Which Came First?

 Have you been to the store lately and seen the price of eggs?  OMG!  If you don't have chickens, maybe it is something you might consider.  Backyard chickens are a hobby or maybe a necessity for many rural, urban, and suburban families.  Since the pandemic which created lockdowns, and shortages, and had more and more people eating from home, backyard chicken raising has exploded in popularity.  There aren't really firm statistics on backyard chicken farmers, but estimates by the USDA come in around 5% of American households raising chicks for eggs, pets, or meat.  

In a study by United Egg producers, they point to the increase in egg consumption as being another reason for increased backyard chickens.  In fact, the consumption of Americans has increased by 15% in the last 20 years!

We have been raising chickens for about 25 years.  In fact,


when we moved from Colorado to Missouri, we moved our chickens with us.  We have never sold our eggs, but rather have given them to friends and family, who in turn, do similar favors for us.  Last year, we had been giving our neighbors eggs as we had extras.  In turn, they provided valuable horse manure for our garden....and they even delivered it!

We have never eaten our chickens, but I guess I am not totally opposed to it.  Our plan for the future is if we end up with any roosters, they will become dinner, but our hens will provide us with eggs only. Right now, we have a mixed bag.  We hatched some eggs last year and they all turned out to be roosters.  Two are gone and we still have two.  One is a bantam.  One is his son.  We have three bantam hens (one is retired), three regular-sized hens, a fuzzy chicken we call Big Bird who we think is a rooster, five regular-sized, teenagers (not old enough to lay) and one guinea hen.  

We eat a fair amount of eggs.  They are a great protein source and we use them for breakfast main course, in a salad, or when we bake.  But that is a lot of eggshells.  

Eggshells are rich in calcium carbonate.  Just like calcium is good for strong bones, it helps to strengthen a plant's roots.  But how do you get all that good stuff into your plants?

I'm sure that there are all kinds of ways and opinions on how to do this, but here is what I do:

I save my eggshells.  You know those favorite gallon ice cream buckets I use for everything?  Well I use that for egg shells too.  Every time I break an egg, I stick the shells in the bucket and put the lid on.  (They can get a little stinky)  When the bucket gets full, I grind the shells up with my little Ninja food chopper.  You can grind them as fine as you like.  I don't quite grind my into a powder, more like oatmeal size.  

I put them into quart jars and when they are full, just put any lid on them.  You don't have to worry about using brand-new lids since you are not really canning the shells.  After I have done all of the shells, I put the jars in my 250 degree oven for about 20 minutes or so.  

Don't be surprised if you hear the lids pop like you would if you were canning veggies.  It just means that it has drawn a bit of a vacuum.  The heat just helps get rid of bacteria and odor.  I store my shells in the basement with my canned goods.  In the spring, I use them on my tomatoes when I first plant them.  

You want to plant tomatoes in a hole that is larger than the pot the seedling is growing in.  This is true if you buy a plant or plant a seedling that you started from seed.  Sprinkle a half cup or so of the shells into the bottom of the hole.  Place your plant and soil above it and water well.  Your tomatoes will be stronger, healthier and produce fewer tomatoes with blossom rot.  

If you haven't given any thought to raising chickens, now is a good time to start your plan.  That way by Spring you will be ready to welcome little fuzzy chicks to your home!

Frost Warning, Seed Saving, and Pruning

 So we had our first frost warning and I still have many tomatoes on the vine.  Rather than lose them, I decided to pick the ones that are ripe, partially ripe, and the large green ones.  I mean, how many could that be? Right?

I only took seven of my gallon tubs back to the garden, so when I filled them up, I quit picking.  I left some green cherry tomatoes, some green Romas, and some of the smaller greens because I flat ran out of room.  I picked the one zucchini that was left, a couple of small scallop squash, and all the peppers that were decent size.  

The tomatoes that are partially ripened, even if they are just starting to turn colors will continue to ripen.  Some people say to put them in a window, but I just left them in the tubs and after a few days, I had many ripe tomatoes.  In fact, I froze a couple of gallon bags so far.  I am not much of a fan of green tomatoes but I did gift them to some people who are.  The ones that are not ripening are great treats for my goats, so I take them a couple each feeding instead of animal crackers for treats.  The chickens like them too!

