On Sun, 15 Jun 2014 10:16:49 -0400, songbird
wrote:

bluechick wrote:
songbird wrote:

I can sympathize. Dewberry picking is much the same, plus dealing
with thorns. At least with blackberries, it's mostly standing and
moving instead of kneeling and crouching. That can kill your back and
knees. Hope you had good luck with the strawberry picking and that
you had enough for a double batch.

i filled up another sink in an hour and a half
of picking (larger berries make things go much
faster). set aside enough mashed berries for
eight batches of jam and had enough sugar and
jars to do four batches later on. those 12 pints
set up perfectly and are safely frozen by now.
the other four batches i'll do later today when
Ma returns from town.

Yep, you were busy! Glad you got all that done. I had to quit after
one batch since I didn't have enough sugar. Could have sworn I had
another 5 lbs in the pantry. Must have grown legs and taken a walk.
At least I can rest up tonight and do another batch or two
tomorrow. I re-measured after last night's processing. Even after
today's batch of jelly was done I still have over 10 cups of juice!
Gah! I don't want to see another blackberry this season.

i've called in reinforcements for picking there's
a lot still out there that i'm not going to use.
many gallons worth. in previous years i've been
done with planting by now and could go out and
pick and process berries to give them away to
others for shortcake, etc. but this year, nope,
they're going to have to pick if they want them.

Amen to that! Everyone wants my jelly after all that work. Just me
and DH doing the picking while braving heat, mosquitoes and ticks.
Yep, they're hiding in the blackberry bushes - we've seen 4 of the
vile things either on us or in the sink after rinsing the berries. I'm
now more worried about ticks than I am snakes. But enough of those
grabby hands wanting the finished product. They can pick the berries
if they want 'em. We've invited everyone over to pick but surprise!
They won't do it.

there's some newer neighbors i've not met yet
that i might pop over today and invite them to
pick too.

I hope you have better luck than we've had, trying to get people to
pick. I hate to have fruit rot on the plant or go 100% to the birds
and bugs. Seems wasteful, but one can only pick and process so much
before it gets to be too big an ordeal.

Fran Farmer wrote:
....
You might find these useful:
http://www.nevdgp.org.au/info/murtag...Elowerback.htm
and also
http://www.nevdgp.org.au/info/murtag...racicspine.htm

thanks, i'm familiar with both of those in
various forms. i don't tend to exercise in
the summer as much as i need to stretch once
in a while to offset tired muscles from
gardening.


I've recommended these to a couple of USians I've met online and they've
said they worked well to relieve pain and enable comfortable movements
again. My husband and I both use these exercises when we need to do so
and found them helpful.

yes, when i had a middle back trouble many
years ago similar back exercises helped a
great deal to relieve the problem. after
months of trouble and pain, once i started
exercises it moderated the pain enough that
i could start sleeping again within just a
few weeks.


songbird

bluechick wrote:
....
I hope you have better luck than we've had, trying to get people to
pick. I hate to have fruit rot on the plant or go 100% to the birds
and bugs. Seems wasteful, but one can only pick and process so much
before it gets to be too big an ordeal.

so far nobody has arrived, but perhaps this
week... i'm still out picking fresh berries
for us to eat every day i can get outside.

i know what you mean though, so few people
actually will do anything these days that
involves much effort. when they get hungry
enough they'll have to figure it out.

later this year i'll probably turn under
half of what is in these patches, i sure
don't need this many plants and the soil
will appreciate the organic matter. in spots
some of them are getting rather weedy so that
is how to deal with that in a pretty time
efficient manner.


songbird

On 6/14/2014 4:38 PM, bluechick wrote:
On Sat, 14 Jun 2014 10:23:31 -0400, songbird
wrote:

ok, well enough dew should be dried off now and i can
get out and pick strawberries. we'll see how that goes
and if i'll have enough for a second large batch. i'll
pick all day, clean them up tonight and make jam
tomorrow. my lower back needs a few hours rests between
bouts of picking, standing, etc (but it is doing pretty
good which is why i know when to take a break : ) ).

I can sympathize. Dewberry picking is much the same, plus dealing
with thorns. At least with blackberries, it's mostly standing and
moving instead of kneeling and crouching. That can kill your back and
knees. Hope you had good luck with the strawberry picking and that
you had enough for a double batch.

Some years ago my daughter, seeing me rub my back from stoop picking,
bought me an Ames Garden Buddy. It is a little plastic wagon for hauling
and the handle folds down into a nice seat. I put it alongside the
raised beds (used to just put it between the rows in the in ground
garden) and scoot it along with my feet while I pick, pull weeds, or
just generally mess with the garden. Really helps with a bad back. I
have also seen one that is basically a tractor seat on four wheels,
haven't tried that one.

