Pressing Apples

Today we went to our son and daughter-in-law's house to help them press apples.  They live in a house built around the turn of the 20th century which is blessed with a pair of old apple trees.  Our son built his own equipment for grinding and pressing the apples from instructions he found on the Internet.  All of the wood is sealed with wax to protect the wood and keep the juice pure.  We brought a laundry basket full of a selection of our own apples and our daughter brought 2 big tubs from her own tree.  This is truly a family affair!

Everything was set up in the back yard.  A table on the lawn is the apple preparation centre where we cut up the apples to get them ready for the grinder.

Under the grape arbour stands the grinder.  This is a simple but very clever machine.  Apples are forced down with the tamper which is resting on the top of the grinder in the picture above. Inside the chute is a hardwood drum with screws set in it.

A small electric motor turns the drum.  The screw heads on the drum tear up the apples which fall into a large white bucket standing under the grinder.

The press itself is operated by a car jack which presses down on the bundles of apple pieces.  The juice lands in a tray with a hole at one end which directs the juice into a large container below.

First a slatted rack is set on the tray and a square shaper is placed on the rack.

A cloth cut from a high thread count sheet is draped in the shaper.

Apple grindings go into the cloth-lined shaper.

The cloth is folded over the grindings.

Then the shaper is removed from the bundle.

Another rack goes on top and the whole process is performed again until sufficient bundles are in place so that the jack can operate.  In this pressing, there were six bundles.  Finally a solid piece of wood goes on the top, the jack is put in position and the pressing starts.

We did four pressings today and got 11 gallon jugs of juice plus lots left in the big stock pot to sample fresh - almost 3 jugs per pressing.  The juice was truly delicious!  Tonight the juice will be pasteurized and sealed in double-sized beer bottles.  Lots of tasty juice for the winter from fresh organically grown apples.

All that was left was to clean up after a very productive afternoon - and even that was fun for Gaba and grandson.

Grape Jelly

Having made lots of raisins and given away baskets of grapes, I was still left with quite a lot.  I swithered between making juice and jelly.  When my daughter recounted how she'd turned her grape harvest into jelly, I decided to give that a try.

The first step was to pick the grapes off the bunches and crush them.  I shortened that step by picking them into my food processor and whirring them up with the plastic blade as opposed to the sharp metal one.

Boiling the crushed grapes with a little water

Then I boiled them up with a little water (instructions I found online suggested a cup of water to 10 cups of crushed grapes) for 10 minutes.

Straining the juice

I then draped cheesecloth in a large measuring bowl and poured the mess into it.  The cheesecloth was gathered together, tied with string and finally suspended over the measuring bowl.  I strained the grapes for a couple of hours.  The resulting juice was cooled in the fridge overnight and the required amount carefully poured off leaving the sediment behind.  I needed 4 cups for the jelly.

In a large Dutch oven, I combined 4 cups of grape juice and 7 cups of sugar, brought it to a full rolling boil for a couple of minutes.  Then I added a package of liquid pectin and boiled it for another minute.  The resulting jelly was scooped into sterilized glass jars, lids added and screwed down.  I got 8 jars of pretty pink grape jelly.

Pretty pink grape jelly

I still have another basket of grapes left and these were processed to juice and will be frozen in 4-cup ziplock bags for making into jelly during the winter.  Outside I see there are still a few bunches which have escaped the ravages of the raccoons.  It's been a good year for grapes.  I have my fingers crossed for another good year in 2015!

Looking Back - 2014

Now that the main gardening season is coming to a close, it's time to take a look back at what worked, what didn't and how things can be improved.

SUCCESSES

Onions - the best crop ever!  Huge onions and only 2 transplants failed.  In view of what I discovered when I turned over this bed after harvest, I'm not sure why the onions were so successful.  The bed was full of cedar roots!  Perhaps it was the soil itself.  Last year this bed held tomatoes.  The tomatoes themselves weren't that successful mainly due to the fact that the varieties I chose weren't what I really wanted.  A lot of tomatoes fell and were turned into the soil.  So perhaps this bed got some extra nutrients other beds didn't.  Likewise, the shallots and multiplier onions were also good crops.  I have a nice basket of fat shallot bulbs and lots of multiplier onions to start next year's crop.  In addition, I planted 5 multiplier bulbs in the winter bed as an experiment.

