Potatoes!

As you may have guessed, most of what I have learned about gardening was 'caught'.  Dad didn't say much or explain much so I just learned by watching was he was doing.  That being said, there is a great deal of the technical stuff and the doing it correctly stuff, I just don't know.  Potatoes is one example. 

When I was a young teenager, dad and I planted a ton (well, it seemed like it) of potatoes on a large plot of ground on a neighbor's farm.  He wasn't using it as it was rather small and in an odd area.  So, I learned how to plant potatoes.  Dad dug the trench and I cut the potatoes and put them in the ground.  We then hilled them over.  That was the extent of my learning about potatoes.  Since my dad worked shifts, often times things happened when I wasn't around.  I do remember going out to hill up the potato rows again after a time, but I didn't ever learn when to harvest and what to look for.

Potatoes are not that difficult to grow.  They have few bug issues.  We have had fleas in the past as well as Japanese beetles, but this year we were pest-free.  An older neighbor told me that I needed to wait until the vines were dead before I dug the potatoes.  This season, with our later planting schedule, it seemed as if it would be frost before our vines would die off.  As it would happen, the vines died off just in time to have several days of soaking rain.  It was a big concern that our potatoes were rotting in the garden.

I waited several days, hoping that the ground would dry up enough to dig them up and not have to fight with muddy potatoes.  Of course, the ground was still pretty soft and wet.  But, right or wrong, the potatoes were dug. 

The experts that may read this will see that this is probably not a potato fork.  I understand that there are such animals out there.  But I just use what I have.  I'm not sure what this tool really is, but for me the handle is rather short.  (And yes, those are weeds, too.)

My fears were not unfounded.  Many of the potatoes were rotting in the ground, which is so disappointing.  I love digging potatoes, you never know what surprises you will find from under the ground.  Perhaps I should have dug them even before the vines were dead.

I think this one looks like a turtle!

Between the rotten and green potatoes (I didn't get out to hill them a third time and the sun got on the potatoes that were coming up and they turned green), we lost about one fourth of our crop.  Still, I was able to gather a heaping bushel basket that I'll probably can pretty soon.  The potatoes are curing in the garage out of the sun and where it is cool.  There were so many weird shaped ones, that I'm not sure we will have any normal ones for baking.

Canning the potatoes makes it easy for quicker dinners.  Sure, there is time that has to be spent initially, but when it is dinner time, it really cuts down on the time.  I've used mine for making mashed potatoes and home fries mostly.  It certainly is easy enough to put them in a pot of boiling water and have cooked potatoes.  It is handy to have them for soups and stews, too.

If you are interested in canning your potatoes, here is a place you can explore,  Or you can look here.  (I found this site a while ago and found it helpful to read through the comments.)

O, LORD,
Thou knowest my great unfitness for service,
   my present deadness,
   my inability to do anything for thy glory,
   my distressing coldness of heart.
I am weak, ignorant, unprofitable,
   and loathe and abhor myself.
I am at a loss to know what though wouldest have me do,
   for I feel amazingly deserted by thee,
   and sense thy presence so little;
Thou makest me possess the sins of my youth,
   and the dreadful sin of my nature,
   I cannot think or act but every motion is sin....
...Help me to be diffident, watchful, tender,
   lest I offend my blessed friend
   in thought and behaviour;
I confide in thee and lean upon thee,
   and need thee at all times to assist and lead me.
O that all my distresses and apprehensions
   might prove but Christ's school
   to make me fit for greater service
   by teaching me the great lesson of humility.

--an excerpt from Need of Grace, from the Valley of Vision

What a Beautiful and Busy Fall Day!

We have enjoyed some lovely days lately.  The trees are turning such vibrant colors, too.

Today my husband and I did a bushel of apples into sauce.   My daughter-in-law offered to pick up some apples for me at an orchard we used to frequent when we lived in that area.  Their prices are a bit better and they offered her "blemished" apples at half the price!  My husband wanted me to mix some apple varieties to get a different flavor.  The orchard owner suggested Jonamac.  She called my husband to see what he thought of the variety.  Since I have never tried this apple, the owner gave my daughter-in-law an apple to try and another variety so she could compare.  She gave her recommendation to my husband over the phone.  I'm sure the orchard lady never did an over-the-phone taste test!  The Jonamacs were combined with Cortlands and we think it tastes pretty wonderful.  Also, my husband is a big fan of "red hots".  These were located at the nearby store and added to help with a bit of flavor and a lovely pink color.  It just takes a bit to get them to melt.  The count for the day is seventeen quarts and a pint (for my dear neighbor) and a wee bit for dinner.  Trying to decide if I should do more.  My total for this year is 27 quarts with just a few left over from last year.

This looks like a fun site to check out different apple varities.

For those of you looking for a website that might offer some help in canning and/or freezing, I found this site that may be helpful.  She seems to have a great deal of information on everything from canning equipment to recipes to try.  (I do miss Granny Miller!)

So often the initial reaction to painful suffering is Why me?  Why this?  Why now?  Why?...{then}.  He comes for you, in the flesh, in Christ, into suffering, on your behalf.  He does not offer advice and perspective from afar; He steps into your significant suffering.  He will see you through, and work with you the whole way....  This reality changes the questions that rise up in your heart.  That inward-turning "why me?" quiets down, lifts its eyes, and begins to look around.

You turn outward and new, wonderful questions form.  Why You?  Why You?  Why would You enter this world of evils?  Why would You go through loss, weakness, hardship, sorrow and death?  Why would You do this for Me, of all people?  But You did.  You did this for the joy set before You.  You did this for love.  You did this showing the glory of God in the face of Christ.  As that deeper question sinks home, you become joyously sane.  The universe is no longer supremely about you.  Yet you are not irrelevant.  God's story makes you just the right size.  Everything counts, but the scale changes to something that makes much more sense.  You face hard times.  But you have already received something better which can never be taken away.  And that better something will continue to work out the whole journey long...

