Wine Cap Mushrooms

Look at what Pete found last night!!

He was walking out past the asparagus -

mushroom bed and they caught his eye!

 

Can you say

'Holy mushrooms Batman?!' 

 

 

In the spring we started inoculating logs to

begin our adventures in mushrooming. What I

didn't tell you is that he also 'planted' some

wine cap mushrooms (spread the spores?) in

the asparagus bed in with wood shaving/sawdust.
Check out the above link to Field & Forest!
 

 Scientific name: Stropharia rugosa-annulata
 

We weren't sure how long it would be before

we'd see any results!

 



 

He went back out this morning and quickly

came back for the camera!

 

 

It's pretty amazing ...

 

 

Check out this cluster of mushrooms!

 

 

Myself, not a lover of fungus... still, I'm

finding this pretty cool!!

 

 

I've looked up different ways to preserve...

methods are simple!

 

1) Cut them up and freeze on a cookie sheet then

put them in a freezer container.

These should be used within 3 months.

 

2) Cut them up, blanch for 1-2 minutes, cool then freeze...

will last for up to 1 year. Add them to your soup

recipes in the last 20 minutes of cooking! (Add frozen)

 

3) Cut them up and saute in 2 TBsp of olive oil

or butter. Allow them to cook for about 5 minutes,

cool and put into freezer containers.

Use within 9 months.

 

4) Cut them up and steam them. They are suppose

to hold their flavor & texture the best using this method!

They will keep up to a year!

 

For more info. check out

Mushroom-Appreciation.Com

 

 

 

Now I need to find some good recipes...

I'm thinking cream of mushroom soup

or a veggie soup will

allow the flavor to be appreciated!

I'll be looking around and keep you posted

as to what I find!!

 

 

Check out this Gi-Normous Grouping!

 

 

Yup.... I see mushroom farming

in our future!! (OK, right NOW!)

This post was shared on
Simple Lives Thursday!
Go check out what other awesome
ideas were shared this week!

Apples....

Just when you think you're finished....  someone you love brings home a bushel of apples! No, I'm not complaining. I made applesauce, we ate lots of them fresh, I've made apple pizza, apple bread, apple cake...  and now, I'm trying something new to me!

Freezing Apple Pie Filling

24 cups sliced, peeled baking apples (6-7lbs.)
3 TBsp. lemon juice
4 1/2 Cups sugar (I use half brown, half white)
1 Cup Cornstarch
2 tsp. Cinnamon
1 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Nutmeg
10 Cups water

In a large bowl, toss apples with lemon juice and set aside. In a large kettle, over medium heat, combine sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, salt & nutmeg. Add water and bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

Add apples, return to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until apples are tender, about 6 - 7 minutes. Cool for 30 minutes. Ladle into freezer containers or freezer bags, 1 quart per container, and cool to room temperature before freezing! This is enough to make about five 9 inch pies!

After thawing, put it in a pie crust, dot with butter and seal with a top crust! I'm hoping it will be as yummy as it was smelling!

I made one and a half times the recipe, that's why there's more then 5 bags ready for the freezer!

Corn

My hands are tired from all the picking,

husking & cutting of corn! BUT... thinking

about the rewards of eating yummy fresh-tasting

corn during the cold winter months

make it all worth it!

I picked three rows of corn and blanched the ears about

8 at a time (roughly 6-8 minutes in boiling water,

followed by immersing the ears in ICE COLD

water to end the cooking). The ears fit into a

medium sized laundry basket and the cut

off kernels fit into two large bowls

 and a 9X13 baking pan!

I packaged the corn in quart and gallon sized

freezer bags... the larger bags will be perfect for

corn chowder or shepard's pie and

 other yummy recipes!

 Roughly, 58 cups of corn all neatly packaged

and ready for the freezer!

Corn stalks cut down and ready to go

feed the pigs!

This has been shared on Healthy 2Day Wednesdays
and Simple Lives Thursday!

Ziploc Vacuum Freezer System

After seeing the Ziploc Vacuum system, I thought I'd

give it a try. The cost wasn't too bad...

(If I'm remembering correctly, it was

only $2.99 for the pump & 3 bags

and maybe $3.99 for a dozen bags!)

and they are available at the grocery store.

The bags are a different texture then the regular or

freezer Ziploc bags and they have a little patch

 in the upper corner.

After the bags are filled, you zip it shut and put the

plunger to the corner. It works like a bicycle pump,
work the plunger until the air it gone!
Wipe off a little bit of juice

and viola... it is ready for the freezer!

I don't know how these bags will compare to other

freezer, air tight bag systems. But it was easy

to use! I'll let you know....  

Sending Chickens To Freezer Camp

FOR MY SQUEAMISH FRIENDS...  PLEASE STOP HERE! 

DO NOT CONTINUE READING THE REST OF THIS POST!

I PROMISE THERE ARE NO GROSS PICTURES!

OK, you've been forewarned! Proceed with caution...

We got 30 day old chicks 9 weeks ago...

It is amazing how fast they grow!
(We lost 3 over the nine weeks)

This isn't our first time raising meat birds... 

but each year we learn a little something new

or something to do differently next time!

We belong to a group called

Small & Beginner Farmers of NH

where we share experiences and equipment.

Our family oversees the MPU (Mobile Processing

Unit) for our county. We teach others how to use

it and rent it out to members.

Above, you see the trailer that everything is

housed in... the removable 'cones' are attached to

the doors. We have portable pens that can be

set up (behind the door area) for the "poultry in waiting".

After the head is removed and blood drained,

the carcass is dipped in HOT water (about 150*)

in the scald tank for a few minutes, just until the
feathers can be pulled out by hand.

The Featherman Plucker works really well!

In just a few minutes the birds

are all ready for the next step!

Evisceration...  a fancy word which 

means 'to gut out'.

The chill tank... is kept filled with ice so that

the core temperature is brought down FAST

and they are ready for the freezer!

Sitting pretty.... awaiting bagging and

weighing and then off to 'freezer camp'!
(Average weight... 5.65 pounds)

All in all... the process is not bad or hard.

My husband and I finished up all

27 birds in just a few hours.

(Not including the clean up!)

As to cost effectiveness.... you decide.

I kept track of EVERYTHING this time around!

Our total price per pound is $1.29

We are happy!!

Sharing this post on

 Healthy 2day Wednesdays and

 Simple Lives Thursday!