I cannot tell you how many times I’ve had the “one-and-done” conversation with people who are rightly concerned about investing in long term food storage but don’t want to be inconvenienced by it.
Being compelled enough to invest money into food storage, buying a bunch of it all at one time, and then (having their conscience soothed), put it away and forget about it. Their thinking is that they have done their due diligence, with minimal inconvenience and now can get on with life giving no more thought to it.
The first time I heard this philosophy was a friend many years ago. They had learned of a new brand of food being sold locally, that had a very long shelf life. It was kinda pricey but the shelf life was attractive. They bought a year’s supply for their family of four, stacked it into a corner of their basement, and brushed off their hands so-to-speak. They were more than content with this marvelous plan; they had their food storage and didn’t have their life complicated with having to eat it. Simple. I admit, the idea was a little unsettling to me; it didn’t seem that life could really be that easy. Fast forward a couple decades. My friend had passed away of cancer. Their children had grown up. Her husband had remarried and moved to a different city. He called me one day. They’d had a house fire! All was lost including their long term food storage, which he had carried with him ten years before. Insurance had provided the money to replace it and he wanted to do exactly the same thing they’d done before.
1. USE IT
The reason he called me? Because he knew that at the time I sold Thrive Life foods, a relatively new brand of freeze dried food. “Just give me a reasonably varied assortment of food like I had before.” he said. He had no intention of ‘wasting’ it by eating it. It was intended as 100% food insurance, to be packed away again. We talked about the fact that most of the food he had depended on to ease his conscience for so long, was well over 20 years old, and not all of it was freeze dried, meaning it didn’t have the 25 year shelf life he thought it did. We talked about what he’d had previously – including milk and eggs (neither of which at the time he bought it, claimed to have the 25 year shelf life he believed everything had). As a friend, my counsel was to USE some of the food he was buying for two very important reasons: 1) to KNOW what one had, and 2) to know HOW to use it. Long term food storage is not the same as buying perishable food from the grocery store. It requires a little different ‘thinking’ to get used to it. He was adamant about “not bothering with all that”. What he had done two decades ago was conscience soothing and he wanted more of that.
We came up with a reasonable selection, and it was sent to him – which he stacked in a corner somewhere to never think about again.
His details involving the house fire may have been unique, but his philosophy was not. I have had that same conversation with many people over the years.
them: “Oh freeze dried food! I have a ton of that in my basement.” me: “Great. How do you like it?” them: “Oh, I have no idea; I’ve never used it.” me: “Why not?” them: “Because its FOOD STORAGE! And besides, I haven’t got a clue what to do with it.” me: “How long have you had it?” them: “We got it the year after we were married.” me: “How long have you been married?” them: “37 years.” me: “Wow. You know its 12 years past its expiry right? You don’t have milk and eggs in there do you? them: “Yes.” me: “Well, I know the food you’re talking about, and the shelf life of milk used to be 5 years, and eggs was 3 years. Those are over 30 years past their expiry date. You might wanna dispose of them. . . . . I wouldn’t even open them if I were you, just throw them out. . . . . So, . . . just curious, when were you planning to figure out how to use this food anyway?”
I have another friend who had pretty much the same idea. She had a lotta long-term-food-storage that she’d never had any intention of using, but a few years ago it became alarmingly evident to her that it was waaaay past its prime. She doesn’t want to waste it, (and waste all the money she spent on it), she wanted to learn how to use it. She had no recollection of how long she’d had the food (decades she admits), and there was no date on the cans. Apparently the labeling laws have changed since then.
My counsel? To USE it of course. I promised to come over and show her how to use them. We opened up her first can – broccoli. It was absolutely indistinguishable. Looking nothing like broccoli should, and smelling terrible. Nothing anyone would want to eat. “What can I do with it?” she asked. “Throw it in the compost.” was my suggestion. We opened a can of spinach with similar results.
On the left is dehydrated spinach that was deliberately left on the shelf waiting for some emergency that would justify opening it. No one could remember how old it was, and the owner mistakenly believed it was freeze dried when in actual fact it was dehydrated (with a much shorter shelf life). This is what happens when you don’t USE the food you store. The result was a lot of wasted food, and a total waste of the money spent to acquire it. The spinach on the right is a 7 year old can recently opened. It is what freeze dried spinach SHOULD look like today, tomorrow, next year and 17 years from now.
To be fair, the food we opened was much older than it was ever intended to be. It is not the manufacturer’s fault that the food was not used when it should have been. It is the result of faulty “save-and-protect” reasoning. But on the other hand, from the beginning she never knew what she had, what it looked like, or how to use it anyway. Ironically that scarcity mentality intended to not ‘waste’ food by using it, resulted in ultimate waste. Wasted food is wasted dollars. It’s simple math.
I well remember that same brand of freeze dried food when it was a new thing, trying to wrap my mind around the concept of it and trying to justify the cost. I bought some, used it, didn’t see the value at the time, nor the point. As the science of freeze drying got better over the ensuing years, the food got better, and the nutrition got better.
2. FIND THE BEST
In 2009, when I first started buying Thrive Life (the brand I finally settled on after trying several on the market), their guarantee was that the produce went from field to freezer in less than 24 hours. I was impressed with that. By the time I put that into print, the company corrected me – their guarantee was now less than 12 hours. “Can’t get better than that” I thought. Produce picked ripe, washed, peeled, chopped and into the freezer in less than 12 hours? Incredible. “Can’t get better than that” I told people. Wait! In another year, they raised the bar again. Produce picked at perfection when all nature’s goodness was at its height, and then washed, peeled, sliced and into the freezer in less than 6 hours! (usually 2 to 4 hours). Amazing. NOW with a pretty good degree of confidence I can be sure “it really canNOT get better than that!”
In summer months my household eats directly from my backyard garden. I am hard pressed to get produce from my garden to the table in four hours! Truly it cannot get better than two to four hours.
What does that mean to you and me? Why is that such a big deal?
Because all fruits and vegetables begin to deteriorate within the first hour after harvest. That’s why. They begin the process of deteriorating in colour, texture and nutritional value immediately. To pick a fruit before its fully developed is to start out with a handicap. Thrive Life has a commitment to excellence that forbids picking produce before its ripe. Then its a race against the clock. That produce is washed, peeled (if needed), sliced or chopped and flash frozen to -40C within four hours! In that frozen state the food is transferred to a facility where all the remaining moisture is removed in the second step of the two step process of “freeze-drying”.
When spinach or broccoli or mangoes or strawberries or whatever, goes into that BPA free can at the end, it is more nutritious than those same ‘fresh’ fruits we buy in the produce department of our local grocery stores – that in nearly all cases were picked before they were ripe, and have been shipped a thousand+ miles to ripen on the supermarket shelves sometime in the following week or two. Without any moisture, that food is sealed in an oxygen free can, giving it an exceptionally long shelf life. Zero moisture + zero oxygen = zero decomposition. So when I open a can of peaches that was packed 7 years ago, it is as nutritionally sound as it was the day it was sealed. If I open that can another 7 years from now, it is still the same. THAT is what we’re talking about. And that’s why timing is such a big deal.
“freeze drying food is not rocket science”
3. Benefits of using freeze dried food NOW
FAMILIARITY Becoming familiar with freeze dried food while our lives are comfortable and predicable is so important. Sometimes people fool themselves into believing they’ll use it when they have to, but a crises is not the time to start experimenting with foundational necessities like meals. There are bound to be some differences between what you’re using now and freeze dried food. Familiarity brings confidence, and confidence removes fear. When we are prepared, there is no fear.
KNOWLEDGE With familiarity comes knowledge and skill, opening a whole new world of possibilities. Learning how to use freeze dried food will make meal preparation a lot quicker and easier. Those fruits and vegetables are already washed and chopped, ready to eat straight out of the can, or to throw into your soup, casserole, omelette or stir fries. The cheese is already shredded, the meats are already cooked – ready to refresh and add to your meal. You’d be surprised at how streamlined your meals become. You can have dinner on the table in minutes.
ZERO WASTE Not only will you reduce the waste of produce in the fridge going bad before you can get to it, and the waste of trimming a good portion of your broccoli, cauliflower and peppers etc, but you will eliminate the waste of those cans of food timing out. Think of the waste that my friend experienced having to throw out most of her ‘shelf stable’ canned food. My other friend who replaced it all after the fire – he would have had to replace it all anyway, fire or no fire – because most of it was long expired before the fire.
When you regularly USE your food storage, it replaces perishable groceries that would other wise go into the trash. The North American average for household kitchen waste is up to 40%. That’s an incredible figure to wrap your mind around. If you’re the average North American consumer, up to 40% of the food you buy is going into the garbage! What if you could reduce that waste? How much money would YOU save in a month, in a year? Take a minute (knowing your monthly food budget), and use some simple math to roughly calculate what that might look like to you. Imagine what you could do with an extra $3000 or $4000 a year! You could probably have your food storage built up in a very short time for one thing.
CONVENIENCE One of the things we will depend on in any emergency is having food that will be convenient to prepare with fewer resources than we’re currently accustomed to. Knowing what that food is and what kind of variety is available ahead of time is helpful. Also knowing what your family prefers and doesn’t prefer ahead of time is pretty helpful too. You don’t want to learn that when its too late.
4. SCARCITY vs ABUNDANCE
A can of dehydrated cabbage, about twenty years past its expiration. This is the kind of thing that never should have happened.
A scarcity mindset is a way of thinking that focuses on the idea that there is a limited supply; one becomes obsessed with protecting it. Its a trap many of us fall into when it comes to food storage: “This is food storage. It must be protected.” But we’ve already seen where that thinking leads, and its a slippery slope. When the supply is not being replenished, protection mode kicks in. So what is the antidote?
Rotation. Rotation is a “1st in-1st out” mindset. It is continuously using and replacing. It is treating your food storage like groceries and your groceries like food storage. It is the philosophy you’ve heard me repeat many times if you’ve read anything I’ve ever written on the subject: Store what you EAT, and Eat what you STORE.
If you are constantly adding to your food supply every time you buy groceries, and constantly eating from it, then replacing it, you are ROTATING. This keeps everything fresh and updated, saving you money and providing peace of mind. Your food storage becomes an organic thing with a pulse, not an inorganic box of dead food that nobody wants that cost you too much money. Consider a different perspective.
5. CHANGE THE WAY YOU LOOK AT IT
When you change the way you look at it, everything about it changes. The missing link between the SCARCITY mindset and the ABUNDANCE mindset is ROTATION. Rotation of “using and replacing” helps us regain control, and allows us to see abundance instead of scarcity. Change the way you’re looking at things.
I truly believe that when we are prepared, there is no fear. It is a personal mission of mine to help people gain the freedom and peace of mind that BEING PREPARED offers. And that includes FOOD STORAGE. Part of that is to help people stop wasting the food they purchased and are currently purchasing, and to help people acquire their food storage in the best possible way, getting the best prices and benefits in the process.
This is a course of action I have followed my entire adult life; it is very important to me. In the process, I discovered Thrive Life freeze dried food in 2008, and by the beginning of 2009, I brought it into our family bookstore – Generations Bookstore in Edmonton, Alberta. One of our major sidelines was food storage and emergency preparedness so it was a perfect fit. Since that time, we sold the store, but I kept Thrive Life with me as a personal consultant. I believe it is the best brand on the market today for high quality freeze dried food, and I am committed to helping people benefit in the same way I do from it.
In our house I’ve put it to the test. We’ve used it almost daily since those early years, and I know of which I speak.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on food storage and all things related. I welcome any questions you might have about Thrive Life specifically. Who knows? You might even want to become a consultant yourself.
I don’t know who had the bright idea of making zucchini into a cake, but they must have had a few get away from them. I think we can all relate, and I’m sure everyone has their favourite recipe. This one may have become my favourite this year, this month, this week! It is rich and delectably CHOCOLATE; light (from the eggs and leavening) and moist (from the zucchini). The perfect combination of everything.
You don’t have to be a visionary to know that THIS
can be THIS:
but it does require a little bit of previous experience because they don’t look like they should belong together. *Don’t waste small zucchini by making them into dessert, eat those fresh out of hand, in a salad or grilled with a little bit of parmesan on them. Baking is reserved for the ones that get too big.
Double Rich Chocolate Zucchini Cake
Begin by peeling your (too big) zucchini, then cut into manageable pieces and shred. Measure out 4 cups shredded zucchini and set aside. If you only have 3 cups go for it anyway, but don’t use more than 4 cups – there’s such thing as too much of a good thing. Preheat your oven to 350 F. Lightly butter a 9×13 pan or two loaf pans. I also add a sheet of parchment paper to the bottom.
Sift together in a large mixing bowl the following: 2 cups flour 1 cup cocoa (I know it seems like a lot, trust me – its okay) 1 scant teaspoon baking soda 1 heaping teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon salt Ensure all are thoroughly blended.
In another bowl, beat together: 5 eggs Add 1 cup white sugar 1/2 cup brown sugar and mix well. Add 1/2 cup plain yogurt (or sour cream) 1 Tablespoon vanilla 1/2 cup vegetable oil Mix well.
Pour liquid ingredients into dry ingredients. And mix by hand to make sure all flour is moistened. Add shredded zucchini and stir to combine.
Add 1 + 1/2 cup REAL chocolate chips and stir in. I also add sunflower seeds (I can’t help it).
Pour into your prepared pans. I use a 9×13 glass baking dish. * optional: Sprinkle another 1/2 cup REAL chocolate chips over top.
Place on the middle rack of your oven. Set the timer for 20 minutes, then turn your cake or loaf pans around and bake for another 20 minutes. Check again and gently touch the middle of your cake. If it feels firm and bounces back a little, then test with a toothpick for doneness. If the toothpick comes out clean then remove from the oven and let it cool in the pan on a rack. Don’t rush it. Let it bake for a little longer if needed. Check every five minutes. The loaf pans will take longer because they’re deeper. Don’t under cook, but don’t over cook either. Once its firm to the touch, be sure to test with a toothpick.
Good Ol’ Fashioned Zucchini Cake with Raisins
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F Sift together and set aside: 2 cups flour 1T cinnamon 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder
beat 3 large eggs add 1 cup sugar 1 cup oil 1 teaspoon vanilla mix well.
Add 2 cups shredded zucchini and mix to thoroughly combine Add sifted dry ingredients and stir to combine. Fold in 1/2 cup raisins
Pour batter into buttered 9×13 baking pan and place in middle of hot oven. Bake 40-45 minutes or until centre bounces back when lightly pressed. Insert toothpick as a final check. When it comes out clean, cake is done. Remove from heat and allow to cool in pan.
If you decide to frost it, make a wonderful cream cheese icing with 8 ounces cream cheese – beat till smooth with hand mixer slowly add 2 cups icing sugar beating all along to avoid lumps. Add a tablespoon of yogurt, sour cream or milk if needed to keep the icing from being too dry. Spread over cake after its fully cooled. Serve in cake pan.
Enjoy!
Which one is better? I am partial to the plain zucchini cake with raisins; it tastes like Sunday dinner dessert should. But the chocolate is extra special, so you have to have both in your life for different times.
Right off the bat, let’s dispel a few common misconceptions that I observe over and over.
Myth: Harvest is at the end of summer. Sometimes new gardeners have the idea that gardening is like a sandwich. They expect to plant in the spring and harvest in the fall. Truth: If you’ve gardened for awhile, you know the truth is very different. Aside from the near daily attention of watering and weeding, you can begin eating out of your garden within the first few weeks after planting (in garden talk that’s almost immediately), and throughout the growing season. Harvest is an ongoing processall season long. That means you’re picking and eating, but also picking and dehydrating, canning and freezing what cannot be consumed right away.
Yes, there will be things you’ll be harvesting at summer’s end – like winter squash, root vegetables, plums and apples, but that doesn’t take into consideration all the other fruits and vegetables (especially garden greens) that you’ll miss if you wait.
Myth: Fresh food from the grocery store is the BEST option nutritionally. Truth: The word “fresh” has been stretched to mean all sorts of things. The produce in the grocery stores would be best defined as ‘perishable’. In many cases, it takes a week or more before it arrives on our grocery store shelves, and this after being picked before its ripe. Since all food begins deteriorating within the hour its harvested, having it be two weeks from harvest before we BUY it, is a problem. Sometimes, preserved food might actually be more nutritious than the older perishable food in the produce department. Open your mind to some new considerations.
Myth: Storing food will make it last indefinitely. Truth: All storage methods have limits that are shorter than we are tempted to assume. Be reasonable. Nothing STOPS food spoilage, but certain methods of preserving slow it down considerably. It’s food! Its not indestructible. Nutrition is optimum the fresher it is of course, and at the beginning of storing, best used within a certain time frame.
Generally this is what you can expect:
Canned food – commercially canned or home bottled food has a recommended shelf life of 18 months to 2 years. Two years is the time frame I try to work within. Nutritional value is approximately 40% of whatever that food was the hour it went into the bottle. That nutritional value decreases as it ages, so yes, we may all know someone who has bottled peaches from 2018 on their shelf, but the nutritional value is so poor . . . . Just EAT the doggone thing or give it to the chickens! Get it over with! What are you waiting for?
Frozen fruits and vegetables if prepared properly have a recommended shelf life of 4 months to a year. For me, I use a year as my benchmark. Nutritional value is approximately 60% of whatever the food was the hour it went into the freezer. The key is to have it in the freezer as close to harvest time as possible. Don’t forget about it in there.
Dehydrated foods have a Potential Shelf Life of – 1 year for fruits, 6 months for vegetables, 1-2 months for meat (6 months if vacuum sealed. I say potential because there are so many factors to consider when dehydrating at home. How long between picking time and the dehydrator? Did you remove all the moisture? Are you certain? How are you storing it? Best practise is to store in coolish room temperatures (no less than 40 F / 5 C and no higher than 70 F / 20 C), out of direct light. Nutritional value is approximately 80%; again the key is prompt processing.
– Freeze dried foods has an extraordinary shelf life of 25 years if done properly. Freeze drying is a gentler process preserving and protecting the food value. Nutritional value could be over 90%. See below for more information.
One of your greatest resources when learning how to preserve the food you grow (or acquire) is other people. Everyone has an idea you’ve never tried before. Don’t be stuck in the way you’ve always done things, just because that’s how you always have. Be open minded and willing to LEARN, willing to try new things and share your successes and failures. Be wise and pay attention to details.
an important side trip . . . . .
Botulism! is nothing to trifle with.
What is it? Botulism is a rare but serious condition caused by a toxin that attacks the body’s nerves. It can cause life-threatening symptoms. All forms of botulism can be fatal and are considered medical emergencies, but for our purposes here, we’re only concerned about Foodborne botulism. The harmful bacteria thrive and make the toxin in environments with little oxygen, such as in canned food. There. I said it. The growth of the bacterial toxin responsible for botulism thrives in low oxygen and low acid environments. This happens most often in preserved foods and in inadequately processed home-canned or home-bottled foods. Freezing does not kill botulism and neither does boiling.
