for the local ones that are good eating in our area, but I was so excited to get these.

Both the Poplar Mushoom and the Oyster will be need a fresh cut tree brought down,and a number of months of to get the logs ready to be placed outside into areas, they will produce for three to five years afterwards.

The button Mushrooms need to go into a aged horse Manure with at least 20 percent straw and which is used to form mounds adn then over with a bit of soil and harvest should start within 20 to 30 days, this one is for sure the fastest to start and grow

Oyster eryngil is grown in damp clean straw, and then a into a sheltered spot in the garden with a light cover of soil, they are to be up within 15 to 20 days.. I will let you know how it all goes.

Posted in food, Food Production and Recipes, frugal | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Free Form Raised Beds

Posted on April 10, 2011 by Just another day on the farm

The above soil had a green cover, I didn’t take a picture of it, it had been allowed to grow in the fall, and then was turned in, along with the layer of about 2 inches of aged compost made on the farm, this compost is a mix of manures between goat/sheep/rabbit/bird, plus a light dusting of lime, I think the photo does a good job showing how nice this soil is, I call this the nursery garden for a couple reason, its a very sheltered garden with a ring of tree around it for wind break and back’s on a outbuilding for added shelter but the garden itself still gets full sun, It is a combo of a starting garden, a micro-climate for really tender plants and it also has a area for in the heat of summer to have half sun/half shade once the tree’s come out fully which really helps me in working with the greens, that in full heat and sun would bolt but do much better in that half sun area.

Each raised bed is three feet wide, we measured them out with string on sticks so that we were able to keep form correctly, you start at the end, and pull the dirt from the walkways up into the area that will be the bed with a rake, only once you have your walkway started do you step into that are, and then pull from the other side, repeat the lenght of the beds, then take your rake and level your beds down, at this point, you can plant just like you would in sqaure foot gardening, I tend to have three main plant count outs, big plant that needs a full amount, I give them on whole foot, or for smaller plants that I want in rows, I do two rows per bed or I have the proper wooden frame to go over the beds and do the sqaure row planting depending on what I want to do.

Having moved the loose worked soil into the bed that has never been stepped on, and then having the walk way firm by both hitting the harder layer of soil, combined with regular walking on it, easy enough to keep weeds under control with a little hoeing, I also tend to throw any weeds from the beds into the walkways to die, and then once a month or so, I will rake the paths and add the dead plants to the compost pile.

On seeds that require light coverings (1/4 inch) and that even the lightest clumb can effect how it does, I like to make a soft soil/peat covering that I sprinkle on top of the seeds after they are planted, and depending on the type of seed, sometimes a light cloth would be laid on top, it needs to be able to breath and lets water though of course but it helps keep the soil evenly damp at the same time.

I really like this way of creating free form raised beds, I get alot of the same bonus’s that a raised bed gives you, but without the added cost of the frames, or the fact that you are locked in to one shape, this way lets you move and change your beds size, shape and even curve to fit the area, I have cut down tree’s, made a raised bed over the stump, put a walkway around it and then a curved circle of a garden bed around the outside..  the ways to use it are limited only by your own willingness to try something different.

This post is part of the Homestead Barn Hop

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More is popping up now..

Posted on April 8, 2011 by Just another day on the farm

I was so excited to see dozens of these little guys popping their heads up, they are my different bee balms, this plant not only smells heavenly, (think of bringing some in to sweeten the house, I have even been known to go pick a few leaves and crush then and use them as a fresh purfume, when working in the garden, I tend to crush a few leaves and work in that heavenly scent) However it does not stop at just being a pretty plant, with a great smell, o no, the whole plant above ground is both edible and can also be used medicinally.

Hundreds of strawberry plants are starting to show sign’s of new life, and I will spend some time soon, cleaning out their beds and giving one row a boost by covering it with a hoop tunnel, the rhubarb has started to uncurl leaves, all the new fruit tree’s, planted last year made it though the winter and all fruit tree’s have new buds on them, the currents, and blueberries are all budding up as well.

Having a bit of a rest now, my hard working ducks, a lovely Chocolate hen with her big black drake.  I love that they work the top of the soil up, between them and my chickens, they have worked my front bed for me, and its all ready to be planted out and covered over with a hoop house to protect the plants and get a early start.

So our newest big round hay bales have come from Farmer R and we must have hit a new feild, because this is some sweet looking hay, he had said that by keeping it in his barn and delivering it to me, that it would keep better and he has been proven right on this.

So I am still hauling a certain amount of hay to the barn for the jugged new mom and also keep a extra supply for Girl in her loose box pen, she gets her outside time for fresh air, sunshine, exercise and lots of turns at the big hay bale feeder, as well as nibbling on tree tips etc but she also has her water and hay feeder that gets so much fresh per day and without fail, I always seem to lose just a bit of her hay off the fork, and for some unknown reason to me, there are two sheep that follow me around and wait for this to happen and then eat this special hay, they are quick about it as well, because if the peice dropped is big enough, I will pick it back up, so they stuff their faces. I guess its got to be “the best” if it comes to the barn 🙂

Ps, a lovely new litter of baby bunnies arrive last night, and are looking great, lots of nest cover, lots of movement in there, and a protective momma, Hopefully in a few days I will be able to get in and get a head count, mom is a lovely solid brown doe and daddy is a blue broken, so we could have all kinds of color and pattern in there.

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Soil-Texture test.

Posted on April 8, 2011 by Just another day on the farm

Do you want to grow your own food? There are four major factors when you garden outside, Soil, Water, Sunlight and Plants, everything else is gravy, and if you have ever looked in one of our local garden magazines or read a garden book.. there is lots and lots of gravy available out there.. but lets focus on those four above, and for this post.. I want to talk about Soil aka Dirt or in more detail,  how to do a basic Texture Test on your soil.

