Welcome back Homesteaders! Today we are going to talk about how to
start your own seeds and give you a little history about tomatoes. And
for those of you who like paranormal romances, stay tuned at the end of
the show for a book review!
Seed Starting
http://www.motherearthnews.com/Organic-Gardening/2005-12-01/Seed-Starting-Basics.aspx
http://www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/seed-starting-zm0z12fmzsto.aspx
Tomatoes
Fresh Salsa
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Yield: Makes 2 to 3 Cups
Ingredients:
- 4 medium tomatoes, cored, seeds removed, chopped
- 2 medium cloves garlic, finely minced
- 2 to 3 tablespoons finely chopped sweet onion or yellow onion
- 1 to 2 tablespoons minced jalapeno or serrano pepper
- 2 heaping tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- salt and pepper, to taste
Preparation:
In a bowl, combine all ingredients and stir to blend.
Cover and refrigerate until serving time.
http://southernfood.about.com/od/salsarecipes/r/Classic-Salsa.htm
Homemade Ketchup
This homemade ketchup takes time, but the final
result is well worth the effort. I start this the day before, then I
refrigerate the tomato pulp and liquid mixture to boil down and process
the next day.
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 teaspoons celery seeds
- 2 teaspoons whole cloves
- 1 (3- to 4-inch) cinnamon stick, broken into small pieces
- 1/2 teaspoon whole allspice berries
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 1/2 cups cider vinegar
- 12 pounds tomatoes, cored and coarsely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 small hot red pepper, finely chopped, or 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons pickling salt
Preparation:
Put the celery seeds, cloves, cinnamon, allspice, and mustard seeds in a cheesecloth bag. Tie up and set aside.
In a small stainless steel or enamel-lined saucepan, combine the
vinegar and spice bag. Bring to a full boil. Remove from heat and let
stand for 25 minutes. Remove the spice bag and discard. Set the vinegar
aside.
In a large stainless steel or enamel-lined kettle (at least 8 to 12
quart size), combine the chopped tomatoes, garlic, onion, and red pepper
or cayenne. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to
medium-low and continue at a gently boil, stirring frequently, for 25
minutes. Add the spiced vinegar to the tomato mixture and continue
cooking, stirring frequently, for 30 minutes longer.
Drain the tomatoes into a large stainless steel saucepan, then put
them through a food mill to extract as much juice and pulp into the
saucepan as possible. Discard the solids. Add sugar and salt to the
extracted pulp and juices. At this point, you can refrigerate this
mixture overnight and finish the next day. Bring the tomato pulp mixture
to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low and
boil for about 2 hours, or until reduced by about 2/3 and thickened to a
ketchup consistency.
Meanwhile, prepare the work area, canner, jars, and lids. See
Preparing Jars for Canning and Boiling Water Processing.
Fill jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Use a small plastic or
stainless steel spatula to remove air bubbles, wipe rims with a damp
cloth, and fit with lids and seals.
Transfer to a rack in the canner and lower into the hot water. Add
more water, as needed, so you have 1 inch over the jars. Cover, bring
to a boil, and continue boiling gently for 15 minutes.
Makes 3 pints.
http://southernfood.about.com/od/tomatoes/r/r90715bb.htm
Book Review
Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble: The Jolie Wilkins Series, Book 1 by H.P. Mallory
· ISBN-10: 1453812954
· ISBN-13: 978-1453812952
Amazon: Kindle 0.99 Used $3.08
B&N: $21 used Nook 0.99
Toil and Trouble, a Paranormal Romance (Jolie Wilkins Series, Book # 2) by H.P. Mallory
· ISBN-10: 1456428810
· ISBN-13: 978-1456428815
Amazon: Kindle $3.99
B&N: Nook $3.99
Witchful Thinking Release date 2/28/12
$7.99 paperback and Nook and Kindle
· ISBN-10: 0345531450
· ISBN-13: 978-0345531452
http://hpmallory.com/
Growth Zones
http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/26/10234634-new-climate-controversy-us-map-shows-warmer-planting-conditions
http://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/
Difficulty: 2 (1=easiest :: hardest=5) 