The Garden Buddy lives on the back porch close to the garden. May have
to get one for my Lady Wife as she keeps swiping mine.

George, who picked a peck of peppers yesterday and today.

On 6/15/2014 9:16 AM, songbird wrote:
bluechick wrote:
songbird wrote:

ok, well enough dew should be dried off now and i can
get out and pick strawberries. we'll see how that goes
and if i'll have enough for a second large batch. i'll
pick all day, clean them up tonight and make jam
tomorrow. my lower back needs a few hours rests between
bouts of picking, standing, etc (but it is doing pretty
good which is why i know when to take a break : ) ).

I can sympathize. Dewberry picking is much the same, plus dealing
with thorns. At least with blackberries, it's mostly standing and
moving instead of kneeling and crouching. That can kill your back and
knees. Hope you had good luck with the strawberry picking and that
you had enough for a double batch.

i filled up another sink in an hour and a half
of picking (larger berries make things go much
faster). set aside enough mashed berries for
eight batches of jam and had enough sugar and
jars to do four batches later on. those 12 pints
set up perfectly and are safely frozen by now.
the other four batches i'll do later today when
Ma returns from town.

i've called in reinforcements for picking there's
a lot still out there that i'm not going to use.
many gallons worth. in previous years i've been
done with planting by now and could go out and
pick and process berries to give them away to
others for shortcake, etc. but this year, nope,
they're going to have to pick if they want them.

there's some newer neighbors i've not met yet
that i might pop over today and invite them to
pick too.


songbird

Curious minds and all that songbird, why make freezer jam? I just don't
have enough freezer place to store jams and jellies so I boiling water
bath can them. Not finding fault, just curious.

George

On 6/16/2014 8:34 PM, bluechick wrote:
On Sun, 15 Jun 2014 10:16:49 -0400, songbird
wrote:

bluechick wrote:
songbird wrote:

I can sympathize. Dewberry picking is much the same, plus dealing
with thorns. At least with blackberries, it's mostly standing and
moving instead of kneeling and crouching. That can kill your back and
knees. Hope you had good luck with the strawberry picking and that
you had enough for a double batch.

i filled up another sink in an hour and a half
of picking (larger berries make things go much
faster). set aside enough mashed berries for
eight batches of jam and had enough sugar and
jars to do four batches later on. those 12 pints
set up perfectly and are safely frozen by now.
the other four batches i'll do later today when
Ma returns from town.

Yep, you were busy! Glad you got all that done. I had to quit after
one batch since I didn't have enough sugar. Could have sworn I had
another 5 lbs in the pantry. Must have grown legs and taken a walk.
At least I can rest up tonight and do another batch or two
tomorrow. I re-measured after last night's processing. Even after
today's batch of jelly was done I still have over 10 cups of juice!
Gah! I don't want to see another blackberry this season.

i've called in reinforcements for picking there's
a lot still out there that i'm not going to use.
many gallons worth. in previous years i've been
done with planting by now and could go out and
pick and process berries to give them away to
others for shortcake, etc. but this year, nope,
they're going to have to pick if they want them.

Amen to that! Everyone wants my jelly after all that work. Just me
and DH doing the picking while braving heat, mosquitoes and ticks.
Yep, they're hiding in the blackberry bushes - we've seen 4 of the
vile things either on us or in the sink after rinsing the berries. I'm
now more worried about ticks than I am snakes. But enough of those
grabby hands wanting the finished product. They can pick the berries
if they want 'em. We've invited everyone over to pick but surprise!
They won't do it.

there's some newer neighbors i've not met yet
that i might pop over today and invite them to
pick too.

I hope you have better luck than we've had, trying to get people to
pick. I hate to have fruit rot on the plant or go 100% to the birds
and bugs. Seems wasteful, but one can only pick and process so much
before it gets to be too big an ordeal.

To bad you're not nearby, we love picking FREE fruit. Around here we
have to go to a berry farm and pay to pick, still cheaper than
supermarket prices. We miss all the nice people in Louisiana who allowed
us to pick muscadines, pears, persimmons, oranges, grapefruit, and other
fruits for free. They got rewarded with jellies, jams, and multiple
goodies for their generosity. We will probably go back there this fall
and pick a hundred lbs of canning pears and stay with friends while we
do it. Nice folks those Cajuns.