Strict adherence to cleanliness, and ensuring that proper canning methods are used when home preserving is more important than we might suspect. Fruits and vegetables should be washed thoroughly before using. Glass jars should be cleaned with hot soapy water, rinsed with hot water and kept clean till used. It is not necessary to sterilize jars if they will be processed in a hot water bath for at least 10 minutes.
Only high acid foods like some fruits and in some cases pickled vegetables, should be canned in a hot water bath canner. All other foods: vegetables, legumes, meat and fish should be processed in a pressure canner under recommended pressure. Don’t guess about the pressure or the timing, use a guide. Why pressure? Because under pressure a higher temperature can be reached than simply by boiling.
EATING “IN THE SEASON”
Years ago (for nutritional reasons), I decided to focus our eating IN THE SEASON, preserving the EXCESS of what we could use immediately. Consequently, we eat primarily out of our garden from the beginning of May through the end of September. Other than the watermelon we buy constantly throughout the summer, 90% of our fresh produce comes from the garden. Like everyone else, I still like summer fruits we cannot grow in our climate: peaches, nectarines, citrus, and blackberries – when all those fruits are at their best. Lucky for me, I live in a place where I have the best of both worlds.
Every growing season will be different; not every vegetable will do great every year. Some years are going to be great tomato years, some will be better green crop years. It is important to diversify what we grow to give us the best variety and chances for success. For instance, this growing season (summer of 2024) was the perfect lesson for why diversification is a good idea. It threw some unexpected curve balls at us: April was cold, May was cold and excessively windy, even June was cold and very windy. (Just for fun, I checked some weather history in Edmonton, and in May 2024 we had 8 sunny days!) I was still planting my garden in the middle of June – a full month later than than I ever have before. But then the weather was perfect for weeks at a time. By mid July things most things had caught up. Who knew?
April, May and June this year was perfect spinach weather, but unfortunately for me, and uncharacteristically, I hadn’t planted any. Boo.
What is ready in my yard (and probably your yard too) in May? * Early greens like spinach if you got it planted early enough (the previous August is a good time). * Volunteer Greens: Lambs Quarters – a common garden edible weed that is very much like spinach in many ways. Dandelion leaves – open your mind. When they’re very young, dandelion greens are nice added to a salad. Giant hyssop is an edible native plant that comes up early. Chickweed (yes, another common garden edible weed) that springs to life as soon as the ground warms up. * Sorrel, one of the earliest garden greens. * Rhubarb is at its best at the beginning of the season. * Chives, Garlic Chives and Welsh Onions are up and big enough to start picking for meals.
What is ready in my yard (and probably your yard too) in June? * All your herbs. * More early greens. * Early strawberries. * Hascaps are the first fruits of the season – usually ready before the middle of the month. * Rhubarb is full on and at its best in June.
By the first of July, you should be eating something from your garden every day. Peas, beans, more greens including Asian greens, kale, the first cucumbers, every kind of herb, and the first tomatoes, zucchini and onions.
Very soon the excitement of first ripening turns into mass ripeness – all ready to harvest at the same time. Zucchini that gets so big you can use it for a piece of furniture, or it sits on the counter for several days before you use it; kale that grows bigger by the hour; more salad than anyone can enjoy, and more basil wrapped tomatoes than you can put on any table. Who has time to do take-out in the summer? And why would you? There is so much to eat everyday right in your garden.
Part of the beauty of summer is the healthful benefits of eating in-the-season. There is nothing like fresh sour cherries or royal plums from the tree, or those first crisp apples! But don’t miss the more subtle offerings: parsley that is ready all summer long – wanting to be dehydrated for use all winter, the kale we can literally pick every day and it never stops producing. Gardeners have carefully tended our food plants since the weather warmed up, so be open to all the ways its giving back to us. In some cases the more we pick, the more will keep coming. When we let vegetables like peas, beans and cucumbers stay on the plant longer than needful, they start to over ripen in an effort to produce viable seed, signaling the plant that producing time is over. We sabotage our quality and quantity by not constantly harvesting.
Picking cucumbers every few days as they ripen will keep the plant producing. You’ll have some to enjoy today, some to give away, and some to put up for winter for several weeks. Same with tomatoes: freshly sliced on toasted sourdough, in your green salad of course, fresh bruschetta on fresh sourdough, fresh salsa, roasted pasta sauce, – enough to share and enough to put up for winter.
STORE WHAT YOU EAT AND EAT WHAT YOU STORE
Preserving means no waste, and extending the season – but never at the expense of eating IN the season. We really can have plenty of both. And there are several different ways to preserve, some more suitable than others, each with it’s own advantages, disadvantages and optimum shelf life. Not all methods are suitable for all produce. Be open minded and employ a variety of methods to take advantage of the best options. When you eat what you store, you will have greater success in keeping your food properly rotated.
When harvesting, be GENTLE. All fruits and vegetables are easily bruised and damaged which will affect how long they will last. Use injured produce immediately, and the less severely injured ones as soon as possible. Go through your stored vegetables frequently, discarding all that are showing signs of spoilage.
COLD STORAGE Choose the coolest area in your house or garage that is clean with no risk of freezing. Do everything you can to keep it cool: lowest level if you’ve got a basement, no windows, outside walls if possible, no carpet, no heating vents, dark. Vegetables like potatoes and onions will last for months, beets for a couple weeks at best. If you have a very cold room, you may even be able to keep carrots packed in CLEAN sand for an additional month or two, and possibly even cabbage short term if its cool enough. It is a temporary short term storage method, extending the season another month or two – the key being to EAT it, don’t leave it there for months. Rotation is important. Most modern homes are not built for cold storage.
REFRIGERATION Room is always an issue in any fridge and over packing your fridge reduces its effectiveness to keep everything at a consistently cold enough but not too cold temperature. Additional fridges are additional costs involved in running them. It is an excellent, though temporary, short term storage method. Count your time in weeks at best. Eat your food storage to keep it rotated.
FREEZING Again room is an issue, and leaving foods too long in the freezer is a common problem. Rotate your frozen food, first-in first-out. Short to medium short term storage when properly prepared, packed and labeled.
CANNING Two methods of canning: hot water bath using boiling water reaching 212 degrees F, and pressure canner which uses steam and pressure to reach 250 degrees F. When hot water bath canning fruits and tomatoes, I always add lemon juice or vinegar – depending on the flavour its going to give the fruit. To a quart its recommended to add 2 Tablespoons lemon juice or 4 Tablespoons (1/4 cup) vinegar.
JAMS, JELLIES AND SYRUPS I always can these lovelies in a hot water process. It is possible to freeze jams but I choose not. Freezing always seems to require more sugar, and freezer space is a premium in my house.
DEHYDRATING is one of the oldest ways to preserve foods, keeping them safe to eat and maintaining reasonable nutrition. Estimates are that up to 80% of original food value is preserved. Times to dehydrate range from 1-2 hours to 24+ hours, depending on what you’re drying. Pay particular attention to ensure there is no remaining moisture in individual pieces.
Do NOT dehydrate high fat foods such as avocados, olives or nut butters, or dairy as the risk of food poisoning is too high. I personally do not dehydrate any kind of protein either.
For optimum storage keep in a cool, dry, dark place at temperatures below 60 degrees F or 15 degrees C. Dried foods should be good for up to 12 months depending on storage conditions. Vacuum sealing dehydrated fruits, vegetables and herbs will extend the shelf life for up to 10 years. The vacuum seal prevents oxygen from entering.
PICKLING OR FERMENTING While I have pickled various vegetables over the year: cucumbers, beets and carrots, it seems our family are not big pickle fans so I haven’t kept it up.
We are however, big SAUERKRAUT fans. I like to make a batch of sauerkraut in the late fall – November for the winter.
FREEZE DRYING Freeze drying is a relatively new option in home preserving. Commercially, its been on the market for 40+ years, but a little hard to find. Since the year 2000 its been increasingly more available. The process is two step: 1) Freeze, and 2) remove all remaining moisture WITHOUT thawing. The key to the highest nutritional quality is – how fast can you get it from field to freezer? and how fast can you freeze it? When freeze drying at home, you must have sufficient freezer space to freeze your food in a flat surface layer so that once frozen, the food can be transferred the freeze dryer. Everything will take different times, but to give you an idea of what to expect, blueberries will take approximately 30 hours – up to 40 hours to completely dry. Because blueberries (and other berries like them) have a protective skin on them, each berry must be punctured. If you don’t do that, the outer skin will dry, sealing in the moisture – exactly what you don’t want! Once they’re completely finished it is imperative that you get them sealed in an oxygen free storage container as soon as possible because they will absorb moisture from the air.
Commercially, the process is the same – 1) Freeze, and 2) remove all remaining moisture without thawing through a vacuum like process called sublimation. There are many companies that freeze dry, and I have noticed that not all are the same in their commitment to quality. Again, like for home freeze drying, the key to quality is – how fast can you get it from filed to freezer? and how fast can you freeze it? I have tried many different brands and finally settled on THRIVE LIFE as my brand of choice. There are several reasons for this – all of them relating to their unwavering commitment to quality.
1. They have a list of over 40 items that must be complied with in order to be what they call “Nutrilock” guaranteed. And nothing has their name on it without that symbol.
2. One of the steps in the Nutrilock promise is to Flash Freeze. Typically the time limit is 2 – 4 hours between harvest to frozen. This means that inside of 4 hours, the produce has been picked, washed, chopped, and flash frozen to -40C, sealing in as much nutritional value as possible. I cannot help but consider my own backyard garden: I am hard pressed to get produce out of my garden and ON my own table within four hours! This single assurance bytheway, is very important to me. One of the primary reasons I choose to purchase my freeze dried food rather than freeze dry my own.
I have reflected on this many times over the years, and have several friends who have taken the step into freeze drying their own food. I’d be lying if I said I haven’t considered and even been tempted to buy a freeze dryer. It is cohesive with the way I do things. But the thing that holds me back from this very expensive system, is the fact that I do not believe I can do better or provide a better end product than what I can buy. In all other methods of preserving, I believe I can provide a cleaner and more nutritious end product: canning, freezing and dehydrating. But not when it comes to freeze drying.
Another factor in my decision, is that I cannot provide the variety on my own. And if I do, it will not be as fresh as I require. Thrive Life ensures that all produce is picked at the peak of ripeness – nutritional perfection. They can do this, because of their ability to flash freeze so quickly. For instance, their bananas are picked ripe – every other banana destined for a North American market is picked green).
Once Thrive Life produce is frozen, it is transferred to a facility where it goes into the freeze dryers removing all remaining moisture without thawing – again minimizing loss. That is why it retains its beautiful colour, shape and nutritional value. It comes out of the driers at ZERO moisture and are immediately sealed in cans. Oxygen free + moisture free = no way to decompose, hence an exceptionally long shelf life.
A late summer favourite in our house, we look forward to the apples. Usually coinciding with the beginning of back-to-school time, our apples are ready, and we begin juicing. September smells like apple juice in our house. If the apples are nice then we make a few apple pies to eat and freeze, apple muffins, apple cookies, apples in our salads, apple sauce, apple fruit leather . . . there is no end to the versatility of apples. If your apples are more tart, its not necessary to add lemon juice, but if they’re more sweet, you might want to add 1 T to a pint (500 ml), 2 T to a quart (1 L).
Canning: Yes! As apple wedges as if for pie filling, apple sauce and apple juice. Freezing: Yes! Also cut up as if for pie filling, apple sauce and juice Dehydrating: Yes! Sliced reasonably thinly in wedges or rings.
Canning: not really suitable Freezing: yes Pickling: yes
Beans – green or yellow or purple
Canning: Yes – under pressure. This is my sister’s family’s favourite winter vegetable; consequently she cans dozens of jars every summer. Cooked beans are not a favourite in our house, so I have never canned them. Freezing: Yes. Freeze in whatever meal amount suits your family best. I blanch for two or three minutes then seal into small freezer bags, label and freeze. I find this better suited for our family so that those few of us who like them can enjoy without cooking up to much at a time. Pickling: Yes. Several different types of pickled beans – open your mind and seek out recipes that appeal to you. Dehydrating: No. Texture not good.
Beets can be picked pretty much all July and August as you thin out your rows.
Thinning will allow more room for the beets to grow bigger, and they can be left in the garden till cold weather forces your hand.
Beets are best stored unwashed but with excess soil brushed away, in a ‘cold’ dark place – a cold room or the fridge. Unlike onions and potatoes they can be stored in large food grade plastic bags, but are not suitable to long term shelf life in a cold room. Best place is the fridge. For longer storage, either can, freeze or pickle.
Every year, I look forward to BORSCH, the traditional Eastern European later summer soup, and a national dish in Ukraine.2 click HERE to read my post on Borsch including recipe
Canning: Can in pint or quart jars – because they are a low acid food they must be processed in a pressure canner. Don’t have a pressure canner? Consider pickling them. This you can process with a hot water bath canner. For maximum nutrition, plan to use within 18 months – 2 years.
Freezing: Beets can be frozen with good results. Cook them first. I prefer roasting covered in a hot oven (400 degrees). Keep 1/2 inch or more of their bottom stem to minimize colour bleed, ensuring they stay to their beautiful deep colour. I use a roasting pan, or a casserole dish or even just tin foil – depending on how many you’re doing. Keep them covered. They’ll cook in their own moisture. Or you can boil: cover with water allowing plenty of room in your pot so it doesn’t boil over (big mess). Roasting or boiling, when tender to the fork remove from heat, cool and remove the peel – it will slip off easily in your hands. Slice, cube or grate and package them into freezer bags or containers. Label and freeze. Plan to use before next season for best results.
Pickling: yes Dehydrating: Don’t. You won’t like them. It’s a texture thing.
Berries and Cherries
Canning: Yes – its my suggestion to add 1 T lemon juice to a pint (500 ml) or 2 T to a quart (1 L). Freezing: Yes Dehydrating: Yes Jams: Yes Vinegars: Yes
Carrots can be stored in a high humidity COLD storage room.
Gently wash and trim the tops to within a 1/2 inch, and thoroughly dry before storing. Store only whole, unblemished carrots; refrigeration is highly recommended. Place in large plastic, food grade bags with several breathing holes punched through. Line the bag with a layer of paper towel to absorb excess moisture. Check carrots every few weeks to ensure they’re not drying out, but are also not too wet (I know – sigh). If the paper towels get very wet, replace them. Canning: Carrots can be bottles and processed in a pressure canner. As with beets, if you don’t have one, consider pickling. Freezing: Don’t. That’s all I have to say about that.
Pickling : Yes Dehydrating: yes, but they’re not great and you’ll be tempted to dry way too many than you can use in a reasonable length of time.
Cabbage
Canning: I never have and have no comment Freezing: We often freeze cabbage in the original head, to break down the texture to be better able to make cabbage rolls. Fermenting Cabbage : Sauerkraut. A definite YES!3 Dehydrating: doesn’t sound good to me
to read more about sauerkraut, including how to make it, click HERE
Corn
Corn is best eaten the day it is picked. If needed to pick in advantage, keep as cool as possible and make every effort to use as soon as possible. Suggestion: submerge cobs in ice water right after harvesting, drain and refrigerate with husks on. If the husks have been removed, store in plastic bags, for a few days in the fridge.
Canning: I have canned excess corn before, under pressure in the Pressure Canner. Freezing: My preferred way to store corn. Once the corn is cooked, (we prefer to grill it on the BBQ), we cut the kernels off with a sharp knife. I gather the kernels in a plastic tub. and gently tossed the corn with me hands. Then I pack in serving sized freezer bags. . Pickling: I’ve seen corn used in salsas which are canned, as well as relishes. Personally, I would pressure can these.
Cucumbers
Canning: nope, not unless you’re canning your pickles Freezing: nope Pickling or Fermenting: A definite YES for pickling. Dehydrating: doesn’t sound good Freeze Drying: in small pieces the results are excellent. When home freeze drying I find they don’t stay crisp. It’s tempting to freeze dry in slices, but it seems to work a lot better in dices.
Garlic – as with onions, you can use garlic immediately from the garden,
but for long term storing, as with onions again, it should be cured. Remove all excess dirt and tie in bundles of about 10-12 heads, hang upside down out of the way and out of the sun. Must be cured – as with onions – it is ready to prep and store when it is dry, brown and crispy. Any remaining moisture will promote spoilage down the road.
With scissors cut off the stock, leaving about a 1 inch piece and also remove the root close to the surface. Small paper bags left open at top are perfectly suited for storing garlic in dry dark cold room. Dehydrating: I have never done it myself but I have several friends who do. Slice and dehydrate in a dehydrator. If you don’t have a dehydrator you can dry on a cookie sheet in your oven at the lowest temperature. If you cannot get your oven below 150 degrees, use a wooden spoon to prop your oven oven slightly. Check often to prevent scorching. Once it is thoroughly dry / crispy, powder in a food processer or coffee grinder. A blender will work but you’ll get a lot of powder. Let it settle before opening the lid.
Garlic Salt: My cousin brought me some garlic salt she made herself and now I am a total convert. So doing this myself when I run out. It’s a super simple process. You control the texture of your garlic salt, leave it chunky, coarse or fine – depends on your desired end use.
1 cup coarse kosher salt (non iodized – don’t use regular table salt) 12-15 cloves fresh garlic peeled. Process in food processer until garlic is finely chopped. Spread over parchment line baking sheet and bake 200 degrees till mixture completely dries out. Expect it to take 45-60 minutes.
Baking it makes it a little clumpy, so after its cooled, either crush it in a mortar and pestle or run through your food processer again, or throw it in your high powered blender if you want a finer texture.
Most of the herbs I grow get dehydrated for winter use. The exceptions are dill weed and chives. Dill weed is too delicate to dry – it loses all that makes it wonderful. So I chop it and freeze it, scraping out of its container with a fork while its still frozen and returning to the freezer immediately. Chives are also too delicate to dry – becoming ‘woody’ in my opinion, so I chop and freeze them too.
Small amounts of thin leafed herbs (basil, mint, oregano, parsley, tarragon, thyme) – dry on a clean towel on the table or counter. Larger amounts or thick leaves I put in the dehydrator.
Dandelion roots – I wash, chop and dry roast them in the oven. Store in glass jar away from direct light.
Dill– I am generally interested in the green weed. I pick when they’re green and lush throughout mid summer, swish in cool water then put in a salad spinner to take excess water off. Chop with a sharp knife on board and scrape into a freezer container. Label and seal. Freeze. To use, I simple scrape the chopped weed out of its container with a fork while its still frozen and return to the freezer immediately.
