Simple Tips for Growing Awesome Tomatoes

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"Give a man a fish, he eats for a day. Teach a man to garden, and the whole neighborhood gets tomatoes."

True story.

By now, most of us already have our tomato plants growing in the ground. Up here in the north, I'm starting to see some beautiful little green tomatoes replacing the blossoms. Once a few of them get large enough, I'll harvest some for fried green tomatoes. Mmmmm.

Here are some of my favorite tomato growing tips. I keep it as simple as possible. Like most of you, I don't have the time to research fancy solutions, nor the money to spend on them. So if I can find a solution using what I already have on hand, that's the route I take. If I can't, then it honestly probably won't get done. 

I hope these tips help your maters grow and yield generously. :)

1. Prune the suckers: These are the small shoots that grow in the crotch between a stem and a branch. These growths will never produce fruit, so many gardeners will pinch them off. No sense in letting them use up valuable nutrients! This is especially true for indeterminate varieties of tomatoes.

2. Coffee Grounds and Egg Shells: I keep a bowl on my kitchen counter collect the used coffee grounds and egg shells from the day. At the end of each day, I carry them out to the garden and lay them at the feet of my tomato plants. The coffee grounds work as a great mulch and a fertilizer, as they can contain nitrogen and other nutrients. The crushed tomato shells can be put into a hole before you plant the tomato, or it can be crushed up and laid at the bottom of the plant. This can help add calcium (to prevent blossom end rot), and will also deter slugs from trying to snack on your hard work.

3. Epsom Salts: Dilute 1 Tablespoon of Epsom Salts in 1 Gallon of water, and water your tomato and pepper plants if you suspect a magnesium deficiency. Some researchers are starting to "dispel myths" and claim that there is not, and never has been, sufficient research to claim that this is relevant to home gardeners, but for intensive crop plantings where there's a proven mineral deficiency in the soil. I'm no expert, so I won't form an opinions on this. I think it's worth reading up on what different experts do have to say. However...if my 'maters start showing signs of magnesium deficiency, I'll be all over that epsom salts, myth or not. A gal can get a little desperate when something threatens her babies plants, and she'll try anything that Pinterest says will work.

4. You could also try whispering sweet nothings into their foliage. I won't judge you for serenading your plants in a desperate attempt to convince them to grow. We've all been there. 


When all else fails, powder them in a thick-ish coat of diatomaceous earth and pray. It's working for me (so far).


What are your favorite tips and tricks for growing awesome tomatoes?

Pressure Canning Beans

I got a pressure canner for my birthday! I've been wanting a pressure canner for years. Ever since I started waterbath canning 4 years ago, I've wanted a pressure canner. I've also been sort of terrified of pressure canners, though. I have a story much like everyone else's. A grandma of a friend's uncle's nanny had a pressure canner loaded with beans explode in her kitchen. Not only could someone have been maimed for life, but the poor woman was scraping black beans off of her ceiling for months. (I'm being  a little bit dramatic here, in case you couldn't tell).

One of the things that I was most looking forward to pressure canning was beans. We eat a lot of beans, and I try to buy them dry in bulk because it's what's most affordable. But then I always forget to soak them. I tried precooking them and freezing them, but our freezer is full with 1/4 steer and 1/2 pig. So freezer space is limited. Plus...I always forget to pull them out to thaw anyway. Having them canned is just so much more convenient. I read this post from one of my favorite homesteading blogs about canning beans, and consulted the instruction manual that came with my pressure canner (<referral link). And I did it! I might have nested nervously in front of the thing while I watched for any signs of pending explosion. But I did it. And now we have a pantry full of beans, cooked and ready to heat up and eat.

You might notice that my jars don't have the metal rings on them. After the canning process is done, I remove the rings and store the jars with just the sealed lids. I've had rings rust on me, making it difficult to remove them and even ruining some of my jars. Removing the rings also makes it easier to see if a seal has broken.

Supplies:

• 2 lbs dry beans (black, pinto, kidney)
• 7 pint size canning jars with lids and rings
• water
• a pressure canner

 (You can can beans in quart sized jars, too. For the sake of measurements, I found that my 2 lbs bag of dried black beans gave me exactly 7 pints of canned beans)

Directions:

• Pick through beans to remove any shriveled beans or non-bean objects (sometimes I find pebbles!).
• Soak overnight
• Drain and rinse with fresh water (this helps get rid of the enzymes that can cause you to feel bloated after eating beans).
• Put beans in a pot and cover with water about 1-2 inches above the beans.
• Bring to boil for 30 minutes.
• Ladle hot beans into clean, hot jars, leaving 1 inch headspace. You don't have to sterilize beans when you pressure can, but they do need to be clean and hot to prevent cracking.
• Pour in some cooking liquid, being sure to leave that 1 in headspace. 
• Put lids and jars on and place into canner.
• Can at 10 lbs pressure for 75 minutes for pints, 90 minutes for quarts. (If you live at a high altitude, you may need to can at a higher pressure. Check here for that information)
• Allow canner to cool according to manufacturer's instructions. Once completely cooled and depressurized, remove jars and let sit on a towel or board overnight. The next morning, check seals, wipe jars clean of any residue (which can mold if left on the jar!), remove the rings and store.