Tomatoes - again, the best crop ever.  This time, I'm crediting the success to the varieties I grew.  Principe Borghese always gives me lots of little tomatoes for dehydrating.  Classica turned out to be a good producer as well.  The star of the tomato bed was Health Kick.  I have lots of packages of roasted tomato sauce in the freezer, 2 batches of salsa tucked away in my canning shelves and plenty of dried tomatoes in the pantry.  I'll be growing more Health Kick plants next year - not so much for myself, but because those I gave plants to had similar successes and would like more plants.

Squash - 4 Waltham Butternut plants gave me an abundance of squashes - 20 to be exact and 2 more that may yet ripen before frost.  Next year I might grow squash in the compost bin as I'm going to stop the Three Sisters experiment - more on that later.  Although my husband is not crazy about squash, I love it.  The squashes I have will keep nicely and at Thanksgiving, I'll be using at least one to make butternut squash pie which beats pumpkin pie hands down.  Recipe at a later date!

Swiss Chard - I grew about 5 each of Bright Lights and Silverado.  The Bright Lights plants have huge, colourful leaves, much bigger than the Silverado, so the production is much better on the Bright Lights.  I'll be keeping the plants through the winter.  These 10 plants have given us lots of meals and bunches to give away as well.

Strawberries - This is the first year I can really count strawberries as a success.  This was mainly due to the fact that the raccoons didn't discover them and we netted them against the birds.  We had many lovely desserts of strawberries and ice cream!  The variety is Totem and they are in one of the 4x4 beds.  This fall, I'll have my husband weed-eat the leaves off them, give them a good drink of fish fertilizer and the last of the SeaSoil so that we can have a good crop of strawberries next year.

Grapes - again, this is due to the fact that we beat out the raccoons.  This is only the third time we've done it and I can't hazard a guess as to whether next year we get a crop.  I have one quart jar full of raisins in the pantry and 6 trays in the dehydrator.  And there are lots more waiting their turn!

DISAPPOINTMENTS

Potato Grow Bags - I went into the experiment with high hopes, but this hasn't worked out.  I think growing the plants so close together doesn't give them enough nutrients.  Also, it was difficult to keep sufficient moisture on them.  I will grow potatoes again, but I'll grow in them in the raised beds instead.  We particularly liked Pacific Russet (for baked and mashed potatoes) and Seiglinde (wonderful for potato salads) and were disappointed in German Butter but perhaps that's because they were grown in the bags.

Beets - not sure why they didn't turn out the way I'd hoped.  A friend tells me her beets were disappointing, too.  Perhaps the soil wasn't rich enough.  The beets were small and didn't grow well at all.  I'll prepare the soil better next time.

Parsnips - the germination rate was very poor.  I was using year old seed and perhaps parsnip seeds don't keep well.  I'll buy new seeds for next year.

Herb Pots - another experiment that didn't turn out as I'd hoped.  It seemed like such a good idea to grow these closer to the kitchen, but I think they'd all be better for being in the ground.  I think that our deck didn't receive enough sunshine for the plants.  I'll stick to flowers on the deck in future!

Three Sisters - another experiment that I thought was working out well, but in retrospect have decided that the three plants are better off on their own.  The corn did okay except that because I was growing it with other plants, I didn't seed as much as I would have liked to.  The squash was very happy.   The beans were disappointing.  I hardly got any for picking as they were too hard to find in the foliage.  I think that next year I'll use half a bed for corn and grow a few beans in amongst them just for the stability they provide.  Squash will grow elsewhere.

VEGGIES THAT NEED IMPROVEMENT

Asparagus - my plants are nearing the end of their productive lives.  I have 2 beds a couple of years apart in age, the oldest of which is probably about 16 years old now.  We'll pull up them and replant with new stock after enriching the bed.  Then next year, we'll change the other bed.

Beans - while the beans were productive, my bean rack is too tall for me to reach them.  I'd like to set up some kind of arbour for the beans to grow on so that it will be easier to pick them.

Peppers - the main problem here was the soil in the pots.  One pot had some of the soil I used to fill the potato grow bags.  This plant (a cayenne) grew well and produced lots of attractive red peppers.  The other pots had a different brand of soil and you can really see the difference in the health of the plants.  The plants that were in the raised beds grew well.  Next year I might set aside half a bed for peppers and create some kind of plastic tunnel over them to give them more heat so they produce earlier and last longer.

