2017 seed planting time in South Texas

[Chuck]

Sorry for late reply, i was on Ebay and Amazon looking at the jars. I think i am going to give this a try, thing is really i can't lose...i will win or learn. So now i have to ask, does everything i want to store need to be in pressurised jars or can i use screw lids? I love beetroot but only if it's pickled, oh my... i am going to the garden centre on Friday for some larger plant pots, now i have added beetroot , sweetcorn, and green beans to my shopping list too haha .

Now matter what you are preserving it must be prepared by either pressurizing it or by using what is called a water bath. You can do both processes in a pressure canner. It sounds as if you will be doing a lot of jars so I would not buy a water bath pot. I would use that money to apply to the purchase of a GOOD HEAVY DUTY PRESSURE CANNER or PRESSURE COOKER. When doing water bath in a pressure cooker just don't lock the lid down and don't use the wobbler. But before you do anything you should purchase a book from Amazon titled Putting Food By. It will tell you everything you need to know about anything you will ever need as far as canning goes. I would get the book and then start searching for the best pressure cooker you can afford. I have two 22 1/2 quart cookers. Each will pressure can 16 pints jars at a time or 8 pint jars of water bath canning.

 

[I_AM]

Ok thank you for letting me know about the book, i will have to look tomorrow as it is almost midnight and i need some sleep. They must be huge pressure cookers to hold that much, i don't believe i have ever seen one as big as that, the one i have is 4 or 5 litre i think, and would not hold 16 pint jars. I will definitely have a look for that book, thank you so much for all your help tonight and hopefully catch up with you soon. goodnight

 

[DeborahJane]

I_AM, I only tried canning once and it was a pain! However it's really easy to freeze fresh tomatoes. I also share my produce with neighbors (I think it's nice you also donate yours!) And my nearest neighbors' grandkids know they are always welcome to help themselves to the cherry tomatoes! Also at the end of the season, I know several people who will snap up my green tomatoes.

Chuck my friends did actually plant and grow some stuff up here in the frozen north because of me. Now that I'm not around I guess they forgot how to.

Beth B, do you blanch your fresh tomatoes before freezing? Pardon my ignorance if it's a silly question. You just said in your post they were easy to freeze and I'm assuming that can't be done if they are raw.

 

[Beth_B]

Beth B, do you blanch your fresh tomatoes before freezing? Pardon my ignorance if it's a silly question. You just said in your post they were easy to freeze and I'm assuming that can't be done if they are raw.

Hi @DeborahJane.

It depends. Sometimes I blanch and peel the tomatoes (sometimes cooking/reducing them into sauce) before freezing. But I found that whole tomatoes, right off the vine or whatever, can go right into the freezer as is. It's really easy to remove the skin when they are frozen, and dead easy if you just want to add chunks to soup or stew, or cook in a sauce after removing from the freezer.

 

[DeborahJane]

Hi @DeborahJane.

It depends. Sometimes I blanch and peel the tomatoes (sometimes cooking/reducing them into sauce) before freezing. But I found that whole tomatoes, right off the vine or whatever, can go right into the freezer as is. It's really easy to remove the skin when they are frozen, and dead easy if you just want to add chunks to soup or stew, or cook in a sauce after removing from the freezer.

Thanks Beth B. I've only planted cherry tomatoes this year so I'll try freezing them as is....too fiddley to peell

 

[granjera]

Well, I guess if Zones 9 and 8b are starting seedlings, I'd better get myself in gear. I only pulled up my bell pepper plants a couple months ago.

Thanks for the nudge, Chuck and Beth_B.

 

[Elena]

After they sprout I will remove the Saran Wrap and spray them with 1 tbs. hydrogen peroxide per quart of water. I will do this once per week until they get their first set of true leaves.

I read your post and feel the breath of spring. Today morning is the first sunny morning in this winter. I am going to start with pepper and tomatoes in a month. Can I ask you about hydrogen peroxide? How does it help you?

 

[Chuck]

I read your post and feel the breath of spring. Today morning is the first sunny morning in this winter. I am going to start with pepper and tomatoes in a month. Can I ask you about hydrogen peroxide? How does it help you?

Hydrogen peroxide acts very good as a fungicide. Here in Texas damping off is a serious disease and I must do everything I can to prevent it.

 

[Elena]

I see. Thanks a lot. We have that problems at the end of summer.