I still plan to keep dry beans in storage. I think it's one of those staples that everyone should have in case of an emergency. They're easy to cook, healthy, and very filling. I know we've had times of financial hardship, or times right after a baby was born or during bad winter weather when getting to the store was either impossible or just really difficult. Having some basic staples stocked up makes life a lot easier! 

Do you "do" food storage?

I've linked this post at:
The Prairie Homestead
Little House in the Suburbs

A June Garden Update

Sometimes as a northern gardener, it can be really frustrating to see blog posts of southern gardeners harvesting zucchini as mine is only just getting its first set of true leaves. Or seeing green tomatoes being harvested, when I'm only just seeing my first tomato blossom! Ah well. Could be worse, right? I watch the show Alaska: The Last Frontier and can only imagine how difficult gardening must be up there ... but they still do it, and they do it well!

So here's a picture update of what's going on in our garden these days. I had some root maggots attack my radishes. I purchased some beneficial nematodes, diatomaceous earth, and some of this stuff and applied all three. Maybe it was overkill, but I kinda panicked. I ended up just pulling up all of the radishes. I have some beets and other veggies planted nearby that root maggots would just love. So I decided to err on the side of caution. So far I haven't seen any evidence of them since pulling up the radishes and applying the nematodes. We'll have to wait and see!

Here we have rhubarb in a pot, peas almost ready for harvest, beets, and one of the 4 types of peppers plants I have growing:

Here we have butternut squash, apples, and a little tomato blossom!

And here some purple cabbage, cauliflower, and zucchini:

This isn't everything. We also have blackberries, strawberries, pumpkins, kale, broccoli, green cabbage, asparagus, cukes, cow peas, blueberries (still too young to produce at 2 years old, but growing well!), a total of 3 varieties of tomatoes (san marzano, black cherry, and brandywine), and 4 varieties of peppers (sweet bell, jalapeno, cayenne, and hungarian hot wax) and I'm sure I'm forgetting something. 

Aside from the root maggots in the radishes, we haven't had any major pest issues (yet). Last year we had a miraculously bountiful harvest and no pests to speak of. I'm a little nervous about what this year will have in store for us ... what are the chances of us having such an uneventful and plentiful garden again this year? 

Next post I plan to chat about some of the things I've learned about growing tomatoes ... every gardener's favorite topic. 

Organizing Spices and Herbs with Mason Jars

I’m always trying to find ways to use what I have on hand to make my home more organized or to give it that homemade comfy feeling. I don’t do a lot of decorating. I find that it usually just adds more for me to dust and more for me to pack if/when we move. I try to keep it simple. So when I do decide to have something displayed in my home (spices/herbs in this case), I really try to make it functional, practical, and pleasing to the eye.  

I have this shelf in my kitchen that doesn’t really have a purpose. At first glance, it appears to just scream, “SPICE RACK!”. The odd thing, though, is that the previous owner had installed a pull out spice rack inside one of the kitchen cabinets. Did they have two spice racks or something? I’m not sure. As our family has grown, though, I’ve realized that this unclaimed shelf in my kitchen functions better for me as a spice rack than the small pull out option. I like to buy my spices and herbs in bulk, meaning that I need space for larger containers. Mason jars are usually perfect for this purpose.

I saw this post on Keeper of the Homestead, and just had a lightbulb moment. I’m really pleased with how it has turned out. Everything is right at my fingertips while I cook and bake, and I had all of the materials on hand. I just used various mason jars, and made little labels out of card stock cut into 1in by 1.5 inch rectangle, and then covered them with packaging tape. I love it! For the small 4oz jars, I taped the label to the lid. There’s a quilted texture on these jars and I couldn’t get the tape to adhere very well. The jars with corks are from BJ’s. They came with organic spices in them and hold quite a bit.

Is there something in your house that you could make more practical or beautiful to look at without spending any money? Even better if it's something that will make your life easier or save you time while you work around your home. 

Ideas:
- Could your laundry area be better organized? 

- What about your gardening tools? Are they scattered about (I'm guilty!) or are they stored somewhere that's easy to access as you head out to the garden, and easy to put away so that they don't get left out and lost by curious little "garden helpers"? I need to work on this one.