Want to learn more about Typical Canadian Soil, here are two site to check out.

http://www.soilsofcanada.ca/

http://www.soilcc.ca/

So the one of the first things I would consider important know is what type of soil and its texture you are starting with, and I have a simple home test that cost nothing more then a bit of time, take a clean jar, a sample of your soil, I didn’t want to take a sample from one of my gardens that has already been worked on, so here is a sample being taking on the front lawn area that I am working to turn into a new garden area. So this is a “raw” soil sample.

 put it in the jar, fill 3/4 with water, shake well for a min or two till all lumps are out and then let it sit for 24 hours.

Hmm, does that not look good LOL now I know that they say that it should be clear on the top and it might settle more yet but this is the required 24 hours later, Clearly my soil didn’t get the memo, its going to need more time yet,

Clearly its going to take another 24 hours for that last to settle and I will add another picture when it does but the main part that I need to show is done.. which is the amount of sand, vs Silt, and I will keep letting it settle for that clay line to show itself.

So already I have the basic answer to what kind of soil texture I have, it would be classifed as a loam soil which is typically comprised of approximately 25 – 50% sand, 30 – 50% silt and 10 – 30% clay by volume. After 72 hours, I have approx equal parts sand to eqaul parts silt with a very thin layer of clay.

Once it finally settles, I will take a ruler and give you the offical measurements, and if anyone is interested, I am willing to do the Jar test on my current Gardens, and then line them up so you can see where each one is at? So Do you know your gardens soil texture?

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When there is no Doctor

Posted on April 7, 2011 by Just another day on the farm

Preventive and Emergency Home Healthcare in Challanging Times by Gerard Doyle M.D.

Ok, so if you just went huh, how is that a homestead book, well, think about it, being on a homestead means that you can and will find yourself at time needing to be part-time nurse and doctor to both the farms two legged and the critters at times.

Now, I would like to say that I had heard amazing things on this book, its reviews where top notch, with comments like, I work in third world countries and my dog ear’ed copy goes everywhere with me, so I had high hopes for this book.

I started in the book and the intro was right up my line of thinking, it talks about peek oil, and some very good points about history and that living in a first world nation, that everything is kept running with “just in time” supplies and anything that stopped those supplies for even a short time can cause issues, and if you think that is out of line, you have not been watching the news at all! Just have a look around in the past months and if you need a real life example, look to Japan at this very moment.

Then we started into what I thought would be the meat of the book and that is where I hit my first issue with it, for me, the whole chapter 2 was a grr moment, It was reading one of the those writing that provide the basic’s written for the “duh members” of our world, and I was expecting so much more! but I pressed though with the thoughts of there are folks that don’t have my background and therefor this would be very good information for folks that are looking to learn where to get hands on medical training.

Got to Chapter Three -Planning and once again was stumped, have peaple truly forgot these basic things, how can folks not remember what a sick room is? While I considered most of it very basic information, I moved on to Chapter 4 and finally hit a area that I felt was worth reading, Preventive Medicine was a good basic overview of things that everyone needs to remember, but again, it was a overview, I would not want to use this book for any kind of detailed issue.

At this point, I am going to be honest, I walked away for the book, and took some time off, I needed to clear my head space, as I had expected something that the book was not giving me and it was coloring how I was reading it, so the next day I picked it up again and finished reading it, and then the next day I read from front to back again.

Chapter 5 had tidbits of really good info, it has lots of starter info on many things that you would want to do, it talks alot about like how prisoners of war dealt with health issues and how to prepare yourself mentally, Gurerilla hosptials etc. and hard subjects like Death and Drying during hard times including idea’s on pain control etc.

The one thing I really did like was the very well done lists of medical supplies that one should have on hand and idea’s on where to get harder to find things. I was very pleased that he talked about how to use maggots therapy for infected wound care when you lack antibodics.

For a book that covers many area with what I consider the most basic info with a touch of level one care thoughtout the book at times, its get a 4 out of 5.

However if you are getting this book in the hopes that its going to give you a true leg up, can I recommend the St. John Ambulance offical wilderness first aid guide, a Comprehensive guide for northern wilderness travellers, workers and residents by Wayne Merry if you are only going to have one book in your backback.

Posted in Book Reviews | Tagged , | 4 Comments

April Walking Challange-Week One

Posted on April 7, 2011 by Just another day on the farm

Well, I have finished my goal of week one for my Walking Challange, with the two walks, and so I was to get flowers as my rewards, well, flowers that could then be replanted out in the yard when the time is right, but all the garden centers locally are still closed, however I was surprised and pleased to see a wave of color by the one local store out front. There were yellows, and oranges and one single pot of these.

So my fellow walkers, how are you doing this week? Don’t forget to post at some point this week in the comments on if you got your walks in, and what you got for your reward.

Posted in Goals | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Cold in the mornings

Posted on April 6, 2011 by Just another day on the farm

Well, its that time of the year, the last space heater has been turned of, which means we are back to passive solor heating, extra heat from the stove and good thick blankets and layers in the house..  We won’t have any heat on in the house from now till around Oct, which is not to say we don’t have access to being able to heat but raither that we choose to not use it.

Was out doing chores this morning, and the ground is frozen, but more then top layer then under, there is lovely ice coverings to all the water that needed to be cracked open, and my breath was visable in the air

When do you turn off the heat in your house? Do you turn the heat off?

Posted in frugal | 4 Comments