Cedars Hill Farm

On the 5th, I shredded about 12 heads of cabbage for my very first attempt at homemade sauerkraut. I didn't realize just how easy it is.

It half filled a 5 gallon crock. I didn't have a plate that I could use to weight the cabbage down. Every plate I have was about 1/16" too wide to fit into the crock.

As I shredded the cabbage, I would add salt, and pack it good. I worked in layers until I had used up the cabbage. When I was finished, I used a stock pot that is almost the same size as the inside of the crock. I filled it with water for weight and laid cheesecloth over the top. I thought it was supposed to be stirred on occasion but, what I read on the internet appeared to be conflicting. What I finally determined to be the most effective is that if you don't have all the cabbage weighted down, it can form mold on top that has to be skimmed off daily. BUT... if none of the cabbage is exposed then it only needs to be stirred or checked every 2 to 3 days. I thought my trip to Texas would most likely mess things up. I checked it the day I left, but didn't stir. 

When I got in on the 17th. I didn't check it. It was around 1:00am and I figured it could wait until I had slept. So, the next morning, I checked it and stirred it. No mold or scum to skim. I tasted it. Oh! My!  It was great. It was just beginning to get the fermented (sour) flavor. So, I put the stock pot back in and the cheesecloth over it to let it continue to ferment. 

I will most likely try to taste the kraut every 3 days, or so, to check it so that I can can it as soon as I think it is sour enough for my liking.

I'm still amazed at how easy it is to make. I wish I had learned how a long time ago. Now I can hardly wait until it is far enough along for my tastes and can it. 

My mother has always liked the store bought sauerkraut. It is good, but nothing like the homemade. She said that a woman in town used to make it. Mother didn't like hers. But, I think she will like this. I'll have to save a jar of it for her along with some wild sand plum jelly, peach jelly, sweet pickles, etc.

Not much else is going on. I'll write more later.

Paul

Well... it was a good time. I think everyone had fun. It was at Todd's and Carley's house (the youngest of us boys and his wife).

My flight was uneventful.

When I got there Thursday, I had quite the group to pick me up at the airport. There was Todd, Carley, Teyler (their daughter), Braeden (their 4 year old grandson), Elena (Ronnie's daughter), Tommy (Elena's 17 year old son), and Cassie (Elena's 11 year old daughter). 

After we left the airport, Todd, Tommy, Braeden and I (in Todd's Suburban) went to Mother's house to pick up her car and take it to Abernathy where she is now in an independent living apartment at an assisted living facility. The others went back to Abernathy.

The weekend was great. The only grandchild missing was Danielle (Ronnie's oldest of two). She has no children. In total, there were 38 poeople. That included an aunt (Neva), her daughter Pam, her SO Jim, Darcy (Pam's son), Paula (Darcy's wife) and their little girl Kallie.

Todd and Carley have a nice place for a reunion. They have a big kitchen and a pool and hot tub. However, the hot tub didn't get used much. lol

Everyone left Sunday except Me, Elena, Tommy, Cassie, Rick (oldest brother) and his wife Sandy. Rick and Sandy had to order a new front tire for their Gold Wing and it wasn't to be in until Wednesday. So, they may have left by today, if he already got the tire mounted.

Me, Elena, Tommy and Cassie left on Tuesday. I think everyone except us four drove in. The four of us flew into Lubbock. It was merely coincidence that our flights all left on Tuesday at almost the sametime. I was to fly out on Southwest at 4:35 and they were to fly out on Continental at 4:15. Here's where the story gets good. See if you can follow this. lol

When we all checked in, their flight was overbooked and they were asked if they could be rebooked and take an American Airlines flight from Lubbock to Seattle via DFW (Dallas), rather than Continental from Lubbock to Seattle via Houston. It would leave at 3:40 rather than at 4:15. They took the offer. Also, as soon as we got there I learned that my 4:35 flight was delayed and now scheduled to depart Lubbock at 5:05.