Horseradish – you can make horseradish sauce or freeze it in clumps. It will lose some of its pungency, so plan to use in 6 months. to read more about horse radish including recipes click HERE
Pesto – Pesto is one of my favourite summer traditions. I used to think it was synonymous with basil and at one time it was, but this is a brave new world we’re living in, and pesto can also come from parsley, radish greens, carrot greens, nasturtiums or any combination thereof, or any other flavour you want to preserve.
to learn more about pesto, including recipes click HERE. In the link are several different posts about different ways to make pesto using a variety of herbs. Be creative and have fun experimenting.
Kale
Canning: nope Freezing: I’ve heard it freezes well, but I’ve never frozen it. Freezer space is in short supply at our house. Dehydrating: This is my personal preference. Easy to do and easy to use later. Two to three hours in the dehydrator depending on how full your racks are, and then pack away in a glass jar. Label, and keep out of direct sunlight.
These jars are 2 quart size and you’d be amazed by how much dehydrated kale is in each of these jars. I use it throughout the winter in many dishes, just scooping out of the jar and adding it to soups, stews, chilies and sauces of all kinds.
Freeze drying: One of my favourite freeze dried vegetables. Currently a limited time item with Thrive Life, so keep your eye on it. When it comes back in, grab a few cans.
Onions can be used from the garden as needed all summer long
especially when the bulb starts to round out, but by late summer you’ll notice the tops begin to flop over, giving the signal that the plant has stopped growing. They’re ready to harvest.
To dig, carefully loosen the soil around your onions with a garden fork, then gently pull them up by their tops. Best to keep the full stem intact until fully dry. If the weather is dry with no danger of frost overnight, lay the plants out in the garden for a day or two to dry out. If the weather is not in your favour, move them to a protected area – perhaps the floor of the garage or a covered porch.
Curing onions is the term used to prepare them for long term storage, and is absolutely necessary. The outer layers dry out, tightening around the bulbs to effectively protect them, keeping the onion firm longer. Its a simple process: make sure they have plenty of air space for circulation – ideally outside but protected from the sun. Either hang or lay out. That’s it. You do you, but take care not to bump or bruise them. And don’t rush this process, drying takes TIME, and properly curing onions means you can enjoy the harvest all winter long. Taking shortcuts will prevent proper curing, and the onion bulbs will turn soft and mushy. Curing onions allows them to be stored at room temperature, so even a kitchen pantry would be sufficient if it was nice and dark.
*note: if you only have a few onions and you think you’ll use them up in a few weeks, don’t worry about curing. Go ahead and put them in your fridge.
Either hang or lay out, you do you, but don’t rush the process. Drying takes TIME
Onions are sufficiently cured when the necks are completely tight and dry and the stems contain no moisture. Use scissors to trim the roots to about 1/2 inch, and the leaves to about 1 inch. Like potatoes, onions should be kept cool and dark – with good air circulation. The same kind of containers are suitable. If the onions are exposed to light for any long stretches, they may sprout new green leaves. Use any onions that have been bruised or damaged first as they will not last as long.
Its tempting to store onions with potatoes because their needs are similar, but potatoes release moisture as they age which can encourage onions to develop soft spots, so keep a reasonable distance between them.
Not all onions are intended for long storage. Generally, the milder or (or sweeter) onions are intended for short term use. Stronger (or more pungent) flavoured onions may retain quality for up to a year if cured properly. These are things to consider when selecting the type of onion you want to grow in the spring.
Canning: no Freezing: Yes but. . . . I’ve seen my dad put on goggles and chop tons of onions by hand for hours so that he could freeze them for ready use. That was enough for me to never want to do the same thing. I do not freeze. Dehydrating: Yes, but personally I’d take the dehydrator outside to do it. The idea of that smell lingering in the house for days is not appealing to me.
Freeze drying: Yes! I don’t freeze dry them myself – I prefer the quality of Thrive Life Chopped Onions. 4 For sure one of my must-haves at home, chopped or sliced.
Parsnips – same as carrots.
Peas
Canning: Yes, under pressure Freezing: Yes Dehydrating: Yes, but . . . . I don’t like them. Freeze Drying: YES! They’re great to snack on, and when they’re refreshed, taste just like fresh from the garden. 5
as it converts starch into sugars changing the texture. Cool is good, COLD is not. A nice dark area is necessary as light turns potatoes green. Keep them in a breathable storage container like a cotton or burlap bag, paper bag, basket, or a cardboard or wooden box. Use injured potatoes first – those that may have been damaged with a shovel when harvesting, those with blemishes, those with splits or anything else not perfect. Those injury spots will begin to spoil so use them first. Continue to go through them from time to time, removing any that look like they are starting to rot.
Canning: Yes, under pressure Freezing: No Dehydrating: Yes Freeze Drying: Yes . . . . sort of. I’ve used it commercially freeze dried.
Potatoes are easy to store: choose the coolest area you have (NOT the fridge) and keep them in the dark with as much air circulation as possible. No plastic bags or tubs.
handle Pumpkins and other winter squash gently
as dents and scrapes will introduce decay. Clean the surface by wiping with cool water in which a capful of bleach has been added. This kills bacteria that will quickly gain a foothold in any injury spots, including cuts when you carve a jack-o-lantern. After its been disinfected, dry it thoroughly with a soft cloth before storing it. Keep your pumpkins cool, dry and dark and they’ll reward you by lasting several months. Slight freezing or even too cold will break down the tissue and make the pumpkin soft, but too warm is a problem too. Keep them out of direct sunlight. Best place is in your cold room or garage as long as it doesn’t freeze. Keep them off the cement floor with cardboard, a blanket, wood slats or on a shelf. And try to keep them from touching each other to allow them to breathe.
Canning: Yes, in chunks not puree – and always under pressure Freezing: Yes, but the texture gets watery. I don’t care for the final result Dehydrating: No. Freeze Drying: Yes
Rhubarb – the best friend you never gave the time of day to
Canning: Yes! I cold pack macerated rhubarb into pints, using the juice of the rhubarb and sugar as liquid. 10 minutes in a hot water bath. I don’t feel the need to add any lemon juice or vinegar, as it is acidic enough already. We use this to top yogurt or oatmeal on winter mornings.
Also, rhubarb is foundational in most of my red jams. Freezing: Yes! Wash, chop, bag and freeze. I use the frozen rhubarb in smoothies for an especially refreshing drink. Dehydrating: Yes, but only as fruit leather. By itself or as a base with strawberries, raspberries, plums, and many other flavour companions. Be creative. Yes you can dry rhubarb in small pieces, but it is not a nice texture or flavour and is hard to find uses for. Freeze Drying: Yes
to read more about Rhubarb including recipes, click HERE6
Sorrel and other Greens such as Spinach, Swiss Chard and Amaranth
Canning; nope Freezing: Yes. Lightly blanch and pack into small freezer bags, label and freeze. Dehydrating: nope Freeze Drying: YES
Tomatoes are why I garden
Canning; YES! I always 2 T vinegar to a pint (500 ml) or up to 4 T to a quart (1 L). Freezing: YES! Dehydrating: YES! Freeze Drying: YES! but I find the texture very delicate and that it absorbs moisture from the air very quickly
to learn more about tomatoes including recipes click HERE
Zucchini is the master of disguise
Canning: Yes under pressure Freezing: Yes but texture will be watery Dehydrating: Yes – my preferred method of long term storage Freeze Drying: YES! but I find the texture gets a little spongy after a while
Fruit Leather
Fruit leather! Apple leather – rhubarb leather – any kind of fruit leather. Mix it up. Apple pear. Rhubarb raspberry. Plum! Whatever you’ve got on hand that needs to be used up, turn it into a delicious, nutritious snack to grab all winter long.7
to read more about fruit leather including recipes click HERE
Vinegars
Take your favourite flavours from the growing season and use them to flavour vinegars.8
to read more about vinegars including recipes, click HERE
Tips for storing your preserved foods
Don’t just stash your food and forget about it. You’ve done half the job, but finish it by protecting it, making it accessible and learning to incorporate it into your daily life.
I cannot overstate the importance of STORING WHAT YOU EAT and EATING WHAT YOUR STORE.
In many cases the shelf life of your food will depend on where and how its stored.
Pay attention to the risks : Humidity – Light – Oxygen – Temperature Variations – Pests (insects and mice)
Humidity/Moisture: If dried food picks up moisture molds and bacteria will grow. Moisture can also damage packaging material, and rust jar rings. In areas of high humidity, using moisture absorbers and investing in a dehumidifier is a good idea. OFF the floor especially if the floor is cement.
Light: Direct light, especially sunlight can speed deterioration
Temperature: Optimal temperatures are cool, ranging from a low of 40F (above freezing risk) to maximum of 70F. All food will react badly to heat. Canned food should not be allowed to freeze – freezing will compromise seals. Dehydrated foods can freeze but continual freeze-thaw is detrimental. Even freeze dried food will have its exceptionally long shelf life significantly reduced by heat, and in continuous freeze-thaw conditions.
Pests: Protect your food storage from pests. Moths, ants and mice belong outside but they don’t always stay there, and once they’ve found their way into your food storage – it will be unsafe for you. Glass, food grade plastics and metal are excellent protection but not always practical in every situation. Do the best you can with what you’ve got. Keep food off the ground and off the floor! Aside from being more susceptible to insects, it is also more vulnerable to water damage should that sad event occur.
Preserve responsibly. Pay attention to cleanliness and details like full boiling and timing when canning, full moisture removal when dehydrating, blanching and packaging when freezing. Cleanliness extends to your storage area. Keep it CLEAN.
Label . You think you’ll remember but you WON’T, and even if you did – you may not be the one who uses it.
Shop for Dinner from your Food Storage. Routinely go through it to ensure that seals are still intact, food is still properly packaged, no signs of pests or mould, and to ROTATE it. USE it!
STORE WHAT YOU EAT and EAT WHAT YOU STORE. I know, I know, you’ve seen it before. It is the single most important rule. If you don’t eat what you store, you’ve wasted your time, energy and expense.
the final word (words)
Eating a nutritious and balanced diet with variety is the best way to protect our health. It gives our bodies the best chance to take care of themselves. That extends into the non growing seasons, those of us who live in northern climates must think about winter, so we store food.
* Storing food properly is the key to protecting ourselves and our families WITH continued good health and FROM foodborne illnesses.
* You cannot always tell when food is unsafe by its appearance, smell or taste. Botulism for instance cannot be seen, smelled or tasted. When in doubt, throw it out!
* Preserving your garden produce is the next-to-final step in the blessings and benefits of growing a garden. It is soul satisfying. The last step of course is to continue to enjoy the produce throughout the winter.
I’d love to hear your tips and suggestions, as well as some of your success stories as well as things you’ve learned from failures.
Home Canning (and by that we really mean home ‘bottling‘) is the easiest, most reliable and economical way to preserve food at home. It can be done in your own kitchen, doesn’t require a whole lot of pricey equipment, and has a reasonably long shelf life – up to two years. Yes, I know you know someone who’s had their home canned food for eight years (we all do), and that supposedly “it’s still good”. To that I repeat: “the shelf life is UP to two years“. My suggestion is strongly not to push it too much past then.
Fact: Food is Food. You cannot prevent it from spoiling, you can only slow it down. Canning it will preserve it, but not forever.
Don’t expect home canned food to be what it cannot be, and everything will work out fine. It’s reality is that the nutritional value of canned foods (commercially or home canned) is about 40% of what it was when it went into the canner. I admit I was super disappointed when I learned that fact, mostly because I raised my children on home canned food, especially fruit, and I thought I was doing the best thing I could for them. In reality, I really was doing the best I could for them, but when one gives it some thought, those peaches are in boiling water for 40+ minutes. What did we expect? After the recommended shelf life of two years, we can expect that the food will lose more of its nutritional value, which is why I highly advocate not trying to keep it past that suggested time. Having said that, if something gets away from you and you’re into the third year, don’t sweat it – just use the food.
As with any type of food storage, the bottom line is to STORE WHAT YOU EAT, and EAT WHAT YOU STORE. If you do that, you’re gonna be okay, if you do not – you will end up wasting a lotta money. Canning isn’t magic. It cannot make something perishable last indefinitely.
So what’s the point? And why should I can?
Because it’s a good way of extending the valuable useable time of perishable food, preserving good and nutritious food today, to use tomorrow. Instead of preparing for immediate consumption, you are preparing food that you can store for months! Make no mistake, canning IS cooking, but it allows us to capture the best flavour at the peak of season—to enjoy all-year long! Garden Roasted Tomato Sauce, Homemade Garden Salsa, a bowl of peaches, rhubarb to go on your morning oatmeal, raspberry jam – all in the middle of winter! THESE are why we can!
Back when my kids were young we canned a LOT of fruit. When the price was good we’d buy a 100+ pounds of peaches (our favourite) and pears, maybe 50 pounds of cherries, apricots or plums. I’d can half of the plums and dehydrate the rest. Though I did the bulk of the work during the day it was a big job, so it had to be a family affair. Dan always pitched in when he was home and we required the kids to help out. And yes, I got backlash from time to time (especially from one of our boys who shall remain unnamed at this point), but I flat out insisted that everybody help. We all enjoyed the end result of having peaches with breakfast in February, so it only made sense that we all pitch in to make that a possibility. At some point, when this one un-named boy was a teenager, he put his foot down and refused to be involved in the project anymore. HE was not peeling peaches (or pears or whatever it was). He disliked the work and he’d had enough; it was too much work for him. He was too big to argue with so I told him that was fine, but as with anything there are always consequences, and the consequence to this choice would be that he’d be giving up enjoying the “fruits of our labour”. He couldn’t expect to eat peaches that someone else did all the work to put on the table. I reminded him about how much he enjoyed eating peaches in the winter. I also reminded him that the likelihood of me forgetting in February that he didn’t help in the summer was next to zero. He may have thought about it for all of thirty seconds, and in the end he trusted me, and put on an apron. I’m not gonna pretend he was happy about the job after that, but we never had that same conversation again.
My daughter on the other hand, looked forward to “canning season”. It was just as much work for her, but there was something about her that made that work enjoyable in its own way. My other boys were fine to pitch in and participate, it was after all – the means to the end we all wanted: fruit in the winter. Many memories were made in a hot and sticky kitchen on those long summer days. One summer I went away for a week with a friend. Sarah was 14 years old, and diligently went through the grocery store sales flyers in my absence. At one point she saw that peaches were a ‘good’ price and she believed they would likely not still be that price when I came home. With urgency, she told her dad that he must pick up several boxes of peaches on his way home from work the next day – which of course he did. While I drove home from New Brunswick with Peggy, Sarah and Dan canned those peaches from beginning to the end. I was amazed when I got home, and kinda still am as I look back on it. I was very proud of her, and I wish that I had expressed that better than I did. I was proud not only that she felt it her ‘motherly’ duty to can peaches in my absence, but also that she took it upon herself to judge when the price was right, make the decision to buy, judge when they were ripe enough to bottle, and then take charge of actually getting it done. Dan wisely let her do all that, and then in typical Dan style, he put on an apron and began peeling peaches.
the method
The method is to use high temperatures to kill microorganisms and inactivating enzymes that would cause food to spoil. The heating process pushes air from the jars, creating a vacuum seal as they cool. Without oxygen the bacteria, yeasts, and mould will not grow and the food will last a lot longer.
There are two methods: hot water canning, and pressure canning. They are NOT interchangeable. This article deals with HOT WATER canning. How do you know which method is used for which type of food? It’s pretty straight forward: high acid foods require the hot water method – the easiest. What are high acid foods? Most types of fruit and berries. Some suggestions to consider: Apples: apple juice, apple jelly, apple butter, apple sauce, apple pieces, crab apples … Apricots, apricot jam, Berries whole, berry jam, berry syrup, Cherries whole, cherry jam, cherry syrup, cherry juice, Cranberries whole, cranberry sauce, cranberry jelly, cranberry juice, Grapes, grape juice, grape jelly, Grapefruit and Orange sections, Citrus marmalade, Mixed fruit combinations (cocktail), Nectarines, Peaches, Pears, Pineapple, Plums, Rhubarb
adding acid in the form or lemon juice or vinegar
To most fruits I add a Tablespoon of lemon juice to a pint (500 ml), and 2 Tablespoons lemon juice to a quart (or litre), just as an added precaution. I don’t bother with rhubarb because that is acidic enough.
Tomatoes (yes tomato is a fruit): cold pack whole or cut up, tomato sauce. Less ripe tomatoes are more acidic. Very ripe tomatoes are sweeter and less acidic. (Can them before they’re very ripe and soft.) I add 2-4 T vinegar to my tomatoes, depending on how ripe they are. Sometimes I use flavoured vinegar like basil vinegar – just for an added flavour that we like. Your choice.
Low acid foods require the higher temperatures that only using a pressure canner can provide. They include ALL vegetables and proteins.
Hot water canning involves boiling your fruit in glass jars in a big pot of water. There are pots specifically designed for this- called water bath canners – that consist of a large DEEP pot, a rack insert, and a lid. When purchasing, ensure that you have room for a quart jar to have at least two inches of water covering and plenty of room for water to boil. For small batch canning, I often just use my pasta pot because it checks all the boxes and its in my kitchen cupboard already so its handy. It is good for all my smaller jars: my pints, half pints and smaller that I may be using for jams or syrups.
If I am canning quart jars I use a bigger stock pot that I keep up high on my pantry shelf, so not easy to retrieve but not terribly inconvenient either. I can process up to seven quarts in this pot so its perfect! The important thing to remember when repurposing non-canning-specific pots is to put something on the bottom to prevent your jars from being directly on the bottom of your pot. A rack that will fit your pot will help keep the bottles from ‘jumping’ around when the water is fast boiling, preventing unnecessary trauma and possible breakage. If you have a rack that fits then go ahead and use it (I picked up a few different sizes from a thrift store years ago). Otherwise, use a folded dish towel in the bottom of your pot. You’re mostly trying to protect the bottles from banging around during boiling.
Boiling water is 212 degrees Fahrenheit, sufficient for high acid foods like most fruits, pickles, tomatoes, sauerkraut, relishes, salsas, and all sorts of jams. It is the acidity of these foods helps preserve them safely without the need of higher temperatures and pressure.
Supplies
Canning jars: not to be confused with single use jars. These are jars intended to be used at extremely high temperatures. Use ONLY clean jars without cracks or nicks in them.
Lids and rings (screw bands): those that are made for the particular jars you’re using. Do NOT reuse them. They are single use only.
Water bath canner: for water-bath canning, it isn’t necessary to purchase a special canner as long as you have a pot that has a fitted lid and is large enough to fully immerse the jars in water by 2 inches—and that will allow the water to boil when covered. You’ll also need a rack that fits inside the pot or canner.
