Larsen Poultry Ranch - homesteading journey

[Baymule]

I’ve had a jar of Ridgetop apricot jam—it was to die for!!

 

[Ridgetop]

Thank you, apricot anything is yummy. For the best fruit you have to have a tree though, the ones you get in the market are picked too green and have limited flavor. Ripe apricots do not travel well.

@Larsen - Using Sure-Jel you can be sure of your efforts right away though. Another fun and easy canning food is pickles. You use the water bath method just like jam and jelly. Easier to start with than pressure canning and make really fun gifts. You can make bread and butter pickles with zucchini, yellow squash, and red bell peppers and it is a lovely colorful jar of Yummy! Once you get started you can experiment with flavors. Have fun!

 

[SageHill]

Oh and don't forget the zucchini --- I've got recipes for zucchini marmalade (very yummy and easy, you don't have to say what the main ingredient is just "surprise marmalade" ) and zucchini relish - yumm. Both are easy peasy to make.

 

[Ridgetop]

And zucchini cake! Easy to make - my kids made it and now grandchildren are making it themselves. It freezes beautifully so if planning an event, you can make several in advance and freeze. Always a crowd pleaser! I grate and freeze extra zucchini in the measurements for the recipe so I have it on hand.

 

[Bruce]

Ripe apricots do not travel well.

Neither do ripe avocados which is why they are picked too early. I often wonder what some fruits and vegetables taste like if you get them locally compared to the commercially packed and shipped ones. Having grown up in So Cal with a massive avocado in the neighbors' yard overhanging our back fence about 15' I can tell you what we get in the grocery stores here will never compare to one that came off that tree with a gentle tug. They still need some "on the counter ripening" but the flavor and texture is not at all the same.

 

[SageHill]

Neither do ripe avocados which is why they are picked too early. I often wonder what some fruits and vegetables taste like if you get them locally compared to the commercially packed and shipped ones. Having grown up in So Cal with a massive avocado in the neighbors' yard overhanging our back fence about 15' I can tell you what we get in the grocery stores here will never compare to one that came off that tree with a gentle tug. They still need some "on the counter ripening" but the flavor and texture is not at all the same.

EXACTLY !!! The ones that come off the tree with a gently tug (or push of the thumb on the stem) are so good (even with the 7-10 days before they are ready). Then there are the varieties that don't ship / store well like the Reed (drool). LOL - while we have ~60 trees that are survivors, we've got 700ft of property line along a grove that over hangs the fence - yum to a point. Yes, one can have too many!

 

[Mini Horses]

Oh, my the citrus in FL is like a totally different experience

Years back on west coast I bought tree reopened black cherries. Heavenly! Then we went to cross state line and asked about fruit. Told I couldn't take them across state line . Shocked!! We sat there while I ate them!

It's like vine ripe tomato from your garden.

 

[murphysranch]

I can attest that Papaya grown over in Asia is heaven's delight. I didn't really like Papaya until I ate one over there. Now I crave it but they don't taste good here.

 

[Larsen Poultry Ranch]

You all are making me hungry.

We had a giant avocado over the weekend, I am not sure what variety but it was twice the size of a regular avocado we get in stores. I say we but hubby made it into guacamole salsa and didn't share any; he said it was perfectly ripe. I saved the seed and am trying to start it. The avocado was $2.50, regular avocados are usually closer to $1 each depending on where you get them.

The sweet potatoes I had stored have started to grow, so I picked off the stems and put them into some water. I'm hoping they grow some roots so I can try growing sweet potatoes. Several of the onions are sprouting too.

 

[SageHill]

You all are making me hungry.

We had a giant avocado over the weekend, I am not sure what variety but it was twice the size of a regular avocado we get in stores. I say we but hubby made it into guacamole salsa and didn't share any; he said it was perfectly ripe. I saved the seed and am trying to start it. The avocado was $2.50, regular avocados are usually closer to $1 each depending on where you get them.

The sweet potatoes I had stored have started to grow, so I picked off the stems and put them into some water. I'm hoping they grow some roots so I can try growing sweet potatoes. Several of the onions are sprouting too.

Ohhh that sounds like a Reed avocado - THE BEST!!! YUM