tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237633934633144064.post9111716216495450431..comments2024-03-26T10:01:18.135-04:00Comments on Living the Frugal Life: On Nature's Wrath and WindfallsKatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18017959421018964001noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237633934633144064.post-2915914586450535812011-10-02T17:05:43.242-04:002011-10-02T17:05:43.242-04:00Hurray for windfalls!Hurray for windfalls!Lisahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03932975112078606231noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237633934633144064.post-67739988497459951992011-09-05T00:46:40.068-04:002011-09-05T00:46:40.068-04:00hi - we can and do buy: pig cheeks, hocks, trotter...hi - we can and do buy: pig cheeks, hocks, trotters, the entire head, all the offal in our supermarkets. i make pate from the liver, faggots from the heart and liver, use the trotters to make gelatine and pick off the meat to make a terrine, use the entire head to make brawn. i use windfall apples to make chutney, and thicken jam - glad to hear you made it through extreme weather unharmed - love froogsAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10555001676886354389noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237633934633144064.post-32118736091851573482011-09-01T00:44:07.641-04:002011-09-01T00:44:07.641-04:00Last year I made and used apple pectin for the fir...Last year I made and used apple pectin for the first time. It worked very well, and was not too difficult to do, or to use. I did have a <i>bit</i> of difficulty the very first time I tried it, but that was due to the very late hour of the night rather than to the process:<br />http://artisanry.blogspot.com/2010/07/note-to-self.html<br /><br />However, subsequent attempts worked very well, and I think that the texture is nicer too...<br />I include directions in this blog post, and a link to a test that can be done to determine if the pectin is strong enough to use:<br />http://artisanry.blogspot.com/2010/07/wedding-of-lavender-and-blueberry.htmlAlisonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01994300004330705947noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237633934633144064.post-79347240553958427392011-08-31T08:02:21.989-04:002011-08-31T08:02:21.989-04:00Hazel, please do!
Louisa, the early apples that d...Hazel, please do!<br /><br />Louisa, the early apples that drop are of no interest to our chickens. As we get closer to harvest and some sweetness develops, they do peck at them. But yes, it's a large tree and we have only a few chickens. I usually save them some of the pomace too, after pressing. But they can only eat a tiny portion of what we produce. Most of it goes around our blueberries, to acidify the soil there. I agree that unwanted apples are quite the desirable commodity. I'm trying to find time to go collect from the neighbors of some relatives. It's just such a busy time right now.<br /><br />Tim, I expect you're right about that. Breweries and farms are another pair that can be very complimentary to one another. I think it's awesome that you have cooperative rental relationships too. Good for you!Katehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18017959421018964001noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237633934633144064.post-63636019934088163132011-08-31T07:50:16.763-04:002011-08-31T07:50:16.763-04:00I expect that necessity will drive more of these s...I expect that necessity will drive more of these synergistic relationships in the future. Better to begin forming them now! Great example of making full use of what most folks would think of as waste. <br /><br />We engage in a bit of this type of thing as well - I get spent grain from a homebrewing friend for compost (and now my chickens), I work with a tree service and pick up wood they don't want to deal with to heat our home, cooperatively rent equipment with other folks to work on common large-scale projects, etc.timfromohionoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237633934633144064.post-57289998292351604762011-08-30T10:44:00.658-04:002011-08-30T10:44:00.658-04:00I too am glad to hear you made it through Irene wi...I too am glad to hear you made it through Irene without any damage - I had been worried.<br /><br />The apples-for-jowls deal sounds great - mutually beneficial as you say. I presume the apples are too numerous for your chickens...? Our girls have had most of our windfall this year - but since most of our trees are newly planted this year, we don't have a lot of fruit yet, either windfall or for us to eat. I can count the apples still on our trees on my fingers! <br /><br />I would very much like to find some unwanted apples though as I've got some jam/jelly plans that need apples -- I'm hoping my grandMIL still has some we can pilfer - it seems silly to actually *buy* them at this time of year! ;)louisa @ TheReallyGoodLifehttp://www.thereallygoodlife.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237633934633144064.post-74646173334288005132011-08-30T10:12:09.923-04:002011-08-30T10:12:09.923-04:00I'll let you know how I get on!I'll let you know how I get on!Hazelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05388175819512214533noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237633934633144064.post-71960306823236559522011-08-30T07:15:11.220-04:002011-08-30T07:15:11.220-04:00Laurel, Stayman Winesap is indeed our best guess a...Laurel, Stayman Winesap is indeed our best guess as to the variety, based on appearance and the exceptionally late harvest.<br /><br />Staci, yes, we lost sunflowers and corn, and the piracicaba and chilis will probably never be upright again. Glad to hear you had no more damage than that either.<br /><br />Ali, yes, the wreckage in VT is very chastening. It's strange to me that Vermont of all places should be so badly hit.<br /><br />Tamar, yep, those relationships are the best. We should all be blessed with neighbors with such attitudes, and cultivate that attitude ourselves. Glad to hear Irene left you mostly alone.<br /><br />Queen of string, good point. I've used trimmings to make apple "cider" vinegar too.<br /><br />Hazel, thanks. I would be very interested to see how it works. Probably the main selling point of commercial pectin is that the standard strength and quality. Homemade pectin would require more judgment and flexibility. Don't suppose you could be persuaded to write about your experience using homemade pectin?Katehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18017959421018964001noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237633934633144064.post-23747770556650807872011-08-30T02:30:00.749-04:002011-08-30T02:30:00.749-04:00Glad to hear everything is ok after the hurricane....Glad to hear everything is ok after the hurricane.<br /><br />I made some pectin late last year from apple cores and peel. It's in the freezer as I then didn't need it, but I should use it this autumn; it will be interesting to see how it works.Hazelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05388175819512214533noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237633934633144064.post-72015465125961099732011-08-29T20:42:31.395-04:002011-08-29T20:42:31.395-04:00Apple cores can also be used to make pectin, anoth...Apple cores can also be used to make pectin, another way of using up a "waste" product.queen of stringhttp://www.jellyfiss.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237633934633144064.post-48840410326025878932011-08-29T20:17:14.208-04:002011-08-29T20:17:14.208-04:00I love relationships that work like that. I just ...I love relationships that work like that. I just got several pounds of green beans from my neighbor, which I pickled. Half will go back to him. He's grateful, because he didn't have the time to deal with it. I'm grateful, because I have pickled green beans. We're both grateful they didn't go to waste.<br /><br />Glad you weathered the storm. We did, too.Tamar@StarvingofftheLandhttp://www.starvingofftheland.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237633934633144064.post-29582107380283786942011-08-29T20:04:37.512-04:002011-08-29T20:04:37.512-04:00Glad you came through the storm ok. We had some t...Glad you came through the storm ok. We had some tree damage, sad, but compared to the damage in VT, nothing.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237633934633144064.post-88478326416080333782011-08-29T19:38:33.742-04:002011-08-29T19:38:33.742-04:00Glad to hear you made it through ok. Although I d...Glad to hear you made it through ok. Although I didn't feel the earthquake, I did feel Irene and we made it through with only a loss of power, loss of sweet corn and loss of sunflowers. :-) We are feeling lucky!!Staci@LifeAtCobbleHillFarmhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12970355437338210130noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237633934633144064.post-39475375678091033382011-08-29T18:47:50.950-04:002011-08-29T18:47:50.950-04:00Those apples look like the Stayman Winesap apples ...Those apples look like the Stayman Winesap apples I buy every September/October.Laurel H.https://www.blogger.com/profile/14272798031417837665noreply@blogger.com