Jar lifter: very important, this tool is relatively inexpensive but indispensable. It is essentially large tongs to assist you in putting jars into HOT water, and in removing them again out of boiling water.
Wide mouth Funnel: sure makes it easier to fill your jars without spilling and making a mess. You can buy plastic or stainless steal. I have both, but I prefer my stainless steal one. I use it for much more than camping – almost daily, for lots of applications.
Utensils: large spoon or ladle to fill jars, and a simple table knife to remove air bubbles.
Clean dish cloth to wipe jar rims, and clean dish towels upon which to place you processed jars.
10 Tips to Review Before you Start
Always use the FRESHEST produce possible – in peak condition. Overripe fruits are lower in acid and are already in a state of decomposing. It is important to know that produce begins to deteriorate IN THE HOUR it’s harvested, so fresh means AS IMMEDIATE AFTER HARVEST as you can get it.
Gather all your ingredients and equipment beforehand, so that they’re at your finger tips. It is so frustrating to realize at the point of no return, that you don’t have that extra bag of sugar or additional lids you thought you had.
It is critical to pay attention to “CLEAN” throughout every part of the process. Freshly CLEAN your jars in HOT soapy water – rinsed with hot water and set aside with a clean cloth cover. Sterilizing jars is good, but current advice is that if the food is going to be processed in a boiling water bath for at least 10 minutes, sterilizing is not necessary. CLEAN however is not negotiable; pay attention to it. If you have a dishwasher – running your clean jars through a cycle should get the job done. In years gone by, I always had my CLEAN jars in a hot oven till I used them, but I hardly ever take the time to do that anymore.
Use REAL canning jars, screw bands, and lids – intended for canning. Jars: Many jars that we may recycle are intended only as ‘single-use’ jars. They were not made to go in high temperatures and are liable to break. They also do not fit regular canning lids which are critical. Those single-use jars may be suitable for dry storage, but they are NOT suitable for canning. Lids: Use only NEW lids, not previously used. New lids have a rubber inner ring intended to seal during the process. They do not need to be heated to activate the sealing compound before placing on the jar top, but I usually heat them anyway – by placing them either in a pan of water that I bring to a boil, or by dipping them into the boiling hot water bath with a lid holder that I have for that purpose. This is just one further way of ensuring they’re CLEAN.
5. “Head Space” is the air space from the top of the contents of the to the top of the jar; it is important to ensure the jar seals properly. Head space and can vary depending on the food (usually between 1/4 inch to 1 inch but on average – 1/2 inch). During the boiling process, contents of your jars expand, and if the head space is too little for the contents (bigger contents like peaches, pears or tomatoes for example) the contents may expand into headspace and jeopardize the clean seal of the lid. Insufficient head space may even cause the contents to boil over and escape the lid, causing a big mess in your canner and again, jeopardizing the seal. You could leave up to an inch to prevent those contents from expanding into the headspace. It is important to remember that even liquid expands when it boils.
So what about too much headspace? If too much headspace is left, the food on the top may discolour in time. That in itself isn’t a terrible thing, but in the case of too much air, processing time may be inadequate to push out all the oxygen within the jar, again preventing a good vacuum and therefore a proper seal. Having said that, I’ve had times when the syrup in my fruit boiled over (having not left sufficient head space) and yet the jar sealed. I’ve had times that everything seemed perfect and yet the stupid jar didn’t seal. I’ve had time that I left too much head space and the jar sealed and times that I had too much when it didn’t seal. The bottom line is that we’re looking for optimum protection from potential spoilage through aerobic bacteria (an organism that can survive and grow in an ‘oxygenated’ environment) so we want to do our best to follow proper canning procedures. In principle, following the procedures closely will leave us with no oxygen in the jar. We’ll know we accomplished this when the jar seals.
6. It is VERY important is to wipe the jar rim and threads clean before putting on the lid and screw band. Having any fruit or syrup residue along the top will prevent a good seal with the lid. When putting on the ring / screw band – don’t tighten more than finger tight. It’s job is not to seal the jar, it is to keep the lid in place while the jar is processed and during the cooling process when the vacuum is complete. After 24 hours the ring can be removed to reuse on other jars.
7. Using the jar lifter, place each jar on the rack in the boiling water. I always put the jars in at a slight diagonal to prevent a possible air bubble creating in the slight dome on the jar bottom. Make sure that the jars are covered by at least 1 to 2 inches of water. Cover the pot with lid and bring the pot to the boil. Start counting processing time once the water has returning to a boil. I usually turn the heat down a bit to keep it at a steady rolling boil but not a furious boil. Allowing the water to hard boil at high heat the whole time, may cause some water loss. If that happens simply top it up with small amounts of new water making sure you don’t pour directly onto the jars.
8. When processing time is done, turn off the heat and remove the canner lid venting the steam away from yourself. Remove each jar with the jar lifter and place upright on a nice thick clean tea towel to cool. Keep a space between them of 1 to 2 inches. Let jars cool 12-24 hours. Do NOT make the mistake of tightening the rings as soon as you remove your jars from the canner. It’s typical that the rings may loosen a bit during processing – that’s okay. Adjusting them while the jars are hot may disturb the seal and interfere with successful sealing. Overcome that rookie temptation.
9. How do you know a jar has sealed? Another rookie temptation I’ve seen people give into is pushing the centre of the lid when the jar is still hot. Their intention is to “finish the seal”, but that is not what happens. The natural ‘ping’ of the jar sealing on its own is indication that it’s sealed. By interfering you don’t have that indication and you will not know if it has properly sealed. It is important to test each jar to ensure it’s sealed properly before putting it away. Wait until the jars have cooled at least 12 hours and up to 24 hours before you test the seals. You may notice that the level of the contents is lower. Relax. It’s okay and it is what it is.
A vacuum is created during the sealing process, by drawing the oxygen out of the jar – pulling the lid down, forming a shallow depression in the centre of it. So what you’re looking for is a concaved lid. * Gently press the centre of the lid with your finger. If it is properly sealed there will be no give, Great. If the lid springs down and up when you press and release your finger, there is no seal, Shucks! Don’t despair. It happens sometimes, especially in the beginning when you’re learning. Put that jar in the fridge and eat the contents in the next few days.
In general, your canned foods should last all year long, as long as they are stored in a cool, dry place. When you open your jar, you should have considerable resistance and need a spoon or table knife to loosen it. It should POP audibly when the seal is broken. If it opens too easily – like with your hand, the lid is NOT sealed and that’s a sure sign that air has gotten in. Not good. Do not keep it. Dispose of immediately.
What signs am I looking for down the road, that a seal has been jeopardized? *a broken seal (the lid is no longer concave) – this is likely because it wasn’t a good seal to begin with; *a bulging lid (in home canned or commercially canned food) is a sign of spoilage; *a lid (not the outside ring) that is corroded or rusty is a sign of spoilage; *when you open your jars or cans and see mould or bubbles or cloudiness, its a sign of spoilage. In all these cases – dispose of the contents immediately.
10. One sign that your jars have sealed properly is the gentle “popping” or “pinging” sound” you hear as the jars cool. The wonderful sound of jars ‘pinging’ is music to the ears of anyone who home cans. It tells you “Job Well Done!” Now all you have to do is wipe up the mess and wait for the next round. Jars that don’t seal can NOT be stored. Put them in the fridge and use within a few days.
It might sound at this point, that its all problems but in actual fact MOST jars seal, so relax – you’re doing the right thing. Home canning is still a good way to preserve food. Because you canned, you can enjoy the taste of summer fruits (and vegetables if you pressure can) in the middle of winter, and you can also customize recipes to suit your family’s taste preferences and dietary needs.
The biggest concern of any canning is botulism poisoning. Botulism is an illness caused by the botulinum toxin. Back in my grandmothers’ days, botulism was a real thing and something most people knew to be fearful of, but not always how to avoid it. Even today I hear people say things like “My grandmother canned all her vegetables in a hot water canner and they never had a problem.” That makes my blood run chill. I am ashamed to say I was one who blatantly (and I might add – foolishly) disregarded my father’s warning about botulism and canning vegetables without a pressure canner. I didn’t take it seriously in those days and I’m sure I caused some him some unnecessary stress by my flippant attitude. It’s a dangerous game to play. People die from stupid attitudes like that. My father’s sister died of typhoid fever when she was just 15 years old. It was scary and people didn’t always know how to avoid it. I expect that might have had something to do with him being especially vigilant about foodbourne or waterbourne illnesses. I’m glad I smartened up, but I do regret the worry I caused him.
In actual fact, the bacteria that causes botulism occurs naturally in soil and normally doesn’t cause a threat to people. However, they are a very hardy type of bacteria and thrive in LOW-ACID, low-oxygen environments, like those we create when we can foods. When food is canned improperly, the bacteria grows and produces their deadly toxin botulin, making the food unfit for consumption of humans or animals alike. 65% of botulism outbreaks have been traced to home-processed foods.
It is critical that the environment inside the bottled or canned goods be INhospitable to the bacteria by canning only high ACID foods at normal water boiling temperatures of 212 degrees Fahrenheit or 100 degrees Celcius. Low acid foods must be processed at 240 degrees F which can only be accomplished using pressure. For this reason, I habitually add a tablespoon of vinegar to my tomatoes and a tablespoon of lemon juice to all my fruit as an additional acid precaution (in honour of my dad).
I no longer can in the same quantity I used to. For one, I don’t have five growing kids living in my house anymore. I no longer buy fruit for the purpose of canning. I preserve the EXCESS of what I produce myself, and sometimes produce that is given to me – produce that we have more of than we can enjoy FRESH. The “excess” of that produce.
Another reason I don’t can in the same quantity anymore is that there is no such thing as ‘a good price’ for the fruit I used to can so much of. This makes it necessary to be more creative in what and how I preserve, and more ready to take opportunities when they come our way. It makes it more important for me to have a home garden and to make friends with the fruits and vegetables that want to grow in my part of the world. It makes it all the more important for me to find good nutritious food in times of plenty and to learn to preserve the excess of it for times of less.
And yet another reason I don’t can in the same quantity that I used to, is that about 12 years ago I discovered freeze dried food which has an extended shelf life and higher nutritional value. Not everything is suitable to be freeze dried, just as not everything is suitable for canning, drying or freezing. I love that I have the flexibility to take advantage of all preserving options. Click HERE to see other methods of preserving, and the freeze dried food I prefer.
In many ways it was easier back then, when I could count on finding peaches for a good price every July or August. All told, thousands of man-hours were spent in my kitchen by those who would eat later as well as today. I am glad I took those opportunities to learn the skill. I am glad for all that practice. I believe it is an important skill to have.
So go ahead, can the apples that you grow, cherries or plums. Find some recipes for jams that sound good to you, or that friends share with you. I’ll share some of my favourite jam recipes in another post. Find some recipes for sauces and salsa – I’ll share my favourites in another post. One of the fruits I can the most is tomatoes (and yes – tomato is a fruit). I fresh-can them and I roast them in the oven to can for sauces later. I have also begun canning rhubarb – never thought I’d see the day, but we love it in the winter this way.
I hope you’ll tell me about your experiences, including your successes and failures. Failure is just another lesson learned about how not to do it again. I’ve had lots of those – you likely will too.
I think we might agree that Sesame Street was a great neighbourhood to live in; even Oscar was endearing. But a good neighbourhood doesn’t have to be fictional. A neighbourhood is made of real people like you and me. And yes, each one may even have an Oscar, and its even possible he or she may not want to ‘partake’ of whatever you’re offering. That’s okay. He can do him, but that doesn’t mean others can’t enjoy the spirit of ‘community and neighbourliness with or without him.
Sometimes people really do come together in an emergency or crises, but the better time to start building those relationships is long before – simply by BEING a good neighbour. How do you do that?
Here are 8 keys to being a good neighbour
1. Look UP. It’s not that hard – simply look up, open your eyes and notice things. See people coming and going. Say hello or at least give a wave. You’re more likely to notice little details with your eyes open and a caring heart. Perhaps someone could use a wave, or a smile, or a hand, or maybe something more. Chat a bit in the driveway from time to time. Chat in the front yard. Chat with the neighbour down the street when you’re walking the dog.
2. Smile. It cannot be overstated – a smile really will make someone’s day better, and yours too.
3. Be kind. Something so simple can really make all the difference.
4. Lend a hand. Could they use a hand bringing some groceries to the door? Would it really put you out if you pitched in? What about offering to mow their lawn when they go away? What about bringing over a quart of homemade soup when you hear someone’s not feeling well? A loaf of fresh bread? When you’re shoveling your sidewalk, how difficult would it be to simply go a little further and shovel your neighbour’s.
5. Be tolerant. Not everyone’s gonna do things that way you do. Your neighbour may have young kids when you don’t, that may mean more noise than you make. Cool your jets, they won’t stay kids forever. Your patience with bikes all over the front yard and kids shooting baskets in your driveway will go a long way. Kids grow up, and those days will end. It’s a lot easier for your neighbours to be tolerant of you and yours if you extend the same courtesy. Learn to laugh it off – that’s where funny memories are born.
6. Invite Invite them over to sit around a backyard fire. Invite them for dinner. Invite them to go for a walk. Host a neighbourhood party.
7. Work together.
Many years ago Dan decided it would be a helpful thing to have a snow blower, we live in a crescent and the snow plows rarely come into crescents. But the half dozen times we might use it in a year hardly seemed worth the price. But IF we could share that cost with others . . . he spoke with some neighbours, and four of us bought one together – with a few simple ground rules. Still using it. Still a good experience.
The border between our front lawn and our neighbours front lawn is vague – so for nearly the whole time we’ve lived here, whoever mows the lawn – mows both. Such a simple service – takes an extra five minutes, and both of us always have a mowed front lawn. When I do for walks and see front lawns with an obvious mowed border, I am always surprised. Such a small effort to make both yards look nicer and extend that hand of friendship and service.
8. Keep your house and yard neat and tidy. No one wants to live beside or across from a slob. It is respectful to your neighbours to take care of your property. When we first moved back to the city many years ago, for Dan to go back to school – we lived in subsidized housing. As soon as the snow melted, we dug our small area of dirt in a sunny spot and planted flowers, some herbs and even a few tomatoes. We lived there for three summers and though we were the only ones that first summer to do so, I noticed that the following summer some of our neighbours planted flowers, and the next year even more did.
Good neighbourhoods don’t just ‘happen’
My husband’s parents lived in a little house in a nice little neighbourhood. They pretty much stuck to themselves, didn’t much care to get to know their neighbours. They weren’t rude, they kept their yard tidy. But they never reached out. They never offered to lend a hand. They just did what they did and minded their own business. In time they got older and needed some help. We drove an hour one way to mow their lawn when they couldn’t, to rototill their garden, and to do all sorts of little things that we were happy to help them with, but were too far away to be help on the day to day. I marveled that there wasn’t a single nearby friend, church member, or neighbour that we maybe could have asked for a hand once in a while. But their wasn’t. After almost 40 years of living in and around that same general area, there wasn’t anyone they felt comfortable asking a favour of. Why? Because they weren’t really “good neighbours” themselves.
Good neighbourhoods just don’t happen on their own. They’re not magic like that. Being a good neighbour is the building block of a good and friendly neighbourhood. That doesn’t mean we have to all be the same, just be nice. Good neighbours watch out for each other. Good neighbours keep an eye on each other’s property when they’re away. Good neighbours care about each other. When emergencies happen, good neighbours pitch in and help each other through it, and THEREIN LIES THE KEY TO THIS CONVERSATION.
You cannot live in a ‘good’ neighbourhood if you’re not a good neighbour. It doesn’t work that way. And you may think you don’t need your neighbours – until you fall on your icy sidewalk, or someone breaks into your house, or your spouse has a heart attack, or your house is on fire, . . . . or when any number of other reasonable and perfectly normal scenarios happen.
Being a good neighbour is important for everyone because it makes good neighbourhoods. It means safety, a sense of belonging, a helping hand, purpose, charity, empathy and friendship. It takes TIME, investment, kindness, charity, empathy and friendship.
Share Your Ideas:
I’d love to hear your thoughts about how having strong community connections helps us, and ways you might make neighbourhood a better place. After all, WE’RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER.
Now is the time to extend the hand of friendship to our neighbours – and yes, I even mean the ‘Oscar’ on your street. We can start with those who live on either side of us. If we don’t know their names yet, LEARN their names and two facts about them. Then reach out to those on the other side of each of them, and those across from us. Learn THEIR names and two facts about them. Make it a game to accomplish these goals, and then continue on with those on the other side of them, and so on.
over 100 questions to review with your sweetheart before you go any further
When my parents got married, they hardly knew each other. My dad had been serving in the Navy during the Korean Conflict, and my mom was a young teenager on the Canadian prairies. Her dad had recently died and she’d quit school to earn some cash to help out at home. In 1953 my dad was stationed on Vancouver Island. He took a leave and traveled by bus to southern Alberta to marry my mom. They hadn’t seen each other in nearly three years; she was not quite 18 years old. The night before the wedding they had a terrible fight – raising their voices. SHE hurled out “I don’t want to marry you!” HE surprised her by adding “I don’t want to marry you either.” That sobered them both up and they asked “What are we gonna do?” SHE said “I don’t know. But if we don’t get married, Mom will kill me. She’s been cooking all day.” . . . . . now this is a good moment to pause and reflect. Gramma was a widow with 8 children, struggling to make ends meet. My parents – being kids, decided that under the circumstances, their best option was to get married. Within 48 hours, they had all her worldly possessions packed into two suitcases, and were on a bus headed for the coast. Predictably, their life was not an easy one, they had little common ground. But they struggled their way through it.
Many years later, when I wasn’t much older than my mother had been, Dan and I lived in different cities during our courtship. Consequently we spent many hours on the highway driving from one place to the other. I lived in Cold Lake on the Military base finishing high school, Dan lived in Edmonton – a four hour drive. During those long drives (mostly in the winter and mostly in the dark), radio had poor reception the further north we drove, so we filled the time by talking. We shared opinions, philosophies and perspectives, as well as histories, traditions and dreams. We got to know each other. Touching just about every subject we could think of, we learned things about ourselves and each other, found common ground, made compromises, established boundaries, and agreed to agree on many things. I shared my fledgling testimony of the gospel.
Flashing forward a handful of years, we discovered that the things we understood better because of those long uninterrupted conversations set the groundwork for many little successes in our relationship. We had shared feelings about things that were important to us at the time, and made commitments of mutual respect to honour those feelings. We had sorted out some differences that likely would have been divisive later on.