- What about cleaning supplies (rags, sprays etc.)? I could definitely work on organizing them a little better so that they're within reach when I need them.

This post is linked over at:
Little House in the Suburbs: DIY Link Up
The Prairie Homestead: Barn Hop

Spring Cleaning Planning with Evernote- Kitchen

Admittedly, my gusto for spring cleaning has sort of peter'd out. Between some health drama that cropped up last month, a minor surgery last week, and the fact that it's beautiful out and I just want to play in the garden ... cleaning house is the LAST thing on my mind. Thankfully I had this list done before the snow melted, so I'm able to just check items off as I complete them. As unmotivated as I feel about cleaning right now, it really does feel good to get some things done that I've been meaning to get to! Here's my Spring Cleaning- Kitchen Edition list (You can find the bathroom checklist right here):

Spring Cleaning Planning with Evernote - Bathroom

We’re past the midway point in the month of March, and this is the time of year when I start getting antsy to be outdoors. Unfortunately, it’s still extremely cold here, although the snow does seem to be starting to melt some. Yesterday the hubs was able to get outside with the kids and clean up the yard a bit since it was around 40 degrees. He got a bon fire going and burned some of the brush and branches that have either been trimmed, or fallen of its own accord. It’s kind of a huge embarrassing mess right now. Living in the suburbs, there’s a bit of pressure to have your yard looking presentable. Reason #2123432 why we don’t belong in the ‘burbs. Who has time to keep a clean yard with small kids, house work, homeschooling, volunteer work, homeschool co-ops, extra curricular activities and … oh yeah, trying to grow as much of our own food as possible. People! I belong in the country where a messy yard is not only acceptable, but kind of expected. But, this is where God has planted us. And so we will do the best we can. :)

The messy yard has me thinking about spring cleaning. We’re going on vacation at the end of next month, and I’d like to come home to a nice clean house (and yard), because when we get back, I’ll be diving right into gardening season (a few things will be planted before we leave, but mostly it’ll ramp up after we get back).

I use Evernote for a lot of my planning, including lesson plans, grocery lists, meal plans, garden notes, so I think I’ll use Evernote to plan a Spring Cleaning checklist for myself. My house is different from yours, so your Spring Cleaning may look slightly different, but I can post my checklists here in order to help spark your minds for your own homes. 
 

So what about you? Doing any spring preparations?

Technorati Tags: Spring Cleaning,Cleaning,Organization

Homemade Hamburger Buns

I think bread making in general is one of those basic skills that every wannabe homesteader tackles at some point or another. I know that, for me, it was a long road with many failures before I finally got it right. It was really almost laughable. I couldn’t get a dough to rise to save my life! But once you figure it out, once you know the feel of a good dough, the possibilities are endless! Here’s a really easy hamburger bun recipe that I’ve been using for years. It yields 12 buns, which is great for a larger family!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup water
• 2 T. butter
• 1 T. white sugar
• 1 1/2 t. salt
• 5 1/2 c. all purpose flour (feel free to sub in a few cups of whole wheat flour!)
• 1 envelope of dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 T. water

(BIG T = TABLESPOONS. little t = teaspoons).

Directions

• In a medium saucepan, combine the first 5 ingredients. Stir to combine so that the sugar doesn’t just settle to the bottom. Bring to a boil, and then remove from heat to cool until lukewarm. A temperature of about 105 degrees F to 110 degrees F is good. Any hotter and it could kill the yeast.
• In the bowl of your stand mixer, stir together the flour and yeast. Pour in wet ingredients and stir until the dough starts to pull together. With your hook attachment, knead the dough for 8-10 minutes (if you’re just learning the art of bread making, I recommend kneading by hand on a floured surface. It helps you get familiar with the way everything should feel). You can stop kneading when the dough feels smooth, not too sticky, and when you poke it, it bounces back at you a bit.  Place dough in a greased bowl, turning to coat. Cover with a damp towel to rise for 1 hour OR until the dough has doubled. The doubling of the dough is more important than the time. So if it takes longer than 1 hour for it to double in size, that’s okay. Patience. ;)
• Punch down the dough and divide into 12 portions. Make tight balls by pulling the dough down around itself and pinching at the bottom. This helps the gluten develop ---> good texture. Put them on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Let them rest for about 10 minutes, and then press down to flatten slightly with the palm of your hand. Cover once again with a damp towel to rise for about 40 minutes OR until doubled in size.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Mix egg yolk and water in a small bowl and brush onto the buns. Bake for 10-12 minutes. They’re done when they have a nice golden brown color and they sound hollow like a drum when you tap them with your fingernail.
• Now slather those babies with some butter and enjoy. I mean … wait patiently until the burgers are done grilling and make sure you share.

(Original Recipe Source)

I've linked this post over at: Frugally Sustainable's Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways