The Japanese persimmons on the counter are ripening slowly. Yesterday I
froze 3.5 cups of pulp and we ate another cup as dessert. Still about
forty simmons slowly ripening on the counter.

Today we will pick a bucket of green beans, blanch, vacuum bag, and
freeze them. Nothing else in the preserving line going on. We're slowly
getting this old house painted inside though.

George

On Fri, 04 Nov 2011 07:07:08 -0500, George Shirley
> wrote:

>The Japanese persimmons on the counter are ripening slowly. Yesterday I
>froze 3.5 cups of pulp and we ate another cup as dessert. Still about
>forty simmons slowly ripening on the counter.
>
>Today we will pick a bucket of green beans, blanch, vacuum bag, and
>freeze them. Nothing else in the preserving line going on. We're slowly
>getting this old house painted inside though.
>
>George

We pulled up the remains of the Cannellini beans than I planted late.
Some of them had finally matured and the rest are still green. I have
them on a screen in the greenhouse to finish drying. Maybe I will see
what condition the greenish ones are in. Maybe I can soak and can
them if there is enough, or just cook and eat them. And start them
earlier next year.

Otherwise I just need to finish up (dice and freeze in foodsaver bags)
the peppers on the counter, make the recipe for butternut, apple and
chipotle soup someone mentioned in the cooking group. Went to the
Mexican grocery and found the chipotles in adobe. And we have 1 more
acorn squash to use up.

Also think I will get my fruitcakes made soon. Both boys are supposed
to be here for Thanksgiving so I will get some stuff made for them so
I don't have to ship it.
--
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)

On 11/4/2011 8:10 AM, The Cook wrote:
> On Fri, 04 Nov 2011 07:07:08 -0500, George Shirley
> > wrote:
>
>> The Japanese persimmons on the counter are ripening slowly. Yesterday I
>> froze 3.5 cups of pulp and we ate another cup as dessert. Still about
>> forty simmons slowly ripening on the counter.
>>
>> Today we will pick a bucket of green beans, blanch, vacuum bag, and
>> freeze them. Nothing else in the preserving line going on. We're slowly
>> getting this old house painted inside though.
>>
>> George
>
> We pulled up the remains of the Cannellini beans than I planted late.
> Some of them had finally matured and the rest are still green. I have
> them on a screen in the greenhouse to finish drying. Maybe I will see
> what condition the greenish ones are in. Maybe I can soak and can
> them if there is enough, or just cook and eat them. And start them
> earlier next year.
We picked enough green beans yesterday that I blanched and froze two
two-cup vacuum bags. I'm amazed at how well our fall garden is doing
after two years of drought. We have been getting some sporadic rain but
not nearly enough.
>
> Otherwise I just need to finish up (dice and freeze in foodsaver bags)
> the peppers on the counter, make the recipe for butternut, apple and
> chipotle soup someone mentioned in the cooking group. Went to the
> Mexican grocery and found the chipotles in adobe. And we have 1 more
> acorn squash to use up.
I've never grown acorn squash except by accident. Two years ago I bought
one at the market, cut it in half, and nuked it with some pork sausage,
was delicious. Tossed the seed on the compost heap and the following
spring we harvested fourteen squash that kept nearly all winter. I put
up sweet chiles the same way you do, usually have twenty or thirty bags
of them in the freezer but not this year. I actually had to buy several
at the market for the first time in twenty years.

I don't remember seeing the soup recipe might have to look it up.
Yesterday I made beef and barley soup with carrots and just a smidgen of
chipotle powder and another smidgen of smoked paprika. Was excellent and
the remnants will be our lunch today. Believe it or not one of our
surviving tomato plants has six little green tomatoes on it and the
other is covered with blooms. If we don't get a freeze before Christmas
we might actually harvest some fall tomatoes.
>
> Also think I will get my fruitcakes made soon. Both boys are supposed
> to be here for Thanksgiving so I will get some stuff made for them so
> I don't have to ship it.

Miz Anne's middle sister took over the making of their mother's
fruitcakes so we should be getting a couple in the mail soon. This week
I am baking up a storm for the Altar Society bake sale this coming
Sunday, one of their major fund raising efforts in addition to their
soup and salad luncheons over the winter. Miz Anne is a member and they
like the fact that I put a label on each dessert with the ingredients
listed in order of major to minor. Sort of helps the diabetics like me
in making a choice plus I cook with sucralose, the left handed sugar.

Sounds like you're having a good preserving year Susan, I am jealous.

George

On 11/4/2011 6:07 AM, George Shirley wrote:
> The Japanese persimmons on the counter are ripening slowly. Yesterday I
> froze 3.5 cups of pulp and we ate another cup as dessert. Still about
> forty simmons slowly ripening on the counter.
>



I know you make some kind of bread with them. but can you make jam with
them?

gloria p

On 11/7/2011 10:52 AM, gloria.p wrote:
> On 11/4/2011 6:07 AM, George Shirley wrote:
>> The Japanese persimmons on the counter are ripening slowly. Yesterday I
>> froze 3.5 cups of pulp and we ate another cup as dessert. Still about
>> forty simmons slowly ripening on the counter.
>>
>
>
>
> I know you make some kind of bread with them. but can you make jam with
> them?
>
> gloria p
Yes, several decent persimmon jam recipes online. We also make persimmon
pie, similar to pumpking, cookies, cookie bars, cakes, etc. Lots of uses
for persimmons.

Just noticed a neighbor a couple of blocks away has a Hachiya tree in
his side yard that is dropping fruit heavily. Evidently they don't use
them. We have enough already or I would ring his doorbell. It's amazing
how readily total strangers will give up fruit that they won't or don't
eat but think the tree is pretty.

An old friend here who died several years ago had planted a Grannie
Smith and an Ein Shimer (Israeli developed) apple trees in his backyard
about ten or twelve years ago. Some folks bought his house. I went by to
ask if they used the apples and they told me they cut the two trees down
as they littered their lawn. Weird! I can't imagine anyone who would buy
a house with fruit trees and then cut them down because they interfered
with their mowing.

One of the things we look for where we intend to move is homes with
fruit trees or existing gardens, those are pluses for us, not negatives.
I'm beginning to think we've become outdated.

George

On 11/7/2011 10:11 AM, George Shirley wrote:


>
> An old friend here who died several years ago had planted a Grannie
> Smith and an Ein Shimer (Israeli developed) apple trees in his backyard
> about ten or twelve years ago. Some folks bought his house. I went by to
> ask if they used the apples and they told me they cut the two trees down
> as they littered their lawn.

That's obscene.

> One of the things we look for where we intend to move is homes with
> fruit trees or existing gardens, those are pluses for us, not negatives.
> I'm beginning to think we've become outdated.
>

People don't want to do the work involved. They prefer to think that
all food comes plastic wrapped from the supermarket. They'll never know
how good real fresh food tastes.

gloria p