We made a series of very important commitments to each other that sustained us for the decades that followed. We could not have guessed at how important or long lasting and strengthening those discussions would become. One thing we agreed on in those early years – long before any children came our way, was to never argue in front of our children. We agreed to never raise our voices at each other, never swear at each other, belittle or speak poorly of each other, never undermine the other – and above all, to maintain a “united front” of solidarity and mutual respect in front of our children. We understood that we wouldn’t always see eye to eye, but we agreed to take care of those issues privately until we did.
We had discussed family traditions, those we grew up with, those we observed outside our families, and those we wanted to establish in our future home. There were many things we couldn’t have anticipated, but in retrospect I am surprised at how many we did anticipate or accidentally hit on. I’ve always been glad we had that time – undisturbed by default, devoted to learning about each other as individuals, and US as a future family. It helped. It truly helped. Marriage is difficult enough – the merging of personalities, priorities, different backgrounds, expectations, feelings of right and wrong, and unique understanding of the world we live in. Difficult enough without adding powerful differences like our personal relationships with, and how we felt about God. We talked about that too; my feelings were much stronger. I had seen opposing examples of family life with God and without God, and my decision to establish a house with God had been cemented. Dan didn’t share that conviction but he respected it. It was almost enough.
As our kids grew up and began courting themselves, it became clear to me that they didn’t take the time to discuss the things I felt strongly that they needed to. They didn’t have those undisturbed hours on the highway without music or talk radio. I began to worry that they wouldn’t enjoy the unplanned but much appreciated benefit of those discussions that had served Dan and I so well. I decided to write down some of the questions that came to mind – the ones that stayed with me and that I was most grateful we had gone through. There will always be things one discovers later, things you wish you had talked about, ‘surprises’, but hopefully – with learned communication skills and a greater appreciation of the inner workings – they can be handled better.
The list of questions in this article is intended to be the beginning of ongoing dialogue between couples who are seriously dating and moving toward marriage. Ultimately, its purpose is to increase understanding and mutual respect between both and to prevent bringing unnecessary baggage to the marriage alter. Please go through them together, and in order as they are designed to progress – one section upon the other, from Temporal issues to Spiritual issues. Take your time, don’t rush through them. I suggest dedicating a whole week to each question. I also suggest you add your own questions as they come to mind.
You may discover one or two questions are repeated – this is not an accident. It is intended that the question be considered from a different perspective. Perhaps in your discussions, you might realize you have new insight. Perhaps in your discussions, you may find that your differences are irreconcilable. That will be very sad, but much better before the wedding than after. It happened twice in our family. It was sad to watch our kids’ broken hearts – but far better than marrying with those differences.
Temporal
FINANCES Money, and the use/misuse of it, is unavoidably part of our everyday lives and is one of the biggest causes for contention, arguments, and divorce.
? What is my/your/our – commitment toward TITHING? What is my / your testimony regarding this important commandment? What do I pay tithing based on – the gross or the net? How do I determine that? How strict am I in my obedience? We know that tithing is a principle with a promise. What promise? What blessings do I expect in return for my obedience? Is it wrong to expect a blessing when I am obedient to the principle upon which it is founded?
– Who will handle the day-to-day finances? – What are our long term financial goals? – What sacrifices are we prepared to make to reach those goals? – What are our financial goals for the next year? For the next five years? – What kind of a budget will we set up? What kind of commitment will we have to it? – How will we pay for dentist bills? Eye glasses? Prescriptions? Car repairs? Emergency purchases like a new furnace? New fridge? – How will we make large purchases? – The strong counsel of the church has always been to stay out of unnecessary debt. What would constitute unnecessary debt? What is debt justified for? – How do I personally / you personally / we – feel about debt? What commitment do we have to adhering to the counsel of prophets on this important subject? – What purchases would we consider going into debt for? – Credit cards are a valuable tool in our world. They are also the vehicle for a terrible form of bondage. In what ways is this true? What is my commitment toward the use of credit cards? What am I willing to do without in order to keep that commitment? – How will we fit gifts into our budget? For each other? For others? How will we plan to pay for Christmas? – What is normal in my family / your family – regarding gift giving? What is tradition? What do I / you want to continue? What adjustments are we willing to make in order to be unified in this area? – Regarding gifts, does equal mean ‘the same’ / identical? Do we need to provide the ‘same’ way in order to provide equally? Do we need to spend the ‘same’ in all things in order to be equal? Do our individual needs, need to be ‘the same’ in order to be of equal importance? – Keeping in mind that we come from two entirely different backgrounds, what is important to one family, may not be important (or even meaningful) to the other. If one family has never done something before, and has no expectation of it, how necessary is it to begin doing it, simply to keep things ‘equal’ between our two families? – What examples can we think of that this might apply to? What can we do to avoid this being a contentious issue? What changes or compromises do I/you/we feel are important to make so that we bring the best of both our upbringings to this area, and so that we are both comfortable? – What things, or in what areas do I/you personally consider important enough to spend money that may not be an area others would consider important? What do I/you consider unimportant? What do I/you consider a waste of money? What would I/you really have a problem justifying spending money on? – What do I consider fair in the way of financial accountability to each other, and what do I consider over the top and being too controlling or too controlled? – There is a big difference between the financial struggle that accompanies shared goals, effort, sacrifice and growth, and when that ‘struggle’ morphs into feelings of helplessness and even despair. Although uncomfortable, struggle and growth are healthy and good. But there is no peace in debt. Living beyond our means soon enough causes distress. Financial distress causes despair. – In what ways is despair different than struggle? How will we be able to tell the difference? – What will we do if somehow, we have allowed ourselves to get into a financial situation that causes despair? What measures will we take to rescue ourselves? How will we stay united in this effort? – What commitment do we make to stand on our own two feet as a new family? – At what point do we go to our families and ask for help? How do we avoid or prevent ourselves from asking for help too frequently and expecting someone else to repeatedly rescue us from poor choices we’ve made? – Who will we feel comfortable asking for help? When do we ask for help? And what arrangements do we make to repay that help? – How important is it to share our good fortune with others? What obligation should we feel toward being charitable? What does charity mean to me/you? Is giving without sacrifice really charity? What sacrifices are we willing to make to help another in need?
2. CAREER You don’t have to choose career over marriage or marriage over career. You really should have both – and you can have both. TALK. And figure those details out together as you mutually move toward your goals.
– What are his or her long range career goals? – Where does he or she realistically expect to be in one year? Five years? Ten years? – What effort will be required to achieve these goals? – What sacrifices are we prepared to make to accomplish these goals? – What skill will we have acquired sufficiently and have enough experience in, to fall back on if or when an additional wage is needed? – What are we willing to do to ensure that she or he has an additional marketable skill? – Will she work after children come into the family? – What are our feelings in this area? What are our family backgrounds in this area? What are our personal priorities? How has my/your attitude and commitment been influenced by the experiences and priorities we grew up with? – How important is it to me that our children have a mom home fulltime? How important is it to you? – The Proclamation on the Family states: “By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children.” – How important is it to us that we are in line with this or any other prophetic counsel? – What adjustments in our attitudes and perspectives do we need to make to be reconciled with this prophetic counsel? – What are we willing to sacrifice to achieve this?
3. HOUSEHOLD CHORES
* No matter how much we’d like to avoid them, they’re part of our life. While it is important to have spousal roles established, it is equally important to be flexible.
For instance: in our marriage, the house has always been Mom’s responsibility although Dad was quick to help whenever it was needed. Providing financially has always been Dad’s responsibility, but Mom has always done whatever possible to help ease the burden, and for awhile became the major breadwinner. Cars and yard work have always been Dad’s domain, while gardening has always been Mom’s, although both have chipped in when needed. Dad does the heavy work, Mom does the ‘fiddley’ work. Dad enjoys barbequing, Mom enjoys indoors cooking. Dad wants meat so he, for the most part cooks it, otherwise we would be eating much less of it. Those were our established ‘roles’, that we ourselves chose and were comfortable with. At times however, necessity demanded that we adjust – sometimes dramatically for a time. It was an ‘adjustment’, sometimes even a painful adjustment, but not a reversal of roles. When the need abated, former rolls fell back into place. – Cindy Suelzle
– What are your priorities in the area of roles and expectations? – The Proclamation on the Family states: “In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners.” – How will the chores be divided up? How will they differ or adjust when ‘she’ quits work to nurture children? Or continues working? – Who will take responsibility for what area? – What are our role definitions? – What are our role expectations? – What skills do I need to acquire or improve upon to be a better wife/mother/nurturer? – What skills do I need to acquire or improve upon to be a better husband/father/provider? – What am I willing to do to learn better skills, and what am I prepared to do to help YOU learn and grow in your responsibilities?
4. FOOD, NUTRITION and HEALTH
There’s a connection. Undeniably.
– What do we consider important here? – What foods are “comfort foods” to me? or my personal or traditional favorites? Do I have an opinion on the ‘type’ of foods we eat as a family? – Am I willing to have new food experiences? – What foods do I have a strong dislike to? How will we compromise here? – Review Section 89 of the D&C. – How do we interpret this section? What are our insights? To what extent are we willing to follow the noncompulsory parts of its direction? – What kind of responsibility do I feel toward proper nutrition? – What are my standards on the “quality” of the food we buy or grow?
– How will we deal with minor illnesses in our family? – What kinds of medication do I consider appropriate? – How will we deal with major illnesses?
“When we were newly married, we decided on some basic things which we thought were important to acquire for our independence and self reliance. ie: a few flashlights, coal oil lanterns with extra wicks and sufficient oil for many days use, wheat grinder, food dehydrator, canner, sufficient jars for home canning, juicer, battery operated radio etc. Money was always an issue. We used birthdays and Christmases and any other opportunity to acquire them for each other or to put on our wish lists if anyone else was interested. ” – Cindy
– What are our priorities in the area of Family Preparedness and Emergency Preparedness? – What is the difference? – What are our goals? What are we prepared to do to meet these goals? – Read David A. Bednar’s talk WE WILL PROVE THEM HEREWITH
There is strong counsel to STORE WHAT YOU EAT, AND EAT WHAT YOU STORE. To store food you don’t normally eat, doesn’t make any sense at all. But to not eat what you’ve got stored so that it is constantly be rotated, also doesn’t make sense, and leads to waste.
– What are our individual opinions on the counsel to store food? – How do we feel about that counsel and what is my/your/our commitment to it? – How does that counsel fit into what we see going on in the world around us? – How much of our family budget are we prepared to spend building up and then maintaining our year’s supply of food and other necessities? – How will we obey the prophet’s counsel to plant a garden in whatever living situation we find ourselves? Remember that we receive no commandment without the Lord providing a way for us to accomplish that thing. (1N3:7)
6. ENTERTAINMENT and GIFTS
“When there is a good movie in town, consider going to the theater as a family. Your very patronage will give encouragement to those who wish to produce this type of entertainment, and use that most remarkable of all tools of communication, television, to enrich their lives. There is so much that is good, but it requires selectivity. Let those who are responsible for any efforts to put suitable family entertainment on television know of your appreciation for that which is good and also of your displeasure with that which is bad. In large measure, we get what we ask for.” “…if there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report, or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.” (A/F 13) – Gordon B. Hinckley
– How will we honour ‘date night’? – Do we like to host? What is important to me/you in hosting? – What is my favorite type of entertainment? – What type of entertainment would I consider as a regular form of entertainment? – On a monthly basis? – On a once in awhile basis? – On a seasonal/yearly/anniversary celebration basis? – How much money would I consider fair and reasonable to budget/spend on these forms of entertainment?
– Some couples do not give gifts to each other. Some consider it very important. How do I feel about it? – How do YOU feel about it? If our opinions differ, what will we do here? – What do I expect in the way of a birthday gift? Christmas gift? Anniversary gift? – What would disappoint me and hurt my feelings concerning a gift from you? – What would I absolutely love to receive from you? – What type of gift would always be a hit with me?
7. PERSONAL STANDARDS
Personal standards are hugely important, and their variance affects every facet of our lives. We are ruled by our own personal standards. So what are mine? And am I consistent with them? Do they transition smoothly to all areas?
“The flood of pornographic filth, the inordinate emphasis on sex and violence are not peculiar to North America. The situation is as bad in Europe and in many other areas. The whole dismal picture indicates a weakening rot seeping into the very fiber of society. Legal restraints against deviant moral behavior are eroding under legislative enactments and court opinions. This is done in the name of freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of choice in so-called personal matters. But the bitter fruit of these so-called freedoms has been enslavement to debauching habits and behavior that leads only to destruction. A prophet, speaking long ago, aptly described the process when he said, “And thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell” (2 Nephi 28:21). ……. I am satisfied that there is no need to stand still and let the filth and violence overwhelm us or to run in despair. The tide, high and menacing as it is, can be turned back if enough … will add their strength to the strength of the few who are now effectively working. I believe the challenge to oppose this evil is one from which members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as citizens, cannot shrink. …. Respect for self is the beginning of virtue in men. That man who knows that he is a child of God, created in the image of a divine Father and gifted with a potential for the exercise of great and godlike virtues, will discipline himself against the sordid, lascivious elements to which all are exposed.” – Gordon B. Hinkley
– How do I feel about protecting my home, my family and myself from the plague of Pornography? – What steps am I prepared to take against it? – What about Inappropriate music? And other forms of entertainment which chase away the spirit of God? – How do I feel about the prophet’s admonition to not watch R–rated movies, or anything like unto them? – How important is it to me to have the spirit of the Lord in my home at all times? What am I prepared to do to make sure it is always there? – Do I sup from the scriptures daily? And do I consider it important to study daily as a couple and family? – How will we do this? What commitment will we make to each other to continue? – If circumstances interfere from time to time, what will we do to get back-on-the-wagon? – How important is it to me to align myself with the counsel of the leaders of the church? Of what value is this in my life? – How important is it to me to have a clean house? What does this even look like to me? What am I prepared to do to accomplish this? – Do we have similar standards on personal hygiene/grooming? Are we compatible in this area? – How important is it to me to keep a close relationship with my immediate family? – What am I prepared to do to learn to appreciate and come to love YOUR family? – If one of my siblings needs help, what obligation will I feel toward them? Will I feel the same obligation to one of your siblings?
Etiquette is a societal thing; it changes from one society to another, but wherever you live, it is very important. It is a set of ‘norms’ of personal behaviour in polite society. They show respect to others. Eating at someone else’s table where you don’t understand proper etiquette can be offensive, disrespectful, intimidating and embarrassing. Learning regional and cultural variances is easy to adjust to when you have a good foundational knowledge of some basics. Understanding and being comfortable with good table manners will always put an individual in the advantage. – Cindy Suelzle
– How important are table manners and table etiquette including setting a proper table to me? How will they help us be comfortable in social situations and help our kids to be comfortable eating with others as they grow older? – What about good manners in general?
Speaking about personal respect for each other . . . .
– How will we show respect to and for each other? – How will we honor each other? – How should we treat each other in public? What things should we agree to NOT discuss with other people? – What guidelines could we agree on to ensure that we do not say things around other people that may hurt our sweetheart’s feelings? – How will we know when we have offended our sweetheart’s feelings? And what will we do about it? – What do I consider RUDE? What do I consider inconsiderate or thoughtless? – How do we fix things between us? – What do I need to feel ‘safe’ enough to discuss with you, things that are important to me? …things that are sensitive to me? …. things that are hurtful to me? – What can I do to help YOU feel ‘safe’ enough to discuss those things openly with me? – We have been admonished to study “out of the best books”. What do we consider Best Books? – How important is a “gospel library” to me? – How important is it to me to have a good “classic library”? – What kind of plan should we implement to accomplish our goal?
“You know that your children will read. They will read books, and they will read magazines and newspapers. Cultivate within them a taste for the best. While they are very young, read to them the great stories which have become immortal because of the virtues they teach. Expose them to good books. Let there be a corner somewhere in your house, be it ever so small, where they will see at least a few books of the kind upon which great minds have been nourished. … Let there be good magazines about the house, those which are produced by the Church and by others, which will stimulate their thoughts to ennobling concepts. Let them read a good family newspaper that they may know what is going on in the world without being exposed to the debasing advertising and writing so widely found.” – Gordon B. Hinckley
– How important is music to me? – What do I consider worthy/appropriate music? How do I feel about a music library?
“Let there be music in the home. If you have teenagers who have their own recordings, you may be prone to describe the sound as something other than music. Let them hear something better occasionally. Expose them to it. It will speak for itself. More appreciation will come than you may think. It may not be spoken, but it will be felt, and its influence will become increasingly manifest as the years pass.” – Gordon B. Hinckley
– How important is it to me to develop a musical talent of mine? What kind of support will I expect?
7. TRADITIONS
– How did my family celebrate Christmas? What was my favourite part? – What was our traditional meal? – When did we open gifts? What kinds of things did we get in our stockings? – How do I feel about continuing my family’s Christmas traditions into our own family? – How do I think we should keep Christ in our Christmas celebrations? – What are the best parts of the ways we each celebrated Christmas in the families we grew up with? – What could we do differently in our home that we will both be happy with? – What traditions will I bring with me? You with you? Do we agree on the value of these traditions? – How did my family celebrate Easter? What was my favourite part? What part do I want to continue in my own family? – How do I feel about Halloween? – Thanksgiving? – Summer vacation? – What is my favorite holiday? And why? How can I share my enthusiasm for this special day with you? – What style of furniture do I like? What can I be happy with? What compromises am I willing to make?
Spiritual
8. TEMPLE ATTENDANCE
With temples being so close to the bulk of the membership, many couples set a goal for regular attendance. – What is my feeling about the promise of eternal families that temples represent? – What goal will we set for ourselves relative to attending the temple? – And of continual temple worthiness?
9. PERSONAL or PRIVATE SPIRITUAL COMMITMENT
– What commitment will we make specifically about scripture study, individual/couple/family prayer, journal writing and family record keeping? – How will we choose to preserve family memories? (i.e. photos, slides, videos, albums, scrapbooks etc) – What Christ-like attribute most impressed me about you? drew me to you? and made me want you for my companion? – What is the thing I admire/respect most about you that I would like to emulate in my life? – How important to me are the laws, ordinances and principles of the gospel? – How important is it to me to be align myself to them? How important do I think it should be? Is there even any value in obedience? – What efforts am I willing to make in my personal desire to have a relationship with my Saviour? – What is my feeling about regular church attendance? – What is my feeling toward church service? – The counsel of the brethren is to dress as if we are wearing temple garments, even if we are not. – How do I feel about modesty in dress and speech? – What commitment do I feel to dress so that I reflect church standards at all times?
Testimonies are living breathing things in need of constant nourishment. They can become weak and even sickly if they’re not taken care of. What will I do if you lose your testimony? What will you do if I lose mine?