Finally, you are prepared to pose--and to mean--almost unimaginable questions:  Why not me?  Why not this?  Why not now?

--David Powlison

Back at It...

...Tomato soup that is.  There were a few poor tomatoes that needed a home.  Since it is raining, again, my husband was here to help with the cutting and squeezing. 

I found a similar recipe to the one I use online only it had beets in it.  (They call it a "vegetable juice cocktail", but we use it as a soup.) Being that my husband was being so helpful and that he loves beets, we decided to run a pint of our beets through the food processor and dump them in with the other veggies.  We thought that it might be a bit more purple, but it wasn't.  We'll see how we like it when we open a jar.

We were able to can another 11 jars today for the winter.  We are both so thankful to have our canning shelves getting full.

Father of Mercies,
Hear me for Jesus' sake,
I am sinful even in my closest walk with the;
   it is of thy mercy I died not long ago;
Thy grace has given me faith in the cross
   by which thou hast reconciled thyself to me
    and me to the,
   drawing me by thy great love,
   reckoning me as innocent in Christ though guilty in myself.
Giver of all graces,
   I look to thee for strength to maintain them in me,
   for it is hard to practise what I believe.

--an excerpt from Grace in Trials from the book, The Valley of Vision

Apples to Applesauce

It ended up that I did have help for applesauce day.  Between my husband and I we were able to get done in no time.  We cut them up and cooked them until they were soft enough to go through the Victorio. (Believe me it is an ancient one. We paid $19.00 for it when we bought it probably 30 years ago. It's a bit rough around the edges, but she gets the job done.)

We scoop the cooked apples into the hopper and turn the handle.

Out comes this lovely pink sauce.  This goes in the big kettle to be heated before adding to the jars.

This is what half a bushel of applesauce looks like in a pot.  The black canner is heating up for the jars to go inside.

Here is the finished product!  Ten quarts of beautiful applesauce...plus a little for lunch and a bit for the dear lady next door.

O God, the Eternal All, help me to know

   that all things are shadows, but thou art substance,

      all things are quicksands, but thou art mountain,

      all things are shifting, but thou art anchor,

      all things are ignorance, but thou art wisdom.

--an excerpt from Purification, from The Valley of Vision

Apples!!

The plan for tomorrow is for this half bushel of Cortlands:

to become several jars of this:

It is calling for a much cooler day tomorrow...a great day for making applesauce!  The house will be filled with warmth and the delightful scent of freshly squeezed apples.  Almost the perfect day!

Since I'm kinda slow and I'll be by myself, a half bushel is very doable and still not be overly tired and get some other things done, too.  There is another half bushel waiting for me after this one is done.

I'll let you know how things go.

Thy will is in all thy provisions
   to enable me to grow in grace,
   and to be meet for thy eternal presence....
...I entrust myself to thee, for thou hast redeemed me.
I bless and adore thee, the eternal God,
   for the comfort of these thoughts,
     the joy of these hopes.
--an excerpt from Comforts, from The Valley of Vision

Somethings I Would Rather Not Do Twice

A couple of weeks ago, I made a large batch of tomato soup.  This is a rather involved process which includes the gathering and steaming of various veggies like carrots, celery and peppers.  There are herbs to be gathered and added as well such as parsley and basil.  Of course, the tomatoes need to be gathered, in our case bought (which is a sad tale of our tomato crop).  I get rather bothered when I have to buy something that is in my garden, but won't ripen or is being eaten by critters.  I digress.  These tomatoes are to be washed and cut and then run through my Victorio Strainer.  I do love this machine.  Tomatoes and apples are no match for it and it makes life a bit easier. 

When I cook, I make a mess (generally).  This also occurs when I can only on a grander scale.  This is because canning includes the use of very large pots and the aforementioned Strainer.  The walls of the kitchen have been splattered with apple and tomato debris most every canning season.

During the making of the soup, I decided I was done.  I don't care if the tomatoes decide to ripen, I'm done with the day-long process and clean-up.  I had hoped that what I had made would suffice.  It would seem to my husband that it was not enough for the winter.

Well, guess what I did today.  Those are seven pint and a half jars, plus a pint of tomato soup peaking out from under their covering.  The pint and a half jars are from Classico spaghetti sauce.  They are mason jars and work great for just the two of us.  We've been collecting them for a couple of years with the help of some other folks.

Sometime ya just do what ya should do.  I'll be glad this winter that I took the time.

Just a side note...one of my Amish friends wrote me a letter last week saying she canned 64 quarts of peaches! and she wasn't done yet!  And she has five boys under the age of seven.  I've never canned 64 quarts of one thing.  She is amazing!!

I am guilty, but pardoned,

   lost, but saved,

   wandering, but found,

   sinning, but cleansed.

Give me perpetual broken-heartedness,

Keep me always clinging to thy cross,

Flood me very moment with descending grace,

Open to me the springs of divine knowledge,

   sparkling like crystal,

   flowing clear and unsullied

   through my wilderness of life.

--an excerpt from The Broken Heart, from The Valley of Vision



 

James Madison Quote

I found this quote on Agraian Nation:

"The class of citizens who provide at once their own food and raiment, may be viewed as the most truly independent. It follows, the greater the proportion of this class to the whole society, the more free, the more independent, and the more happy must be the society itself."



—James Madison

Thanks, Herrick Kimball!