George

George Shirley wrote:
....
Curious minds and all that songbird, why make freezer jam? I just don't
have enough freezer place to store jams and jellies so I boiling water
bath can them. Not finding fault, just curious.

4 cups of sugar instead of 7 per batch and a
better overall flavor (not cooking it leaves a
lot more of the strawberry complexity intact).

we don't have much freezer space either and i
understand the conundrum, but for the strawberry
jam supply for the next year we do have that
space.

i've already given away most of the jam that
didn't quite set right.


songbird

On Tue, 17 Jun 2014 11:09:32 -0500, George Shirley
wrote:

To bad you're not nearby, we love picking FREE fruit. Around here we
have to go to a berry farm and pay to pick, still cheaper than
supermarket prices. We miss all the nice people in Louisiana who allowed
us to pick muscadines, pears, persimmons, oranges, grapefruit, and other
fruits for free. They got rewarded with jellies, jams, and multiple
goodies for their generosity. We will probably go back there this fall
and pick a hundred lbs of canning pears and stay with friends while we
do it. Nice folks those Cajuns.

George

I wish you were close by too. You would be welcomed with open arms.
I'd even shove a basket at you so you'd have something to carry the
blackberries in.

Giving them jellies and jams is a nice payback. I hope you get to
pick tons of fruit this fall and visit with old friends. Have you
been back since you moved to Texas?

On Tue, 17 Jun 2014 11:04:00 -0500, George Shirley
wrote:

Some years ago my daughter, seeing me rub my back from stoop picking,
bought me an Ames Garden Buddy. It is a little plastic wagon for hauling
and the handle folds down into a nice seat. I put it alongside the
raised beds (used to just put it between the rows in the in ground
garden) and scoot it along with my feet while I pick, pull weeds, or
just generally mess with the garden. Really helps with a bad back. I
have also seen one that is basically a tractor seat on four wheels,
haven't tried that one.

My husband has something similar and loves it. He scoots all over the
place. Ran over my foot with that thing too!

The Garden Buddy lives on the back porch close to the garden. May have
to get one for my Lady Wife as she keeps swiping mine.

George, who picked a peck of peppers yesterday and today.

You and songbird have been busier than the rest of us put together.

On 6/17/2014 10:08 PM, bluechick wrote:
On Tue, 17 Jun 2014 11:09:32 -0500, George Shirley
wrote:

To bad you're not nearby, we love picking FREE fruit. Around here we
have to go to a berry farm and pay to pick, still cheaper than
supermarket prices. We miss all the nice people in Louisiana who allowed
us to pick muscadines, pears, persimmons, oranges, grapefruit, and other
fruits for free. They got rewarded with jellies, jams, and multiple
goodies for their generosity. We will probably go back there this fall
and pick a hundred lbs of canning pears and stay with friends while we
do it. Nice folks those Cajuns.

George

I wish you were close by too. You would be welcomed with open arms.
I'd even shove a basket at you so you'd have something to carry the
blackberries in.

Giving them jellies and jams is a nice payback. I hope you get to
pick tons of fruit this fall and visit with old friends. Have you
been back since you moved to Texas?

At least twice a year we go back, lots of long time friends there. A
couple of them are coming here next weekend. You stay close to people
for 24 years and you sort of get attached at the hip. That 24 years in
Louisiana is the longest we have lived anywhere in 54 years of marriage.
We've live in at least three states and two foreign countries over those
years and have made friends in all of them.

George

On 6/17/2014 12:46 PM, songbird wrote:
George Shirley wrote:
...
Curious minds and all that songbird, why make freezer jam? I just don't
have enough freezer place to store jams and jellies so I boiling water
bath can them. Not finding fault, just curious.

4 cups of sugar instead of 7 per batch and a
better overall flavor (not cooking it leaves a
lot more of the strawberry complexity intact).

we don't have much freezer space either and i
understand the conundrum, but for the strawberry
jam supply for the next year we do have that
space.

i've already given away most of the jam that
didn't quite set right.


songbird

I buy strawberries at the market for my wife, I do not like the taste
and texture of modern strawberries. The one's my mother grew back in the
forties and fifties were small with lots of flavor. I guess, as we age,
our tastes change. Some things I used to love to eat now are not so
tasty to me. Dear wife loves mangoes, I despise them but love papaya.
First time I ate a papaya was in Bangkok in 1981, fell in love with them
and still buy one at the market every once in awhile. Most fruits are
enjoyable to me as I eat a lot of fruit.