10. CHURCH RESPONSIBILITIES
– What is my commitment level to callings and responsibilities within the Church? – How willing am I to serve selflessly and faithfully in the Church? – What will I do to encourage my partner in his/her ministering stewardships? – What will I do to support and sustain my partner in his/her individual callings?
11. TITHES and OFFERINGS
– What do I regard as an honest and full tithing? – Do we agree on what we consider Increase? – How do I feel about fast and other offerings? – What do I consider a generous fast offering? – Do we agree on this? – What about other donations such as the Perpetual Education fund or the Missionary fund? Do I believe that blessings will come into our lives as a result of our obeying the law of tithing and of contributing to other funds organized by the Church for the benefit of the charity the Church provides? – Do I have an understanding of the principle of ‘offerings’?
12. SABBATH OBSERVANCE – What do I consider proper Sabbath observance? – What are some of the things we should DO on Sunday? – What are some of the things I feel that we should NOT do in order to keep the Sabbath day separate and holy? – What are our expectations of each other in this area? – What would disappoint me regarding our/your Sabbath observance?
13. FAMILY HOME EVENING
“A better tomorrow begins with the training of a better generation. This places upon parents the responsibility to do a more effective work in the rearing of children. The home is the cradle of virtue, the place where character is formed and habits are established. Family home evening is the opportunity to teach the ways of the Lord.” – Gordon B. Hinckley
– What will we do to ensure that we observe the counsel to keep Monday evenings for family when we are still just a couple? What will we do to use this opportunity to strengthen our family in the gospel? – How will we keep it a priority? – What commitments are we prepared to make now that would directly impact our future children regarding Family Home Evening (FHE)?
ROMANCE
14. FRIENDSHIP
What things are important to me in our continued relationship as FRIENDS? What are my expectations from a best friend? What am I prepared to do to BE your best friend? What do I consider healthy as far as other best friends in my/your life? What freedom will I be willing to give my spouse in their pursuit of relationships with other friends?
15. DATE NIGHT
– How committed are we to obeying the council to have regular date night? What value do we see in this practice? – What good examples can I think of concerning regular date night observance? – What are we prepared to do on a daily basis to keep the romance in our marriage alive? – How will we observe special days such as our Anniversary? Each other’s birthdays? Valentine’s Day? Etc. (i.e. some couples celebrate their anniversary date by attending the temple to do sealings. In this way it is a continual reminder of the covenants they made and the promises they could depend on.)
If I intend to be happily married to you in 40+ years, what am I prepared to give until then to ensure it? – How will we talk about each other in front of other people? (even if we are upset with the other) – How will we talk toeach other in front of other people? – What precautions will we take to ensure we never undermine, belittle, ridicule, embarrass or insult our sweetheart? (in private or in front of others) – What if we do offend the other not intending to? – What if they get their feelings hurt over something we considered innocent or even funny? – How will we refer to each other? What terms of endearment am I comfortable with? – What will we do when we fall out of love? (WE WILL bytheway) – How will we stay married, and healthy and committed to each other if one day we think that we’ve grown apart? How will we help each other through it? – How will we communicate to each other that we are in distress, and that something is very wrong in our relationship? – What are we prepared to do to overcome major difficulties in our relationship? – What do we expect from each other in the area of commitment and communication? to our marriage – to our children – to our own family – to Family Home Evening – to Date Night – to our extended families – to our ward – to the Church – to God – and to our community?
16. INTIMACY and PREGNANCY
– How do I/you feel about purity before marriage? – Can we be honest with our personal history concerning that? – Can we deal with it? How will we deal with it? – Do we see the need for using a form of birth control? If so, what form will we use? – What will we do to make sure we are educated and properly informed about current methods of birth control? – How important is a feeling of ‘trust’ and safety to me in regards to intimacy? -How important do I think it is that we both feel comfortable about being open and honest in our discussions about intimacy? – What will we do to be sure we are educated and properly informed about pregnancy and child birth? – What will we do to ensure optimum health for Mom and baby? How involved do we want Dad to be in the birthing? – What if the unthinkable happens? ….. miscarriage? What if . . . our baby dies? How will we help each other through this hard thing? – What if another unthinkable happens? . . . . . infidelity? What will we do? – Can we see ourselves able to forgive? – What are our ‘non-negotiables’ in this area?
17. PARENTING
– How many children do we want? – Will Mom stay home to raise them? – What is my idea of discipline? – What are some things that I consider very important in child rearing? – What should we as parents do to ensure that we teach by example such things as respect for womanhood? Manhood? Etiquette? Table manners? Good housekeeping? Personal cleanliness? Personal responsibility? The law? – What are things I consider essential to teach children? -Where will we turn to learn parenting skills? – How will we teach our children that the Church is true? That we love, respect and obey the prophet? And that Jesus Christ is the cornerstone of our life? – How will I show my children that the scriptures are important to me? And that they can come to know Jesus Christ through their own personal study of them? – What efforts will we make to encourage our children to stay active in the Church? And to adhere to the counsel it provides? – How will I show them the importance of education and help them to develop a love of reading? – What are some absolute taboos concerning children in my opinion? – What do I feel very strongly about – concerning behaviors we will encourage, those we allow and behaviors we will absolutely forbid? Do we agree? What should we do to ensure compliance with these behaviors? – What if we have an unhealthy child? Perhaps a down syndrome child, or one who has a serious illness or disability? How do we plan to be the best parents possible no matter what that looks like? – What did our parents do right in the parenting department, that we’d like to emulate? – What improvements can we make over our parents’ best attempts, to continue to become the best parents our children deserve?
18. OTHER THINGS of IMPORTANCE TO CONSIDER
– What are my priorities in the area of TIME? – What do I consider a big waste of time? – a moderate waste of time? – Where would I absolutely draw the line in my flexibility of my partner doing something I consider to be a waste of time, money and energy? Or something I abhor? – What are my priorities in the area of money? – It is likely that we may look at money differently. One might resent frugality. One might resent spending freely with no regard for budget. What do I consider a big waste of money? – a moderate waste of money? – Where would I absolutely draw the line in my tolerance of my partner spending money in what I consider to be a waste of money? – How would I like to spend the hours of an entire free day with you? – How would I like to spend the hours of an entire free day without you?. .
These questions have been edited continually since I first drafted them for Sarah – many years ago.
You need not ‘report’ on any discussion, but I think it would be helpful to be accountable to someone that you have indeed been through each one. For my kids, I tried to give them one sheet at a time, and when they told me they were ready for another, I gave it to them.
I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to communicate, now and throughout your marriage. Take them seriously. I once asked a friend who used these “Did you not go through those questions?” She affirmed that they did. “Well how did this one get missed then? It’s pretty straight forward.” “I didn’t think it was that important. I didn’t think he was that serious about it.”
That’s not fair. Not being straight up and owning your words, not doing what you committed to do – not fair. If there are serious ‘issues’ with any of these questions, have those issues today, BEFORE you are married. If they cannot be resolved, it is best to learn that before you go to the alter.
When I was a little girl my mother bought a case of apples this time of year. Usually Macintosh if I remember correctly. They were FRESH, crisp and wonderful, and we stored them in our cold room in the basement.
We loved eating them and I equate fresh crispy apples with fall school days.
My mom would put some in a bowl on the table and my job was to shine them so they looked nice enough for a table center piece. I took great pride in this task, and it was a never ending job every fall. They needed shining because they came to us looking like the apples on the left. Once I shined them up with a clean damp cloth, they looked like the ones on the right – which incidentally, I just shone to go on the table.
By the time I was married, apples came from the store shiny and I puzzled over my childhood memory of shining them. I wondered why my mom would have me shine apples when apparently they were already shiny. (?)
Years later I learned that the apples we buy in the grocery store are waxed to have that shine. I don’t know with what so don’t ask me. There’s no option. They’re all like that.
Now I wash my purchased apples to ‘remove’ the shine . Ironic eh?
But today. Today we brought in our very own beautiful honey crisp apples. They’re in the fridge now, but some inner voice compelled me to shine up a few for the table.
That’s when it happened. My flash back. THIS! Déjà vu. This I have done before. …. Just exactly like this. With a clean cloth. And just like those in my childhood memory, these apples shone up quickly. Almost like magic. And beautifully.
THIS IS WHAT APPLES ARE SUPPOSED TO BE!
Beautiful. Organic. Right outta your own backyard, or outta your community garden, or your nice neighbour’s garden. With a natural matt finish that shines up with the touch of a slightly damp cloth, till you can see the light reflecting in them. Apples in the fall are one of life’s great pleasures.
For years this quote was over my kitchen door leading out to the garden. Sadly I had to take it down a couple of years ago to repaint the wall, but its in the plan to replace it. It is an essential life truth.
Is there a difference between home grown tomatoes and store bought tomatoes? Oh My! YES! The taste of a homegrown tomato is UNlike anything else this world has to offer. And a store bought tomato tastes nothing like it, even when grocer’s says they are “vine ripened” . . . . Let’s talk about “vine ripened” for a minute: what it is and what it is not. Ostensibly, that term should be clear right? It means ripened-on-the-vine. . . . Right? Allowing fruits to ripen on the plant before harvesting ensures the completion of its growing cycle, implying that all of nature’s nutrition is intact. But don’t be fooled; when you see a sign that says “vine ripened” with tomatoes that are together on a small branch. The whole truth is that those tomatoes ripened while still attached to that little branch. No one says that branch was on the plant or that the plant was still in the ground at the time they ripened, so yesssss, okay – by definition I guess we cannot dispute it, but by its truest definition – NO! They are NOT necessarily ripened on the plant. I hate when I see that term, because if we believe everything we read we’ll fall for the implication that THESE tomatoes are somehow better than other tomatoes we see on the shelf without the ‘sign’. I seriously doubt it. In most cases, the only difference is that little branch – those 4 or 5 tomatoes that are clustered together. And No, in most circumstances they were not ripened ON a plant which was still living.
In central Alberta even in our home gardens, it is not possible for all of our tomatoes to ripen on the plant before the season is over, so we pick the last of them green, allowing them to ripen in their own time. It’s the best we can do with approaching winter. Tomatoes naturally produce their own ethylene gas which causes them to slowly redden as they ripen at their own pace – even once they’re picked. This of course takes time. To speed up the process of ripening, many companies lock immature green tomatoes in an ethylene-filled chamber. This seems like a good solution on the surface, but it merely forces them to turn red, not affecting the “ripening” process enough. The result is that yes, they may be red, but they never had the chance to develop flavour – which is usually a natural companion to ripening AND an indicator of nutritional value. If like me, you have to pick some of your tomatoes not quite red or still green, allow them to ripen in their own time, the way nature designed. You will be richly rewarded by the homegrown tomato-taste, and its associated nutritional value.
Okay, thank you for the chance to rant a little – on one of my pet peeves. I’ll set that aside for now.
“A tomato may be a fruit, but it is a singular fruit. A savory fruit. A fruit that has ambitions far beyond the ambitions of other fruits.” – E. Lockhart
Several years ago I decided to put more effort into eating IN THE SEASON. The concept is encouraged by a directive in what I consider ‘scripture’. “All wholesome herbs God hath ordained for the constitution, nature and use of man – Every herb in the season thereof, and every fruit in the season thereof . . . .” 1 This is good counsel indeed, especially since we understand now that nutritional value begins to dissipate in the hour after harvest. The fresher the produce, the more nutrition it contains, so eating it in the season we are guaranteed to have the best that nature can offer. Keeping that tomato for months in it’s “fresh” state, gives us the outward impression that it is nutritional, but in actual fact it is impossible. In my opinion, we use the word “fresh” too loosely in this context.
Based on tomato retail sales, the average North American eats almost 30 pounds of tomatoes a year. If you like pizza or spaghetti, you probably eat more. If you like salsa, you probably eat even more. If you don’t like tomatoes, then I’m pretty sure I ate enough to make up for you. But what about those of us who grow and preserve our own? How would stats ever reflect that? I’m pretty sure no statistician keeps track of how many plants I grow (this year, 28 plants), or the fact that we eat FRESH tomatoes every single day from mid July through till the last one gets eaten in late November. I do not ever buy tomatoes from the produce department because they are almost always supremely disappointing. So based on sales of ‘fresh’ tomatoes, I wouldn’t even be counted, but make no mistake – our household consumes a LOT of tomatoes.
Let’s get it over with and off the table. Yes tomatoes are really ‘fruits’, and yes we eat them as vegetables. Why? Simply because their natural ‘sugar’ content is much less than other fruits, making it more suitable to be used in a salad or main dish rather than a dessert. In fact, because the seeds are inside (like a blueberry, gooseberry, currant or grape) the tomato is actually a ‘berry’. It doesn’t make any difference, we’re still gonna eat tomatoes as vegetables – but it is interesting.
where do tomatoes come from?
Tomatoes originated in South America where the indigenous people cultivated them to use in their cooking. Not surprisingly, it was the Spanish who brought them to Europe and ultimately to the rest of the world. Within a short time, they became very popular in Spain, and were distributed throughout the Spanish colonies in the New World, including the Caribbean, and Central America, even as far away as the Philippines. They grow easily in warm climates so it was an easy fruit to adopt, and it literally changed the way the world ate.
In Europe it took a little longer, as they were regarded with suspicion for a number of reasons. They were identified as part of the nightshade family, and though the fruit was edible, it was well understood that the plant itself was dangerous; that was hard for many to get over. As well, wealthy Europeans often ate off pewter plates. Pewter being a metal alloy includes tin, copper, sometimes lead, and sometimes silver. The acid in tomatoes reacts with many metals and lead poisoning could result when lead is present. It’s not the tomato’s fault, but the chemical reaction with tomato acid and the pewter dishware would definitely come to everyone’s attention. Consequently, in England and her colonies tomatoes were considered ‘unfit’ to eat. In fact in most of Europe (even Italy) for almost a century, tomatoes were grown primarily as an exotic ornamental plant in flower gardens. Ironically, the poorer people ate off wooden plates or pottery, so that chemical reaction would never have been an issue for the more common folk. Who could have guessed, that simply using clay dishes would make tomatoes wonderful, while using pewter dishes could make them deadly?
The plant’s ability to adapt and even to mutate, creating new and different varieties contributed to its spread throughout the warmer European countries. Still, it took a very long time for the fruit as a ‘food’, to gain favour among the general European population. Even in areas where the climate was perfect for growing them, the fact that they grew naturally along the ground suggested ‘low status’. Funny how people can be that way. Still it was a beautiful fruit, and for the rich, it became a tabletop decoration – not eaten, just enjoyed esthetically. Although tomatoes were embraced sooner in Spain and Portugal, it took nearly two hundred years before they were incorporated solidly into the bigger Mediterranean cuisine. But it was the invention of pizza in Naples, Italy in the late 19th century, that endeared tomatoes to Italians. By then, fears surrounding them had begun to fade, and tomatoes had grown immensely popular in America.
In the east, it was a very different story. From the Philippines (under Spanish colonialism), tomatoes spread to southeast Asian and then to the entire Asian continent. It was brought to India by Portuguese explorers and exploded in popularity as it was perfectly suited to the climate. Today, China is the highest consumer of tomatoes in the world, and India is second, but the sheer population of those two countries (being the most populace in the world) would account for that. Per capita, one might expect Italy to score the highest for consumption because we all have pizza, spaghetti, lasagna in mind, but in actual fact – Egypt, Turkey, Iran and Uzbekistan are all ahead of Italy. Yes, tomatoes play a big role in Mediterranean cuisine, but evidently they are pretty crucial in the cuisine of the Middle East as well. But the big surprise is the third highest consumer – the United States. 1. China 2. India 3. United States
and Now?
Tomatoes are the king of ‘versatility’, present in almost all cuisines. They can be used in soups and noodle dishes – like in China; curries – like in India; pasta dishes like in Italy; salads, grilled, gazpacho, and various stews in Europe and the Mediterranean; stewed – like in the Middle East; salsas – like in South and Central America; goulash in Eastern Europe – and an amazing cross over of all the above in our global adaptation to different cuisines. EVERYONE eats tomatoes.
Highly cultivated the world over – even in Russia and Scandinavia, tomatoes are one of the most popular backyard garden vegetables in North America. In northern climates like our own, they must be started indoors to extend the season long enough to make them viable, but that is not a problem when every commercial greenhouse grows thousands of them.
The varieties are endless, but there are essentially two distinct types of tomatoes: determinate and indeterminate. It’s easy to remember which is which because a ‘determinate‘ tomato is one that has a finite or ‘determined‘ size, and amount of fruit. It is a smaller plant, ‘determined‘ to grow to a ‘pre-determined’ height, with all its fruit coming on in a short amount of time – perfect for a climate like ours with a short growing season. Because of this, it is considered an annual even in its native land. It grows easily in a pot, or within the confines of a tomato cage, so for those who need something easily contained, it’s your best option.
An INdeterminate tomato on the other hand, will grow and grow and grow, continuing to produce new fruit until the winter kills it. In its native land or in warmer climates, it could grow for years, and left to its own it will be a trailing plant, continuing to grow along the ground. Everywhere the stem touches the ground is a potential spot for the plant to grow new roots, conceivably having innumerable new independent plants all along the trail. I have no idea how long it could grow, or how it would eventually die in its native Central and South America. In a temperate climate (with distinct seasonal changes) like our own, it is the winter that kills it, but during the growing season it never stops reaching to new heights.
are tomatoes good for you?
almost 2 1/2 pounds this tomato will be dinner tomorrow after a made a loaf of sourdough bread for it. It deserves a thick slice of toasted sourdough and some fresh pesto mayo. A September treat. These Romanian Giants are the best tasting tomatoes I’ve every grown.
YES! In a word, they sure are! Tomatoes are nutrient-rich powerhouses, packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Their secret ingredient is the antioxidant LYCOPENE, to which we owe the beautiful strong red colour. They reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer, improve eye health, digestive health, and the risk of osteoporosis. In the kitchen in they offer immense versatility and flavour.
* Fresh (as in uncooked) tomatoes are rich in vitamin C – a powerful antioxidant which is important for skin, bones, and connective tissue. It also promotes healing and helps the body absorb iron. * Fresh tomatoes are rich in Potassium – needed to build proteins in the body, including muscle. * Fresh tomatoes are rich in Vitamin K – required for blood to clot.
Like most fruits and vegetables, it is preferable to eat tomatoes FRESH, straight out of the garden to get the best nutrition and benefit. But that doesn’t mean that eating tomatoes grilled, fried, roasted, sauced, dried or juiced aren’t wonderfully good for us too. One of the best things about tomatoes is their versatility in adapting easily to an infinite number of different cooking styles, and using them in their many forms and styles opens up their full range of nutritional benefits.
