Ok we're into Summer..

[Hippie Staff]

What are we making?

Jams -- yes..

what else you all cooking up this toasty season ?

[NCW_Woodnymph]

I've started drying herbs for teas. The plan is to save enough throughout the year to make gift packages of home grown teas for Christmas. :D

My lavender is about to flower as well. Any good ideas as to what I should do with it? :)

:hippie:

[Unkle_John]

JuJu and I are hoping that our mulberry tree produces this year (looks like it will) so we'll have mulberry jam or jelly to give out at Yule this year. We also hope that our blackberries produce this year, but we haven't seen them bloom. two years ago when they produced they only produced enough to eat, not jam or jelly. We also plan on pickled watermelon rines and a few other oddities. That depends on what we can freeze or not.

We are still waiting to hear if the Crosbyton Jamfest is still going on. If it is we'll be helping run that event.

We also missed the window to go camping for the spring (it was a 105 yesterday), so we'll have to wait until this fall when the weather is cooler.

[LIBRA]

my strawberries will be done soon. I freeze and make jelly out of them. Other then that not alot producing here on the east coast.


Woodnymph, I dry my lavender to cook with or tea or crafts!!! Make some of those corn pads and put lavender in them so everytime you warm it up, smells yummy!!!!!!

[Hippie Staff]

You have strawberries, Denise? I'm jealous! My plants are flowering, but seem lethargic.

Woodnymph ~~ You could make the little stuffed pillows or felt 'animals' with your lavender..cute to give out as gifts. Stuff w/ beans and dried lavendar.

John - 105. No es bueno.

[LIBRA]

yep I sure do!!!! they are green still but soon they will be perfect!!! My patch has been in the ground a few yrs and gets better every year. Did you just plant yours? I think it makes a difference?


Ya I couldnt hang with 105 either!!!!!! Whoa hottness!!!!

[NCW_Woodnymph]

Thanks for the ideas ladies! They should keep me busy for a while. :D

Libra, I have strawberries but they never get much bigger than grape. Do you have any advice on getting them to grow big and juicy?

John, do you have a recipe for pickled watermelon rinds? I've always wanted to try them.:)

:hippie:

[LIBRA]

It could just be the variety of strawberry that your growing. Like wild strawberries are little, nothing you can do about it. But mine used to be alot smaller, the plants seem to get stronger year after year, which in turn helps the berries. But plant variety makes a diff too. theres all kinds.


I always say Im gonna save jelly for gifts but its so stinkin good we end up eating it all :D I freeze lots of them too, for smoothies. Last year I froze 12 quarts and I still have 3 or 4 to use up.

[Gaston]

If you've got a dehydrator/dryer, try drying some muskmelons. Take them out when they're still leathery, before they get crisp, store them in something breathable like a muslin bag or brown paper sack. Incredibly sweet, and they keep better than you'd think! I'll dry some if the coons don't munch all my melons again this year.

[Unkle_John]

Woodnymph, I'll look around for it.

Gaston, I'm going to try that.. I have two dehydrators.

[kalohabreeze]

Hopefully I'll be making lots of blackberry preserves if I can beat the birds to them :) That and lots and lots of fried squash.

[puppylove]

I've started drying herbs for teas. The plan is to save enough throughout the year to make gift packages of home grown teas for Christmas. :D

My lavender is about to flower as well. Any good ideas as to what I should do with it? :)

:hippie:
thats really cool!!! i want to do that but well i don't know why i haven't doen it :p