We Beat the Raccoons - Mostly!

5 baskets of Candice grapes - the best harvest ever!

This afternoon was scheduled for picking the Candice grapes.  There's been an excellent crop and so far no sign of raccoons.  So out I went with my kitchen stepladder and a basket or two in hand - to discover that the raccoons had, indeed, discovered the grapes.  There were a few destroyed bunches on the ground along with a number of leaves.  Perhaps only one raccoon.  Who would no doubt tell his family to come back tonight!

This meant that we had to pick everything we wanted NOW whether as ripe as we'd like or not.  So ten minutes later using the kitchen stepladder and a taller wooden one we snipped off the bunches and filled five baskets!  There are still quite a few bunches left, but they're the least ripe ones.  I'm betting by tomorrow there won't be any grapes left!

And now the dehydrator gets into high gear.  Dehydrating grapes is a sticky business.  So far I've done five trays and each time had to pick the grapes off the trays.  Then the trays went into the dishwasher to get all the stickiness off them.  I'm wondering if a quick blast with cooking spray will make it easier and have determined to give it a try.  The fact that the grapes aren't as fully ripe as I'd like doesn't really matter.  They still make excellent raisins.

So far I have one quart jar full of raisins.  I'm sure that in a couple of days' time, it will be joined by several more.  Winter baking is going to be so satisfying with our own raisins.

The Winter Bed

This has been an awkward year for the garden.  Just when it was starting to kick into high gear, life got in the way.  What with one thing or another, there just hasn't been the time to devote to the garden.  And this year, the name Messy Gardener really applies!  The vegetable beds have not been weeded properly and I haven't been able to take full advantage of the produce.

Today, however, it was time to start thinking ahead.  Time to get the winter garden in gear!  The bed that had the onions has been designated as the winter bed.  After the onions were harvested, I turned over the bed - and discovered that the cedar trees around my garden have managed not only to find a way in, but have widened those cracks and taken full advantage of the lovely soil in the bed!  It took a lot of hard work to cut the roots away and pull them from the soil, but it was finally done.  The combination of a very dry summer and cedar roots had left the soil very dry, so I've been watering this bed to prepare it for the plants to I'd planned to install in it.  A lazy woman's purchase 6 Red Russian Kale and 6 Red Sails Lettuce were bedded in as well as multiplier onions from this year's crop.

Kale and lettuce plants for winter use

This bed was also designated for garlic.  I went in with my daughter to buy fresh garlic bulbs to augment three of the best bulbs from this year's harvest.  First the soil was prepared - a good litre of my homemade fertilizer was worked into the soil.  Then the cloves were planted with the new varieties - Spanish Roja, Leningrad and Czech - being labeled for future reference.  There are now 52 potential garlic bulbs nestled down in the soil.  Then the whole bed was mulched with what is left of the SeaSoil and watered well.

Bright Lights Swiss Chard

In spite of my neglect, a number of things are doing well.  This has been a good year for the Swiss Chard.  From only about a dozen Bright Lights and Silverado, we've had lots of meals and it should do well through the winter as well.

Cantaloupe

There's one enormous cantaloupe and a number of smaller ones.  I won't be growing them again, but we'll enjoy what we have for this year.  I'm not sure what I'll grow in the compost bin next year - perhaps squash.  The Waltham Butternut has been excellent this year and if it gets the benefit of a compost bin next year, it should be even better.

Liberty Apple

Now that we're in September, the apples are coming ripe.  Our favourite has always been the little Liberty tree.  Beautiful crisp, tart little apples with brilliant red skins.  This tree was originally nearer the house.  Overshadowed by big trees and well nibbled by deer, when my husband suggested moving it, I didn't give it much hope.  It's thrived, however, and every year is so loaded with apples that the branches touch the ground, even after rigorous thinning in the spring.

And finally, on the flower side, the autumn crocuses are in full bloom.  They are always such a surprise!

I'm hoping that next year's garden with be able to benefit from more care than this year's garden got.  And with gardening it's always, "Next year, I plan to......"  With a garden, there's alway hope.

Shhhh! Don't tell the raccoons...