Today I decided I had better do something with the peppers.  I love fresh bell peppers on a salad, but I just can't eat this many that fast.  So I freeze them in strips for use in fajitas, soups, or a million other ways.  A little trick that I use when cutting up this many peppers, especially when they are on the small size like these is to use kitchen shears.  Works like a charm.  

When you cut the top of the pepper at the stem end, you pull out the center core and the seeds that are with it.  After all the money I spent on seedlings last year, I decided to start as many as possible from seeds.  These plants were great producers so I kept some of the seeds.  

The seeds are wet so to store them you have to let them dry out or they will mold.  So I taped a paper towel to a plastic lid and put the seeds on it to dry.  After they are completely dry, just put them in a baggy and store them until next year.  

I also had some jalapenos to preserve.  My husband loves jalapenos.  Me....not so much.  I used some of them in my salsa and I canned a few jars for him in a dilly brine for him to put on burgers.  The few I have from this last picking aren't enough to do much with.  I decided the best way is to chop them and package them for use in chili, casseroles, etc.

So what seems like a hundred years ago, I used to work for a Mexican food manufacturer.  We made refried beans, salsas, tortillas, etc. and processed them and sold them to supermarkets.  One year we hired a guy who was an ex-football player.  He was given the job of grinding the peppers for the salsa.  It was a standing joke that he cried like a girl because he didn't wear gloves that the jalapenos burnt his skin.  Well, I am here to tell you that it is not a joke.  Jalapenos contain capsaicin, a chemical that produces the burning sensation that you feel when you eat spicy food.  If you get this on the skin, you will feel like you are on fire.  So, if you are new to working with hot peppers, rule #1:  Always wear gloves.  Rule #2:  Do not touch your eyes or other parts of your body with your gloved hand.

Recently I found this box of disposable food-grade gloves at a garage sale for a quarter.  They are the kind that they wear at the Sub shop when they are making your sandwich.  These work great!  And they are so cheap that if you need to take them off, you can just get a new pair when you are done.  

I used my little Ninja food chopper.  After coring the peppers and taking out many of the seeds, I ground them up and packaged a tablespoon in each of several bags.  I can just throw these into whatever I am cooking.  Easy Peasy.  

I had these little bags in my craft supplies.  After I packaged up a half dozen or so, I put them in sandwich bags and stuck them in the freezer.  Make sure you mark the bags so if you forget, which I am likely to do, you know what you have.

There were quite a few seeds so I saved some and set them out to dry in the same way I did the bell pepper seeds.

. You can freeze peppers without blanching and when using jalapenos, customize the package to fit your needs.  If you like your food spicier, leave in more seeds or make the portions larger.  They do tend to get soft when thawed, so it is best to use them in cooking.

After finishing up with my peppers, I headed out to the flower garden to trim back some of the Rose of Sharon bushes that are taking over.  I pruned them back really far and took the branches and leaves to Laverne and Shirley for a little goat treat.  I also decided to save some marigold seeds while I was in there messing around.  I have done this for years and it is easy and nearly mistake-proof.  As marigolds finish flowering, the flower dries and leaves a pod.  It will dry out and produce seeds.  I have beautiful marigolds every year and never buy any seeds.  

Separate the seeds from the pod and put them on a paper towel to completely dry out.  I share these seeds with my friends and family.  Marigolds love bright sunlight, warm or hot weather, and are known to keep deer and rabbits away because of their distinct smell.

One final pic before I go.  Our front yard Maple tree is showing her stuff this year.  I really think she likes Fall too!

The Garden is Winding Down

I never thought I would say this:  I am sick of tomatoes.  I love 'em.  I hate 'em.  The taste is divine. And homegrown are the best!  But this year our tomatoes have gone above and beyond anything I could ever wish for.  I can honestly say that I have eaten tomatoes at least once a day for the last two months.  But the season is winding down and my pantry is getting full and I am getting tired.

Not expecting a bumper crop, I planted all kinds of tomato seedlings.  Big boys, Early girls, cherry tomatoes, Romas, and a whole bunch that I don't even know what we have.  So far this year I have made two batches of salsa, two batches of tomato soup, diced tomatoes, tomato juice, chili sauce, pasta sauce, and soup starter.  And they just keep coming!

This week has been so busy.  With no time to can, I wash the tomatoes, core them, put them in gallon freezer bags, and stick them in the freezer until things slow down a little.  Today was the day!

I had three gallon bags in the freezer and a gallon ice cream container of unfrozen tomatoes.

I use this old strainer that I have had forever and dip the tomatoes into boiling water for just a few minutes.  Fresh tomatoes don't have to stay in as long as the frozen ones.

Another one of my ice cream containers is filled with cold water and ice.  Plunge the tomatoes into the ice water and the skins come magically off!

I save all the peelings and cores.  My chickens love them!

Using the food processor, I grind the tomatoes, leaving all that good pulp and seeds in the mixture.

Heat it till boiling. I had so much that I had to use two pans.  While it is heating, I take my clean water bath canner and fill with water (I fill to the last ring on the top), and turn on.  I sterilized my jars and lids in this clean water.  Fill the jars with your tomatoes, and add 1/2 tsp of salt, and 1/2 tablespoon of lemon juice to each pint jar.  Of course, if you are using quarts, double that.  Put in the water bath canner for 45 minutes.  

It's okay if you choose to use quart jars.  There are only two of us here so I use the pints.  I use these tomatoes all year long in soup, chili, or any other recipe that calls for canned tomatoes.  

Out of my tomatoes today, I got 12 pints.  The bad thing about that is that my canner only holds 8 pints so I had to run two batches.  

Confession time:  I hope I don't get visited by the police.  My kitchen looks like a murder scene. Tomatoes are about the messiest of any vegetable (or fruit) that I have ever preserved.  And unfortunately, I am a sloppy cook.  

Oh, yes, I have had this food processor for over 30 years.  I like old things....just like me.

Here is a little hint.  When canning, put a little vinegar in the canner before use.  It helps keep the jars pretty and sparkly.  I forgot on my first batch and had to wipe down each jar and lid.  This is especially important if you have hard water or live in the country with a well.

I did squeeze in a little time to put out my garage sale wagon and some pumpkins and gourds from the garden.  I bought the mums at a flea market for $10.  We had everything else.  I love fall 

Getting ready for Babies

 I saw this picture on Facebook the other day.  It was a photo of a baby goat and it was labeled "Bankruptcy Starter Package."  And I totally get it.  Between feed and hay and meds when needed, it can get kinda pricy.  But since we are on a tight budget, we do a lot with what we have or can find cheaply.

Our goats were a gift.  My son bought them for us for Christmas.  We built our barn from mostly wood from our property.  This serves a dual purpose.  Much of the property is overgrown, and older trees get disease or rot and younger ones cannot thrive under crowded conditions.  This helps us thin the trees so the ones that we keep are strong and healthy.

We had to buy the siding and the roof material, as well as some wood for support, but all the cross pieces and uprights were cut from oak or cedar from the property.  

Even the fence posts came from the property.  

We had to cut this huge tree that was in the way of getting sunlight to the garden.  Randy used his chain saw mill to make lumber for the stalls and fencing.  Any wood that couldn't be used for the barn was split for firewood.

The barn is 15' x 15' and is divided into three sections.  The first half is for two does, a quarter is for Mr. Bill, and the other quarter is for feed and hay storage.  Eventually, we will be moving  Mr. Bill to a new location and we will use his quarters for babies.  The hay storage will be relocated and the current space will be used for milking.  

We spent less than $1000 on the barn and fence.  Of course, this was built in 2021.  Prices are much different now.  Since we are breeding our does this month, we are preparing for babies.  We have enlarged the pasture and cross-fenced some of it so we will be able to re-seed it.  Goats clear weeds and brush, it's true.  And everything else in their path.

We were at our local feed store and they had a stack of metal outside.  We asked about it and they told us their mowers were shipped in these metal crates.  They were selling them and we made them an offer of $25 per crate.  Our first three crates were able to build the four gates that we needed for the new pasture.  

 

For less than $100, we were able to get four gates that are heavy-duty and strong.  This would have normally cost us over $500 if we had purchased from the local home improvement or feed store.  Now we are working on a small barn for Bill so we can start preparing for babies.  Goats have a five-month gestation period so if we breed now, in early spring we should be blessed with little ones.