There’s a very good reason they’re so popular in dishes ranging from Greek Salad to Thai Curry to Italian pasta to Mexican Pico de Gallo to toasted tomato sandwiches. Tomatoes have a unique flavour that isn’t found in any other vegetable. They are acidic, but less sour than other acidic fruits. That acid causes the colour to remain bright, but also contributes to the texture of the dish it is in, including acting as a tenderizer.
That’s at least — in part — why so many cultural cuisines such as Italian, Mexican, Middle Eastern etc rely on tomatoes in such a wide array of dishes. Foods like pasta and pizza sauces, stews, and casseroles rely on tomatoes. Because North American cuisine is made up of dishes and flavours from numerous immigrant cultures, it is no wonder we find ourselves reaching for tomatoes so often in the kitchen.
Growing
In North America, we generally plant tomato plants outside after all danger of frost is over. Starting seedlings indoors months in advance, is a must in Alberta, and if we cannot personally do so, not to worry – every greenhouse has a huge assortment to pick from. In Alberta, plan to plant them indoors by mid to late March at the latest. If you plant in February, they’ll be bigger, but sometimes that gets difficult to handle in the house. Expect to put them outside mid to late May, after all danger of frost has passed. You can grow them well into September in a typical year, but be prepared to cover up on cold nights, or to pick in a hurry if a cold front settles in.
Tomatoes love sun so pick the sunniest spot in your garden for them. Conventional wisdom suggests that crops be rotated every year, and for most vegetables I do that, but my one exception is tomatoes. In small backyard gardens its not always practical to change locations, and in mine, if they’re to have the sunniest spot, I am limited in my options. Growing in the same SPOT is not the same as growing in the same SOIL. My garden is set up for tomatoes to be in one spot, with a semi permanent trellis to tie them to. For this reason, my attention to soil amendment is important. Adding new compost and other organic matter every spring replenishes the soil’s fertility, and is my best line of defense against pests and disease. Rotating faithfully without taking proper care of your soil is only half the job.
When I plant a new tomato plant, I dig a DEEP hole – deep enough to bury all but the top 6 inches of the plant if possible. I put a raw egg in the bottom of the hole, crack it with my trowel and place the plant in the hole, laying it slightly if necessary to get as much of the stem below the surface as I can. This gives the plant a stronger base especially if your stem has gotten a little spindly before transplanting outdoors. If you look closely at the stem of a tomato plant (from the main stem to the little stems at the very end of each branch), you’ll notice thousands of little ‘hairs’ called “trichomes’. These have a distinctive ‘smell’ which is repugnant to pests, and their texture makes it difficult for ants and other insects to climb. You’ll also notice numerous small bumps or nodules along the lower stem – among the trichomes. These are potential root starts which will grow roots if that part of the plant touches soil. Burying the stem will allow all these little nodules to develop into roots, strengthening the base of plant. The broken egg adds protein to nourish the new plant as it grows, and calcium as the shell breaks down – which is an important nutrient for tomatoes.
Throughout the growing season, adding crushed egg shells to the base of your tomatoes adds the “promise of future calcium”. Calcium is important and egg shells take an entire season to break down, so its a long term commitment. Sprinkling egg shells will deter soft bodied pests like slugs and cutworms and will eventually breakdown to add calcium, so plan to add them often and throughout the growing time. Mulching with dry grass or compost around the base of your plants will keep water from evaporating too quickly and will add nutrients as it breaks down.
Tomatoes are a vine, but unlike other vines they don’t naturally climb up. They want to trail. Gardeners want them growing up to keep free air flow and to make best use of ground space. Stake them and tie frequently as they grow, securing them. I trim all lower leaves as the plant grows, at least for the lower 6-8 inches. As the plant grows and I can spare the room, I prune the lower leaves higher – as high as 18 inches. This prevents water from splashing on the leaves (which may cause decay and introduce disease), and allows light penetration and free air flow making for a healthier environment.
The tomato usually has a single main stem, but every branch has the potential of having a new stem grow out of its ‘elbow’, creating many other stems and directions for the plant to take. These additional stems are rarely suitable for staking purposes, so clip them out when you can. If your plant was allowed to grow for years and take over your garden, you might want to leave many of those sub stems on, but because of our shortened season, it is advisable to reduce them – encouraging the plant to put more energy into fruiting rather than building an empire.
Indeterminate tomato plants can easily grow 8-10 feet high, even in an Alberta summer. About the end of July, I begin topping mine off – pruning the growth that comes from the top, encouraging growth on the existing plant. By mid August I begin pruning all branches without fruit and the ends of the branches with fruit – reducing the energy going to green growth and redirecting it to existing fruit.
I plant a few cherry type tomatoes that will start producing early, ripening by mid July for early eating, and then bigger tomatoes for later eating and eventual harvest. That way I stretch the season of eating tomatoes out as long as I can.
Harvesting when they’re ripe
almost, but not quite ready. Give it another few days. These tomatoes are about 2 pounds each. Romanian Giants. As most heritage types, they’re not the prettiest tomatoes on the block, but definitely the most delicious I’ve ever grown. I’m committed to them.
Most of my earlier tomatoes are picked purely for eating out of hand or to add to garden salads. When the bigger ones start ripening and you’re picking to slice for a sandwich, look for firm texture and that beautiful red colour we all love. When the numbers increase and you can harvest more, then roast, grill or fry them to use as building blocks for pasta, soup, pizza, or to use as simple sides next to your favorite entrees. Two of our favourite ways to eat fresh tomatoes are on a toasted sandwich with pesto mayo, and in a fresh tomato bruschetta on focaccia or sour dough bread. Fresh tomato soup is a dish I wait all year for. For months not a single day goes by that tomatoes are not a major part of our meals. We’ve waited all year long for this season and I will not waste it.
When your tomatoes are ripening faster than you can use them – happy day. That’s when you look for ways to preserve the excess: can them in quarts or pints, make salsa to eat fresh or can, make roasted tomato sauce, freeze them whole to buy yourself some time, or freeze your roasted tomatoes, dry roast them in your oven with garlic, oil and a few herbs (my version of ‘sundried tomatoes’), or even dehydrate them in slices to use for tomato powder if you have enough.
Store at room temperature – in the kitchen – where you can see them and constantly pick out the ripe ones to use. They retain they’re distinctive acid-base flavour at room temperature. Never ever, ever store them in the refrigerator unless they’re ripening too fast and you intend to cook them right away anyway. Refrigerating them wrecks the taste of tomatoes and softens the texture. Once they’ve been refrigerated they’re only good for cooking.
On the other hand, a cut tomato must be refrigerated. Some say that storing it cut side down and wrapped in plastic is the best way, but time if of the essence. A day or two at most is all you can expect it to stay good.
Harvesting when they’re green
At the end of the season, covering your tomatoes with a big sheet for the night, is good protection for a short term frost. And its worth it, if there’s promise of another week or two of warm September weather. But if you have to do that every night, its time to give up and concede that summer is over. Get some big boxes out there and pick your tomatoes. Pull the plants out and turn upside down to see all the potential harvestable tomatoes. Twist and pull them off the stem and gently lay in the box. I separate the partially ripe ones so that I can keep a closer eye on them. Store them at room temperature.
Don’t waste anything: I prune the smaller branches off the main woody stalks and mow them up to add to our end-of-season compost. The big stalks I put in the city compost as they’ll take too long to decay in my little garden set up.
Saving seed
When you have a heritage tomato you’re in love with, do yourself a favour and save its seed for planting next late winter or early spring. Easy to do in a fully ripe tomato: simply use a spoon to scoop out some seed. Rinse in a fine sieve to get rid of additional pulp and lay the seed on a piece of paper towel in a single layer. Allow seeds to fully dry out on the paper towel, then roll it up, label the type and year with a black felt pen and store in in plastic or paper bag with your other seeds. That’s it. It really is that simple. When you’re ready to plant, gently remove the seed from the paper towel. If it doesn’t want to come off, no problem – just bury the piece of paper with the seed. It will germinate just fine.
Preserving tomatoes
CANNING: See my post Stocking Up: Food Preserving – Canning 101 for suggestions on canning tomatoes. Specifics: Blanching is important to help you peel them. The time table for canning tomatoes in a hot water bath is 35 minutes for a pint, 45 minutes for a quart. Use 1 teaspoon salt in a quart and 1/2 teaspoon in a pint. I also use 1 tablespoon lemon juice for quarts and 1/2 tablespoon for pints to up the acid level just a little. A friend told me this year that she adds coarsely ground peppercorns to her canned tomatoes which I think is a wonderful idea. I plan to do that. Might be my new thing.
FREEZING: When I freeze tomatoes I’m usually in a hurry – so I don’t prep them at all. I just put them whole in a freezer bag and try to lay them flat in the freezer till they freeze. I label them with a date of course, and I try to use them that first winter to free up freezer space and because freezing has a shorter shelf life than we might imagine.
tomato slices on a dehydrator rack
DEHYDRATING: is not my first choice for preserving tomatoes, and I would only use it as a method if I had lots to spare. Slice fresh ripe tomatoes, remove excess water and seeds, lay slices flat on your dehydrator racks. I try to keep the temperature around 110 degrees. It will take a good 24 hours+ to dry fully. When they’re crisp enough that you can break in half, they’re done. Store in a glass container out of the light. Use in soups or chilies. Or put them into the blender to powder them. Use the powder in place of tomato paste in any recipe.
yes its true I could make my own tomato powder, but its hard to beat the quality of Thrive Life products, so since I rarely have a harvest big enough to justify dehydrating, this is the tomato powder I choose to use. With a 25 year shelf life, its the perfect addition to my long term food storage.
This post is too long to add tomato recipes, so I’ll create another post for my favourite recipes. I’d love to hear some of yours too.
Homegrown tomatoes are my favourite garden crop. I hope you’ll grow them and discover the value of them and how easy it is to add them to your life. I’d love to hear your comments and your experiences with tomatoes.
At first glance you might think that a simple garden can do little to improve a community, but you’d be wrong. Sometimes, “By small and simple things great things are brought to pass“(1) Through community gardens, neighbourhoods come together, friendships are established, individuals become part of a thing bigger than themselves, and local governments forge new partnerships and connect with their residents. While it isn’t everyone’s cuppa tea, you don’t have to actually ‘garden’ to see the value in it, or to support one. Community gardens are a low cost way to repurpose wasted, unsightly space. What town or city in their right mind would turn down a well thought out plan to create one?
Take Sakaw Gardens for instance, in the heart of Mill Woods. At summer’s end of 2020, community member Myrna Peters pitched her idea of a community garden to those attending an Annual General meeting. Her idea was to use the space of a former ice rink in the nearby school field. It was enthusiastically embraced by the Millhurst Community League. In fact, a garden had been on their radar since a Needs Assessment Survey in 2015 determined that it was the number one choice for using that space. A volunteer willing to head up the project just hadn’t been found.
I was in that meeting – with other masked strangers sitting six feet apart. It was my first AGM for the community league. My interest was piqued – I was intrigued – I was allured – and I was excited about the possibilities – all at the same time. Like others in 2020, I had been feeling some compulsion toward community service, and had reached out – which is why I was in that meeting. But gardening! Gardening was a personal passion.
The stars aligned that day for a lot of people. For Myrna – her idea landed in fertile ground. For the community executive – they finally found a willing volunteer to head up a project they already supported. For me – this was something I already loved. I followed Myrna out to the parking lot, introduced myself, and gave her my phone number. I promised to do what I could to help her.
To say it all fell together would undermine the hundreds of hours of preparatory work that went into getting it off the ground. But there were a lot of things that did come together. First of all, we didn’t have to invent the wheel, we reached out to other community gardens and asked for help. Nearby Ridgewood Gardens freely shared their experience in getting their community garden up and functional. Coordinator Danna Schumann gave us a tour, highlighting their strengths and pitfalls and shared information that assisted us with our application to the city. They were two years ahead of us, so their experience was fresh and helpful. A handful of community members responded to the call, coming forward with skills necessary to get a project like this put together. We established a team, met regularly, applied for grants, coordinated volunteer efforts, jumped through hoops to comply with city requirements, and established friendships.
Two and a half years into our project, we have not only completed our Phase 1 and Phase 2, but are on track to complete Phase 3 by this spring. What are the different Phases? Well, funny you should ask, as I was just about to tell you.
Phase 1 was the garden itself: complete with 35 plots, some inground, some raised beds. Included were two public gardens, a school plot and a Food Bank plot.
Phase 2 began with an orchard including all things “Fruit”. Trees: apple, plum and cherry Bushes: saskatoon, raspberry, currant and gooseberry Plants: rhubarb and strawberry It also included a rabbit fence, a rain roof, a dry creek for runoff, picnic tables and benches, as well as a hardpack crushed limestone path connecting 11a avenue to the garden. We call this PAT’S PATH. And the jewel on Phase 2: six wheelchair garden boxes. We call these PAT’S PLANTERS.
Pat Whaley
Pat Whaley was a long time community volunteer who was a double amputee confined to a wheelchair. She wouldn’t want to defined this way, but it was a fact of her life and it affected every part of it. Pat was present in those early weeks while Myrna’s vision was unveiled, but she stopped Myrna in her tracks when she said “This is so awesome, but I’ll never be able to see it because I’ll never be able to get there.” Funny how one simple statement can stand out and haunt you. It changed everything for Myrna. It changed ‘the vision’. Before that year was over, Pat Whaley left this world for a better one. She left her wheelchair behind, but she’d made her point. It was agreed that a community garden should be INCLUSIVE, and that meant those in wheelchairs or walkers or with other mobility issues should be able to not only “get there“, but should be able to garden. Such is the legacy Pat Whaley left behind.
No doubt Pat looks on from her vantage point and is happy with what she sees. Her wistful comment back in the fall of 2020 inspired changes to the original plan that included six wheelchair accessible garden beds, a hard pack, crushed limestone path connecting the main sidewalk to the garden and winding through the orchard area, wheelchair accessible picnic tables, and swinging gates on our fence. Pat would also be happy to know that our Gazebo (Phase 3 and on schedule to be completed this spring) is at ground level, making it fully accessible by wheelchair.
In honour of Pat Whaley, at of the end of our 2022 season, six wheelchair beds were built, installed and filled.
They are reserved for wheelchair gardeners, and able bodied gardening volunteers stand ready to assist as needed, to make gardening at Sakaw accessible to all – even those in wheelchairs. Thank you Pat. You are remembered. And in response to your desire to partake, we hope to be accessible to others like you.
If you, or someone you know in a wheelchair, thought that eating vegetables you grew yourself was not possible, you were wrong. If you’re in the area, Sakaw Gardens welcomes you. Plots are available now to reserve on a first come basis.
warmly,
Cindy Suelzle
footnotes: 1. Alma 37:6
“a garden can be the salve that heals our hurting communities”
Face it – by the end of August, we cannot deny the inevitable any longer. Growth has slowed down, fruit and vegetables are ripening, plants are drying out and going to seed. They’re all doing what nature intends for us all to do at certain times – get ready for bed.
In the spring, we’re all excited about our gardens, but tucking our gardens in for the winter is an important step that is often missed entirely. When the weather gets colder and things stop growing, we lose interest in being in the garden, but missing this final seasonal detail is a mistake. It’s tempting to be a bit lazy, and I get it. Its dark earlier, weather isn’t great, dead and dying perennials are kinda hard to get excited about. But don’t fall for it. Your garden NEEDS you. Putting your garden to bed is an important step in it’s health next spring. Come on, give yourself one more final push, then you can both rest in the winter – guilt free.
There have been years I’ve tried extending the season by planting things like spinach at the end of August hoping for a late crop. There have been years I’ve tried to extend the season by heating the greenhouse into the fall. But the simple truth is, we don’t have the sun for it in Alberta. In September, we have the same amount of sun as we do in March. No matter how many nights you heat the greenhouse in September, you cannot fake the sun during the day, and plants need sun. You’d have more success extending the season by planting earlier in the season than you would extending the season in the fall. Winter has its purpose, it isn’t the great enemy of gardeners that we sometimes make it out to be. My opinion? Give it up. Let fall be fall. And get on with your life. BUT. Put your garden to bed first! So you can both rest comfortably.
late summer bouquet
What to get rid of and what not to get rid of? That is the question.
By September, there are always a bunch of dead and dying plants, some that seem to be coming into their own, and of course lots of weeds going to seed. Some gardeners follow the philosophy of clearing everything out and leaving a nice tidy garden bed. I don’t have anything quite so tidy as a “garden bed” in my yard. I have lots of planted space but its not all together. I have perennial flower beds on all four sides of the house, sunny flower beds, shady flower beds, some flower beds under trees, some tucked into shady corners. I have repurposed horse troughs, a currant patch, rhubarb patch, raspberry patch, grapes, fruit trees dispersed throughout, a dedicated herb garden and three raised beds for edibles, with edibles planted here and there among flowers and herbs. There are still tomatoes trying to ripen and root vegetables that are doing just fine where they are for now. Every garden has its own needs. But there are some rules of thumb that I apply to all.
1. Clean up
There is plenty of debate in this area ranging all the way from getting rid of everything to leaving it all for spring clean up, and everywhere in between. I’ve listened to much of it, applied the counsel that made sense to me, and in the end, I’ve come up with my own pattern that I’m happy with. Truth is however, that sometimes life gets in the way, and you simply don’t ‘get to it’ in time. Don’t beat yourself up when that happens; there will be other years to do it better. But for now, here’s the ‘general’ plan. Keep in mind that life is about compromise and there are exceptions to every rule.
First of all get rid of the dead stuff. That’s a natural. For the most part: if its dead pull it out. Throw it into the compost. exceptions: If some of the weeds have roots or seeds or perhaps a plant has a disease – you don’t want to risk taking that into next year by putting them into your backyard compost, so either get rid of them in *the garbage or *Burn them! Otherwise, into the compost they go. (for more information on backyard composting click here) If it’s a perennial that has died back, cut it off at the ground.
Annuals are easy. Just pull them out and throw them into the compost. Most of the time, I throw big piles of compostables on the lawn. We mow them up and throw them into the compost, or into some of the beds that could use them. When I say ‘we’, I mean of course ‘Dan’. Getting rid of dead plants and other debris removes winter shelter for pests, preventing future problems next spring. There are some diseases that can overwinter. You don’t want that lingering over into a fresh new start in the spring time; if there is disease – get it outta there. Getting rid of weeds at the end of the season gets rid of their seeds and roots, reducing their annoyance next spring. Yes I know they’re no longer visibly causing a problem, but they’re going to seed or developing strong root systems (sneaky little jerks), so get rid of them.
RULE: *Healthy plants – even weeds – compost them. In my books there are good weeds and bad weeds. Good weeds to me, are weeds that we eat and that I don’t mind propagating next year, like chickweed and lambs quarters. (see Making Friends with your Weeds) Bad weeds are stupid weeds like Trailing Bellflower (devil-weed), or rooty weeds like dandelions, horse radish, and thistle – those I do not compost. Or other weeds that make a lotta seeds. Yes I know that compost may take care of most of these problems . . . but I usually don’t risk it. There are very few plants I feel the need to eradicate, so I’m not gonna waste time feeling guilty about them. They should feel guilty for disappointing me so much. *Unhealthy plants – get rid of them. No exceptions. And not into your compost.
Remove tender summer-flowering bulbs such as dahlias and store them in your cold room or garage for planting next season. I personally have never brought my dahlias in for the winter, I just buy more in the spring, but this year I am in love with the dahlias I grew, so I’m gonna give it a try. Besides, I figure since I fuss for my geraniums, it can’t be much different. (see below for the geraniums)
But what about the plants that are not dead? I cannot bear to kill things that want to live so much that they thrive in the inhospitable dryness, reduced light and chilly nights of early fall. Those are the things I don’t get rid of. I still water them when needed and in return, they do what they do best – gladden my heart. They will die on their own when the cold of late October makes it impossible for them to do otherwise. I leave them where they are because they will trap snow which will protect all around them, and help with needed moisture when the snow melts in the spring.
There are also good bugs that need shelter in the winter, like lady bugs and their friends. So don’t clear everything out, find some balance.
RULE: get rid of the uglies – keep the beautiful; get rid of the sick and dead – keep the healthy and strong
2. Fall Planting
Fall planting is a way of taking advantage of the earliest that spring has to offer. SPINACH: Planting spinach in the fall before the snow flies, should give you an early yield. Select a spot that is protected, but that will get good sun in April and May. Lightly sow a patch of spinach. Throughout the winter, ensure it has a good covering of snow. When the warmth of April days melts the snow in some nice sunny spots, your spinach seed will sprout. They are not afraid of cold. They’ll just patiently wait till conditions are better and then start growing again.
DILL, POPPIES, CALENDULA and other herb and flower seeds can be sown at the time of harvest to pop up in the earliest days of May. Simply broadcast them in your desire spots and let nature do what she does best. The seeds need a winter, and protective snow.
Some plants that inadvertently get left in the garden, may resurrect in the spring. My rule of thumb is to let most things that want to grow – grow. You may have a sage plant that comes back, lemon balm, parsley, even kale. You may have volunteer lettuce plants start to grow because something went to seed last fall.
GARLIC: Plant your garlic before the ground freezes to harvest at the end of next summer.
Spring Bulbs. Yes I know fall is the time to plant daffodils and more tulips etc for spring blooms. I’m sorry. I’ve got nothing to offer here. I aspire to plant more bulbs in the fall, but its just one thing that I rarely find time for.
3. Bring them in
Some plants might be healthy enough to bring indoors. I always bring in some geraniums (see below), and often bring in a rosemary plant. I’ve tried lots of other herbs, but I simply don’t have the sun for them. If you have a beautiful sunny window, I strongly encourage giving them a try indoor. Prune down to about 1/2 its original size, trimming off everything brown. Shake the old soil off to get rid of any unwelcome hitch hikers, and maybe even rinse the roots off. Then replant in fresh soil, water well and set in your sunniest window.
GERANIUMS. I love geraniums, and they love me back. Red ones. Only red ones. I’ve tried other colours, but I kept coming back to red, and now I don’t bother with any other colour when I know that it’s red I really want. Their bright vibrant flowers cheer me all spring and summer long. At the end of it, I cannot bear to kill them, or let them them die while they’re still trying so hard to make the world a better place. So I bring them inside. In actual fact, though we think of them as annuals, geraniums are actually ‘tender’ perennials, and will tolerate temperatures down to about 7°C while still actively growing. That is truly heroic. Another reason I love them. I’ll bring two or three into the house and let them live in a sunny window all winter long. Their favourite temperature is between 12°- 18°C, which is ideal for in-house if you’ve got enough light. However, I find that in the winter even though I have a south facing bay window, winter sun is just not very impressive and they stop flowering shortly after they get moved inside. And by about January they start to get quite ‘leggy’. I just trim them as needed to try to keep them content. Its the least I could do for all the joy they bring me outside for five months.
geraniums at season’s end, still being beautiful
But I cannot invite all my geraniums into the living room, so I do something else. I put my three wooden window boxes in the garage. Ours is a heated garage though its usually pretty chilly out there. We only turn the furnace on when Dan’s working on a project, but apparently it fine for geraniums. Before a killer frost (so sometime mid to late September), I will hard prune the plants by about one third to one half, removing any dead, damaged or unhealthy parts. I check for stupid aphids (I hate aphids) or other problem critters or disease. I water deeply, then I put them up on a shelf in the garage, kinda out of the way but not so much out of the way that I forget they’re there.
I give them a drink of water a few times – maybe every 4-6 weeks. If they’re too outta sight, I’ll forget to water them, and even though they’re mostly dormant, they still need a little moisture now and again. By about March they start responding to the little bit of light they get from a frosted window and miraculously they start to green up. I am always amazed that they do this, and I regard it as one of nature’s miracles. It’s still cold outside, with snow and ice, but they start being true to their calling in life. March has about the same amount of sun as September. I take this new growth as a sign to give them more to drink. By mid April, I can start letting them sit outside on nice days, giving them more water. This gradually gets them used to outdoor light and regular watering. I don’t put them outside permanently till after May 1, and even after that I put a cloth over top if I expect freezing night time temperatures. I can’t risk losing them that late in the game.
I trim them back as needed, give them some healthy mulch and all purpose fertilizer, and we go right back to being old friends. They’re grateful to be back in their rightful place, and I’m grateful to have them. They resume bringing me joy, and I resume my supportive role as their care-giver.
Some garden herbs: I’ve tried pretty much all herbs in the house for winter and I just don’t have enough light, even with my south facing bay window. Yes, I know I can use grow lights, but most of my plants are in the living room, and I don’t want grow lights in there all winter long. There are some though, that seem to do better than others.
*ROSEMARY: I often bring a rosemary plant indoors. In fact for several years I’ve kept one in a pot that I moved in and out, but eventually I lost it by letting it dry out. It’s surprising how much water herbs require in the dry climate of a house in winter. If you have a particularly happy healthy rosemary plant, go ahead and dig it up. Trim it down by about half, remove the soil and gently rinse off the plant and roots. Be sure the pot is clean, and you’re using fresh soil, then transplant into its new home and bring it inside. Keep it in the sunniest spot and water when the soil surface feels dry to the touch.
*BAY LAUREL: I have a bay laurel plant I bring in and out and in and out, for about 8 years now. I am very invested in keeping this plant safe. I had a couple near misses this last year with it, but we weathered the storm together. I keep it in the same pot, so I’m not digging it up, but this year I was particularly careful about cleaning it. I trimmed all the ‘iffy’ branches or leaves (anything that wasn’t pristine), removed it from its pot, removed all the soil, gently rinsed the roots of all old soil and washed the pot. Then I transplanted it back into its original but cleaned up pot, and brought it back inside. It’s very happy.
*CUBAN OREGANO: Unlike regular oregano cuban oregano won’t survive our winter, so its best suited in a pot where it can come inside for the winter. Give it a sunny spot and it’s an easy-to-grow house plant that will be your friend for years with just a little care and attention. A member of the mint family, and often referred to as Mexican mint, it has characteristic thick, fuzzy leaves with a strong pleasing odor. Water when the soil surface feels dry to the touch.
4. gleaning – the final harvest
It’s true that in Sept and October, late fruits and vegetables are ready to harvest. Root crops like carrots, beets and potatoes; fruits like apples, plums and grapes. Some apples and plums may be ready in August, others in September or October. Generally, the grapes we grow in the Edmonton area are ready in September after the weather cools a little.
*BUT – There are hidden harvests that often get missed. Just open your eyes.
Gardens don’t cease to bless your lives just because its autumn.
dill seed ready to harvest
If you grew DILL this year, you probably have some that has gone to seed. Go get it. Pull the plant out of the ground, cut the head off and put it in a bowl. Shake or brush the seeds off the plant into the bowl. Broadcast a handful where you want dill next year, and gather the rest to save for more deliberate planting in the spring. Yes, there are many ways to use it in the kitchen if you have enough. I’ll admit it, I rarely allow my dill to go to seed, except for a few delegated plants off to the side. I do this because aphids usually accompany dill when it goes to seed, and I hate aphids. But this year, I had a ton of dill – way way way over planted. I picked all the green ferny dill weed that I could use, gave plenty away, and still had too many dill plants all going to seed at the same time. I watched for aphids but didn’t see anything excessive. I let them ripen, ever watchful, but I never saw a problem, so I proceeded. Lucky me, I got lots of dill seed to grow next year, and lots to bring into the house. Store your seed in a paper envelop, labelled and dated.
POPPIES. If you’re not growing poppies you’re missing out on one of nature’s loveliest offerings. Beautiful before they flower. Gorgeous iconic papery flowers. And just as beautiful in the late summer after they’ve gone to seed. You’ll know the seed is ripe when you can hear it rattle inside the seed pod. At that point, pull the plant out of the ground and turn upside down into a bowl. Shake the seeds out. Broadcast the seed from two or three heads at most (that’s a LOT of poppies) where you want them to grow next year, and save the rest for poppy seed bread, muffins, cake, cookies and salad dressing. BEANS and peas that didn’t get picked in time, are ripening and drying. When they’re fully developed, pick them and store them for seed next year, in a marked and dated paper envelop or lunch bag. CHIVES and GARLIC CHIVES have gone to seed, producing thousands of little black seeds. You can let them fall and have a million little chive plants growing everywhere next year, or you can harvest the seed to sprinkle on bread or over top other dishes. *hint: they’re entirely edible, but don’t expect too much in the way of flavour. GARLIC. Mid September is the time to harvest garlic, and to plant more. KALE is planted in various places throughout my yard. In the vegetable garden, in the rhubarb patch, the asparagus patch, and interspersed among perineal flowers and herbs. A few here and a few there. One or two act as a trap crop for annoying pests – thank you for your sacrifice. They’ll get eaten by chickens (who bytheway enjoy annoying pests). Don’t worry, I’ve got others. Kale is hardy, and even in September, it’s on stage doing a full encore. Beautiful. How can you not love kale? I pick it every few days to add to dinner, and if I pick more than we need, I dehydrate it. Super simple. Just strip leaves off the stems, wash and chop to put in the dehydrator. When dry, store in a jar to use all winter long. This spring I had an unexpected surprise. A kale plant over wintered and started producing harvestable kale by mid May. I let it do its own thing and as time when on, it began to flower and go to seed. So by September I have a lot of beautiful ripe kale seed in pods. A gift. NASTURTIUMS have been giving all season long. But as much as I used their greens and flowers, some flowers always get left behind to go to seed. This is good, as I am all about collecting seed right now. SWEET PEAS are annual climbing flowers, that are so bright and cheerful, and hardy that they can be friends with everyone. I’ve always thought they should be spring or at least early summer flowers, but they do best, as summer progresses into August. They’ll go to seed if you let the last few flowers ripen. Easy to collect. I highly recommend starting them in-doors well ahead of growing season. This year (2022) is the first year I’ve let mine go to seed so that I can plant inside next April. The pods look very similar to pea pods (who’d suspected right? lol), and as they ripen the seeds are so perfect that it would have been a shame not to collect them. Having said that, if you wait to long, they’ll open and drop their seeds, but I have yet to have had one survive the winter and volunteer in the spring. SUNFLOWERS are ripening. Cut the smaller flowers for kitchen bouquets, but let the bigger ones ripen. If the seeds are still immature (white), but a nice size, bring them in, they’re delicious in salads and stir fries as a vegetable. If they’re big heads, share some with the birds over the winter. I leave them face up in several different places throughout the yard where wild birds like to hang out when its cold. Our favourite place is just outside our kitchen window where we can enjoy watching them all winter long. Its a win-win.
Lots of herbs are still doing beautifully, but its time to cut them down for the last time and bring them in for winter use. Sage, rosemary, tarragon, stevia, mint of course, lemon balm, oregano, thyme, parsley, lemon verbena, . . . My lavender gave me some late sprigs to add to what has already been harvested. Thank you Lavender.
Look around you – there is more bounty than you may have expected.
5. Mulch and other ‘protection‘
Everybody likes a comfy blanket. In gardens we call it ‘mulch’.
homemade patchwork quilt
My mom, throwing an additional blanket over top of me in bed on a cold winter’s night, is a comforting childhood memory. It provided a little weight, and that weight provided warmth.
Our gardens would appreciate an additional insulating blanket against the harshness of winter too. Some plants might be a little sensitive to the bitter cold of some winters that we have no control over and cannot always predict, but sometimes its simply a matter of protecting the bare soil and friendly critters in it. What kind of blanket? Nice clean fallen leaves that are so plentiful in the fall, is a perfect mulch. Between one to three inches is recommended. In the absence of leaves, the final mowing of dried grass would be good, or chopped/mowed up straw. Don’t use wood chips in the garden; they detract from the soil long before they can possibly add to it.
In addition to protecting the soil and plants in it, mulch slowly adds nutrients and humus. Humus is the Latin world for ‘earth’ or ‘ground. It refers to that dark organic matter in soil which comes from the decomposition of plants and animal matter. That a good thing because it improves soil structure, aeration, and water holding capabilities. Aeration reduces the compaction of soil, allowing roots to take up nutrients and spread out healthily.
Leaves or straw won’t magically disappear over the winter, miraculously becoming humus. Some of it will still be quite identifiable as leaves and straw in the spring, but some (the bottom layer) has begun to decompose. I simply rake off the identifiables and mow them up with the first mowings of spring to be used to as a top layer in an area I want to amend, as mulch between rows, or the beginning of this year’s compost. A good winter’s mulch is a beautiful start in prepping your soil for spring. Just sayin’ . . . . .
winter protection from foraging animals
Most urban yards don’t suffer too much from animals like deer foraging over the winter, but rabbits can be a problem. They ate the bark from my daughter’s lilac tree a few winters ago, and killed it. If you live in an area where rabbits might be an issue for you, wrap the bottom three or four feet loosely with chicken wire. Why so high? When the snow is deep and the rabbit is sitting on top of the snow, that is where they’ll be nibbling.
tips to remember 1. Disease is not something you want to add to your compost. Get rid of those plants. Either burn them or garbage them. 2. Roots like trailing bell flower, horse radish and dandelion, and seeds like thistle are not things you want in your compost. Get rid of them. Either burn them or garbage them. 3. Its helpful to mow up your bigger pieces before putting them into your compost. This speeds up the process of breaking down, a good thing.
6. Watering trees in late autumn keeps them healthy and strong
clockwise from upper left: Red Elderberry, Spruce, Honeycrisp Apple, Evans Sour Cherry
While your trees are dropping their leaves, or just after, they would appreciate a good long drink. Give both evergreen and deciduous trees a long, slow, deep watering. This is important, but the timing is particular. Too early might signal the tree toward new growth and may slow the onset of dormancy. Dormancy is not a light switch, it is a progressive stage allowing trees to prepare for colder weather and eventual freeze up. Too late (after the ground freezes) prevents the water from seeping into the soil and reaching the feeder roots. How will you know when the time is right? Look to your trees. Deciduous (leafy) trees will tell you the time is right when their leaves have fallen. This will also be your hint to water their neighbours, the evergreen trees. Because evergreens don’t go into full dormancy, they will actively use water throughout the year, except for when its really cold, so its even more important that they get a good watering in the fall.
Don’t water mature trees right up near the trunk, as the roots that need water will be further out – closer to where the canopy of the tree extends. The exception to this rule is newly planted trees who’s roots might still be close to the initial root ball.
Put your hose on the ground and water slowly so that the water doesn’t puddle on the surface. You’re looking to moisten the top foot of soil around the perimeter of the ‘drip line’ (distance from the trunk to as far as the outside branches reach). “Moisten” does not mean “soggy”. Testing the moisture level is easy – insert a wooden stick or a metal rod into the soil. Where the soil is moist, the stake should slide in easily. When it meets with resistance, that signifies to you that the soil is dry. You’re looking for about a foot of moistened soil. Anything deeper is of no value and is wasted.
Watering earlier in the day gives the roots time to absorb the moisture before the temperature drops at night.
Bonus tip 1. Protect your garden tools and equipment
Hold on! You’re not done yet. I know its tempting to just go inside when the cold hits and shut the door, but pay attention to your tools. They deserve it. Whether you have a garden shed or space in the garage, or box in the basement – use it. Don’t leave your clippers or spade outside to rust.
Tools: Clean them and put them in a box. Seed trays and pots: Wash them and store them where they’ll be easy to retrieve in the late winter or early spring when you’ll need them. Maintenance: Now is the time to fix those annoying little things that have needed patching all summer long.
Bonus tip 2. Garden journal
Hopefully you’ve been keeping a garden journal all along, but if you haven’t right now would be a good time to start one. Record the dates you harvested this or that, and the general yield. Record the temperatures in these close out days for reference next year. Record the seeds you harvested. Make sure you store them in paper envelopes, labelled and dated. Record your successes and failures and your ideas for fixing them next year – while they’re still fresh in your mind. I promise you will not remember them otherwise. Record what varieties did well, and what did not, what you’ll be sure to repeat and what you will not. Maybe you are an avid journaler, maybe you’re more of a casual note taker, but whatever you are – DO SOMETHING. I promise you’ll be happy you did when you go to reference it next spring.
stand back and enjoy the immense satisfaction of a “job well done” . . .
In my case its a challenge to even know where to begin when its time to wrap things up for the season. I rarely have two or three days that I can devote to the work of putting my garden to bed, and my ‘gardens’ are all over the yard, full of perennials. I catch a few hours here and there to go out and work, but the job is pretty overwhelming when you’re doing it in pieces. I find the only way I can proceed with any feeling of accomplishment is if I start in one corner and proceed in a single direction. ‘Finishing a piece’ with no intention of coming back to it till spring, helps me systematically make it through the whole yard.
Standing back to admire what you’ve done once in awhile is satisfying. Standing back when you’re ALL done, is immensely satisfying, but the truth is, there are seasons, that I never completely make it through the whole yard. Yes, I wish I had, but life simply gets busy and sometimes the snow comes before I am ready for it. Nothing to do in that case, but get on with my life, and try to do better next year.
*hint: don’t wait till its COLD and the job is horrible. On September 1, you KNOW cold days are coming. Start the job of putting your garden to bed while the weather is still pleasant – removing (or pruning back) those plants that have already given you everything they have to give, and deserve their rest.
Good Night Garden. Enjoy your rest. I’ll enjoy mine.
I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences about getting your garden ready for bed and tucking it in for the winter, as well as your comments on some of the things discussed here.
. Ironic eh?