... but the Candice grapes are ripening!  They don't ripen all at once, so I'm picking about every other day.  What gets picked goes straight into the dehydrator.

I set the dehydrator for 135F and start with 24 hours.  It usually takes longer - about 36 hours - but this way I'm keeping an eye on the grapes.  I dry them until they're really dry - and pretty hard as well.  I'd rather err on the side of caution than find out I haven't done them enough and they start to get mouldy.

When it's time to use them, I sometimes soak them in a small amount of hot water.  The water goes into the baking as well.  Candice grapes are small, pinkish and seedless.  They dry fairly quickly and I don't have to pierce them as you do with larger grapes.  When dehydrated, they have a tart grapey taste.

We have two other grapevines up in the garden growing against the fence; a purple and a green.  Because they've had competition from the cedars, the soil is quite acid and fairly dry as the cedars are greedy when it comes to water.  I've limed the soil for the last couple of years and this year, we finally have some purple grapes.  I've long since forgotten the varieties, but the purple ones are sweet and tasty.  Perhaps I'll give them some water next year even though grapes don't need all that much and I'll be sure to lime the soil again.

There are still lots of bunches on the Candice vine and I'll monitor them every day, picking the ripest bunches.  This will only be the third time I've beaten the raccoons.  It would sure be nice to get the whole crop, but I won't bank on it.  In the meantime, I'm very grateful for what I do get!

Roasted Butternut Squash

There always seems to be a glut of something in a garden!  The tomatoes are slowing down - in fact they've almost stopped.  Whew!  But now there are a lot of butternut squash to deal with.  Fortunately, they'll keep throughout the winter but as my husband is not a squash lover, I need to find ways to cook it so that he'll eat some.  Squash is so good for you!

Today I tried Roasted Butternut Squash.  As it's virtually candied (caramelized!) I'm sure he's going to make an exception for this one.

First the squash must be peeled, seeded and cut into 1" cubes.

Next it's mixed together with oil, brown sugar and spices.

Finally the squash cubes are spaced out on a cookie sheet lined with foil (for easy cleanup) and baked.  Make sure the cubes are spaced out.  If not they'll steam rather than bake and you won't get the caramelization.  The resulting delicious little morsels are good hot or even cold the next day.  Worth a try!


Roasted Butternut Squash

1 squash; peeled, seeded and cut into 1" cubes
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt

Mix squash cubes with oil and spices.  Space out on a foil-lined cookie sheet.  Bake at 425F for 40 to 45 minutes.

Hazelnuts

Every year at harvest time, it's a battle against the critters to bring in some of our favourite crops.  In the nearly 16 years we've been tending a grapevine that produces wonderful little seedless grapes, we've only managed to beat the raccoons twice.  It seems that a day or two before I judge the grapes are ready for picking, I'll head out in the morning ready to pick and find - none.

It's much the same with the hazelnuts, although I've had better luck there.  It's easiest to just let the nuts fall and gather them from the ground.  This doesn't work here.  In the past, I was squeezing the ripening nuts from their husks and getting most of the harvest.  I don't mind losing a nut or two to our little native red squirrels as they're not hugely greedy.  Last year, however, I got nothing.   This greedy predator is the raccoon.  They can also do a lot of damage as they break the more slender branches as they strip the bushes.

This morning I went out to see how the hazelnuts are coming along and discovered several bunches on the ground, some with nuts still in and others empty.  Time to pick!

Hazelnut hiding under a branch

The nuts aren't that easy to see.  Encased in husks that are the same colour as the leaves, you can only see them from below.  Branches must be lifted up and the tops of the bushes have to be pulled down to get at the nuts.  We pulled them off, husks and all.

2014 harvest

We have four bushes.  One produces heavily, another is a lot bigger, produces very few nuts and the other two are young and not in production yet.  They have Perigord truffle spores inoculated in their roots!  I hesitate to take out the unproductive bush because perhaps you need a couple of varieties for pollination.  From mainly the one bush, we harvested a basket of nuts in their husks.  There are probably a few nuts still in the bush, but the squirrels are welcome to them.

Hazelnuts drying on a tray

We spread the nuts on a tray in the potting shed to dry.  Some of the nuts are ripe already and have fallen from the husks.  Hopefully the little mouse who helped himself to my corn seeds has moved to more a productive location and will leave the hazelnuts alone!