On 6/17/2014 10:08 PM, bluechick wrote:
On Tue, 17 Jun 2014 11:04:00 -0500, George Shirley
wrote:

Some years ago my daughter, seeing me rub my back from stoop picking,
bought me an Ames Garden Buddy. It is a little plastic wagon for hauling
and the handle folds down into a nice seat. I put it alongside the
raised beds (used to just put it between the rows in the in ground
garden) and scoot it along with my feet while I pick, pull weeds, or
just generally mess with the garden. Really helps with a bad back. I
have also seen one that is basically a tractor seat on four wheels,
haven't tried that one.

My husband has something similar and loves it. He scoots all over the
place. Ran over my foot with that thing too!

The Garden Buddy lives on the back porch close to the garden. May have
to get one for my Lady Wife as she keeps swiping mine.

George, who picked a peck of peppers yesterday and today.

You and songbird have been busier than the rest of us put together.

Our garden does weird things, one day there is a tiny zucchini, two days
later it weighs over two lbs and is still seedless. Harvested and
shredded half of that one for zuke bread and casseroles. The other half
will get cooked into a casserole today. Same with Ichiban eggplant,
maybe three inches long today, eight to ten inches long tomorrow. I
guess it our watering cycle that pumps them up. I'm still waiting for
the Hopi lima beans to fill up, anxious to try them, may end up drying a
bunch and put them in a big jar for winter beans and cornbread or beans
and rice. Staples here in the souf'.

On Wed, 18 Jun 2014 08:50:46 -0500, George Shirley
wrote:

Our garden does weird things, one day there is a tiny zucchini, two days
later it weighs over two lbs and is still seedless. Harvested and
shredded half of that one for zuke bread and casseroles. The other half
will get cooked into a casserole today. Same with Ichiban eggplant,
maybe three inches long today, eight to ten inches long tomorrow. I
guess it our watering cycle that pumps them up. I'm still waiting for
the Hopi lima beans to fill up, anxious to try them, may end up drying a
bunch and put them in a big jar for winter beans and cornbread or beans
and rice. Staples here in the souf'.

Ours goes in cycles as well. I guess it's from lots of rain or after
a good watering. Then the plants go completely wild. For example, we
planted a luffa in one unused corner of the garden and it sat there,
all meek and mild. Then we had a fairly heavy rain one morning. I'll
swear that the next day it was three times its size, sending tendrils
all over trying to climb a bamboo pole, the fence, anything that was
standing still. FrankenLuffa! Maybe that kind of growth spurt is
normal for a luffa (this is our first time growing it) but I've never
seen anything like it. If it doesn't produce huge bath sponges I will
be very disappointed.

George Shirley wrote:
I buy strawberries at the market for my wife, I do not like the taste
and texture of modern strawberries. The one's my mother grew back in
the forties and fifties were small with lots of flavor. I guess, as
we age, our tastes change. Some things I used to love to eat now are
not so tasty to me.

And supermarkt strawberries are grown for looks not flavour. It may not be
you that has changed.

Dear wife loves mangoes, I despise them but love
papaya. First time I ate a papaya was in Bangkok in 1981, fell in
love with them and still buy one at the market every once in awhile.
Most fruits are enjoyable to me as I eat a lot of fruit.

Odd, I have never before met anybody who despises mangoes. Some are
indiferent but most love them. But we give the seeds to babies as teething
aids.

D

David Hare-Scott wrote:
George Shirley wrote:
I buy strawberries at the market for my wife, I do not like the taste
and texture of modern strawberries. The one's my mother grew back in
the forties and fifties were small with lots of flavor. I guess, as
we age, our tastes change. Some things I used to love to eat now are
not so tasty to me.

And supermarkt strawberries are grown for looks not flavour. It may not be
you that has changed.

and they are not picked anywhere near when they
are fully ripe, in order that they have a chance of
surviving picking, packing, transit, storage, etc.

the berries i picked today, many of them were
so ripe that another day they'd be too ripe.
stacked in the sink they'll mash each other and
drip, but they are very sweet and smell wonderful.

i'm trying to make my first batch of fruit
leather tonight. not sure how it will turn out
yet...


Dear wife loves mangoes, I despise them but love
papaya. First time I ate a papaya was in Bangkok in 1981, fell in
love with them and still buy one at the market every once in awhile.
Most fruits are enjoyable to me as I eat a lot of fruit.

Odd, I have never before met anybody who despises mangoes. Some are
indiferent but most love them. But we give the seeds to babies as teething
aids.

some people do not like resinous notes (which i
do taste in mangoes when i eat them). i love 'em
and wish i could have a mango tree.


songbird