That's okay. I would have longer to sit by myself after Elena, Tommy and Cassie left. I don't mind. I like watching people.... especially the good looking ones. lol

While we are sitting and waiting on Elena's flight, they announce that it will be delayed due to a mechanica repair and thought they would begin boarding before long. However, it was not long before they made an announcement that the flight would be cancelled because they needed a part that they didn't have. So, while everyone was in line to be rebooked, I knew the 5:55 flight would be booked quickly and she would have to take the 7:10 unless it booked before she got to the front of the line. So... on my iPhone, I looked up (with the American Airlines app) and got the 800 number. So, by the time she got to the front of the line, Elena had her, Tommy, and Cassie booked on the 7:10 flight and all she needed was to have new boarding passes printed.

By the time I actually board and we head to the runway, it is 5:15 rather than the original departure time of 4:35. It looks like storms are building fast and moving toward the airport from the north and west. They are building fast and looking like severe storms. The NOAA had issued watches for "potentially violent storms". By the time we get to the runway, the plane is sitting there and you can feel the wind shift and the plane start to rock. The pilot announced that due to the incoming storm and the wind shift and wind speeds, we would have to change runways to take off. By the time he gets to the end of the other runway, the storms are almost over us. The pilot announced that we had clearance to take off and after he pulls onto the runway, he will take one more look at the radar and make his decision. I guess the pilot has the final say as to whether it's a go or not. He comes back on and says that he thinks he can miss the storm by making a sharp bank to the west (left) and not head into the storm. By now there is a lot of cloud to ground lightning. 

The pilot makes a go. I've flown many times where the pilot starts to bank after a takeoff. But this was different. The pilot didn't wait long. As soon as the rear wheels left the ground, he cut a hard left. You could hear a few people gasp and kids cry. I liked it.  lol not because it scared people but because of the ride. 

I've had pilots take off, bank one full circle before going in the direction of the flight path. However, this time the pilot made a "spiral" as he took off. He made 2 - 1/2 cirlcles as he climbed and headed to the northeast rather than east. I thought that was odd.

I knew at this point that when we land, I had only 10 minutes to go from my gate to the next gate in Dallas. However, I didn't think it would be a problem.... until we headed northeast. lol

After a few minutes, the pilot banked toward the south (right). In just a moment, the engines slow. The pilot announces that there are severe storms in the Dallas / Fort Worth area and the FAA (?) is shuffling flights between the airports. In other words, redirecting flights between the two airports. So... the pilot says we are in a "holding pattern" over Wichita Falls and will circle for about 20 minutes before being allowed to continue on to Dallas. I knew then that I would miss my connecting flight in Dallas.

Sure enough. I get there five minutes after the departure time for my connecting flight. When I go up to the counter, I ask if I missed the flight, and was told that I had. He asked my last name and then told me that I would be out of gate 12. So, I had two hours to kill. I went on down to gate 12. They already had my boarding pass printed out and waiting on me. They also had me as the first to board after the "business select" customers. Nice.

So. I get in and Richard picks me. By the time we get to his house, where I parked the pickup, it's late. I think I got home between 12:30am and 1:00 am. I was beat.

Yesterday, when I awoke, I still felt tired. That tiredness turned to fatigue by noon. I still feel tired today. I guess it's part of my problem with Fibromyalgia and occasional CFS (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome).

Finally, today, I go to the garden and gather what's ready.

Other than that I don't know much else... oh. sauerkraut... in my next posting.

Later. 

Yeah... Summer kitchen. It would sure be nice to have one instead of heating up the house with the pressure canner going.

Yesterday, I got 12 (-2 quarts) of 14 heads of cabbage shredded for sauerkraut. It only half filled a 5 gallon crock. Hopefully, it's already starting to ferment. I put the other two heads in the fridge.

Yesterday, I also canned 9 quarts of sweet corn and 2 quarts of cabbage. Today, I am canning celery. I have 16 pints going and two bunches of celery in the fridge. About 1/3 of the celery had to be tossed. It was already going bad.

I've already canned a few quarts and pints of Aunt Maude's sweet pickles and hope to get enough cucumbers to do at least one or two more batches.

On the other hand, I didn't get any wild sand plums for jelly this year. I don't know what happened, but I think it was due to the record setting heat. Some plums I could find had shriveled and dried up on the limbs. 

I don't really have any news. Just catching up on what's happening in the kitchen and wishing I had a summer kitchen.

Paul

It's hot!  LOL

Yesterday we tied an record. We hit 106F. It is the only time in weather recording history that we got that hot. Heat indexes were 114. It is very unusual. We go some summers without ever reaching 100F. Yesterday and today are hot with excessive heat warnings.

This morning I finished a batch of Aunt Maude's sweet lime pickles. One batch makes about 6-1/2 quarts. I put it in 5 quarts and 3 pint jars. Hopefully the cucumbers will keep producing in spite of the heat and I can get another couple batches of pickles. I need to put several pints up for gifts.

The sweet corn is pollinating so it shouldn't be too much longer before having sweet corn to can.  

I've also picked zucchini and waiting on more. The summer squash has bloomed, but not done anything else. However, the okra is a different story. It has gone crazy. I've already put up all the okra I need for the 12 to 18 months (lol) and they are still coming on.

My second planting of pinto beans are up and going great. The black-eye peas are also doing good. This year I have the largest black-eye pea plants I think I've ever seen and the leaves are huge. Much larger than usual. I think it may be due to the fact that the spring was unusually wet and cool, clear into summer.

Tomatoes have done nothing. It's the first time I've had a tomato failure. They are usually easy to grow. I'm still waiting on other stuff such as the cantaloupe and watermelon. I am so hungry for both....!

When the zucchini gets going, I'll probably wish I hadn't planted so much. lol But, I know several older women that will enjoy some, too. I figure I will dehydrate some for zucchini chips for snack food and can a lot of it. What gets canned can be used in a multitude of ways including bread. I will also probably make some zucchini pickles.

There really isn't much else to discuss. I'm just staying in until this heat wave passes which should only be one more day.

I'm also looking forward to my next trip to Texas, Aug 12th - 17th. It will be the first time that the entire family has been together in the same place at the same time since Feb 1996. This will be my brothers and their families. At that time, we will have three birthdays to celebrate. Mother will be 81, Rick (oldest brother) will be 66(?), and Tom (grandson of Ron, brother #2) will be um... 18 or 19. My mind just went blank. I'm thinking it will be his 18th. Out of the entire family, there's only one granddaughter that can't be there.

My fall radishes and turnips are coming up and the carrots should be coming up just anytime. I also planted some fall potatoes that should be coming up within the next couple days.

That's it for now.

Paul

There isn't much news to tell. I just keep waiting on the garden. It had been wet for so long and not hot enough to do well. The middle of July and my black-eye peas are still not growing much. The tomatoes have never grown over about 12 inches to 18 inches. The only things that have done well are the different squashes, the pinto beans, and the popcorn. Even the sweet corn hasn't done well. My popcorn has already tassled out, and not including the tassle my corn is a good 7 feet tall. The pinto beans are starting to dry down and getting closer to picking. I'm hoping this dry spell will last long enough to till a couple other areas and plant a second planting of pinto beans and black-eye peas. I also plan to plant potatoes for fall potatoes.

Paul

I made my flight plans for my trip to Texas in August. It will be the first time that all my brothers have been together in one place at the same time since my dad's funeral, 14 years ago. It is also the same weekend as my mother's 81st birthday and my oldest brother Rick's 66th (?) birthday. In that next week is Tommy's birthday. He is the son of my niece, Elena. I'd have to look but I think it is his 18th birthday. I'm definitely looking forward to it. We have always had such a good time together. Most of my brothers are pranksters and love to laugh.... especially at on of the other boys' expense. lol

Hopefully, I'll have a lot of photos to post.

Paul

I have been working inside the house since my return from my last Texas trip to try and make room for what I brought back. Along those lines, I have been redoing the kitchen. Actually, my small cabin is an open floor plan and I had an 8ft island. I need the island for the storage space. That is where I keep all my jars of canned food.  However, with it being in the middle of the floor, it was taking up valuable space. So, I have moved it against the wall between two windows. My stove top and oven are on the island. So, I have to move my propane line which will take maybe 30 minutes to an hour at the latest. lol I have already moved the island and it sure does open things up a lot more and looks much better.

I don't really have much else going on.

Paul

I'm on a forum for people that prefer simple living, homesteading, self-reliance, etc. Last summer I posted an old sweet lime pickle recipe that came from Anna Maude. Anna Maude said that it was her mother's recipe (Aunt Maude, my great aunt.) She didn't know if it came from Aunt Maude's mother or not. Either way, the recipe is in the neighborhood of 100 years old. I posted the recipe for a lady that was looking for a good pickle recipe where the pickles would stay crisp. I found a jar last week dated 1997 (13 years old). I opened it and the pickles tasted as good as ever and were still crisp. Anyway, a few others have now made the same pickles and just rave about them. I guarantee that no one will be disappointed with them.

I also don't plant any new types of cucumber varieties such as those that are supposedly for pickles. I just use the old standard "Straight Eight" variety of cucumber. They make good pickles, table cucumbers, or just snacking on in the garden.

Here is the recipe...

I only use sliced cucumbers for it.
Soak the following for 24 hours:
7 lb cucumbers
2 gallons water
2 cups lime

Rinse. Let set 3 hours draining.

Mix the following:
2 qts vinegar
4 ½ lbs sugar
1 T salt
1 tsp celery seed
1 tsp cloves
Pour over cucumbers.
Let set 12 hours.

Bring to boil and simmer slowly for 40 minutes.

Pack in hot jars and seal. 
(No pressure or hot water bath needed.)

This recipe is one of those that gets better with age. When first canned, you can actually taste each individual ingredient. However, open the same jar one year later and the flavors have all melded and are enhanced to the point that they don't even taste like the same pickles. That is how much better they get. I try to keep enough jars canned ahead so that by the time I get to a jar, it is already one year old.

The reason you don't need a hot water bath is due to the temperatures and acidity. Vinegar is high in acid. Vinegar and sugar are at a temperature above the boiling point when they boil. By putting the jars in a hot water bath, you actually cool them down instead of heating them up. So, you are better off in this case without the hot water bath.

The same thing goes for fruit. I never can fruit with water. I take the fruit, skin it (if needed), pit (if needed), and slice. I put the sliced fruit in a container, cover with sugar and let it set on the counter over night covered with one of my "canning" towels. The next morning the fruit has made its own syrup. That is heated quickly to a boil and then simmered. I then put them in the jars, seal, and let set for 24 hours before moving. When fruit is canned with water, it actually dilutes the flavor of the fruit, where canning in its own syrup, the fruit flavor is usually enhanced. I don't know of any fruit that can't be canned this way. Once again, a hot water bath is not needed for fruit canned in this manner, unlike canning with water. If you can your fruit with water, it must be placed in a hot water bath, or pressure canned, depending on the type of fruit and its acidity level. Try this method next time.

I have canned all my fruit in this manner... peaches, apricots, apples, mulberries, strawberries, raspberries, etc.

Paul

We've gone from decent weather with lots of rainy days to a couple scorching days. Our temps are only in the 90's yesterday and today, but with the humidity, our heat indexes are forecast around 110 - 112F.

Yesterday I worked on some plumbing and today all I have left is to run an electric (12v) line from my battery bank to where I relocated the pump and pressure tank. That should be finished today.

Yesterday, I also had to get some tires done. The last time the stock trailer was used, it had a blowout and was running on the spare. So, I used a used tire to have mounted for the spare. The last time I used the flat-bed trailer, I was hauling a tractor home. (AC D-14) When I went to use the trailer, it had a flat, so I put the spare on. One mile from the house, I had a blowout on the spare, and had no choice but to put the old flat tire back on. I used my air bubble and pumped up the tire and it was just enough to get me home before it went flat again. So, I had a used tire that I put on one wheel and had to buy a used tire to put on for the spare. So, it was a long hot afternoon. You know it's bad when the humidity is so hight that you have sweat dripping by doing nothing more than just sitting.

Paul

There is really no other news to talk about. I keep thinking about Anna Maude an awful lot. It is more like losing a favored aunt than my mother's cousin. Maybe that's because she and my mother were always so close. For quite some time, she and Mother would talk on the phone every evening at 7pm, 7 days a week, even if it was just a brief "goodnight". 

Anna Maude was someone that will truly be missed. She was a strong woman and one that blessed any life she came into contact with.

I guess I'll always have my memories and good ones they are. It just saddens me to know I won't see her again. I get choked up thinking of her. Every time I went to visit family, I always made time to stop by and see her. 

Like I've stated before, when someone close is gone, it opens up the wounds of all those gone before, especially my dad.

I guess I need to stop here.

Paul

Anna Maude, 2003, age 87