Potatoes, Carrots & Camping. Summer In The Country
What do potatoes and carrots have in common with a camping trip?
I have never seen a kid who does not like to go camping or dig potatoes and carrots. I am not saying there is no one. I have never seen one. I think it is the connection with mother earth.
We have lots of potatoes to dig. If you dig over 10lbs we will wash them in the root washer. Saturday or Sunday.
Summer In the country.
Many of you are old enough to remember people who lived through the depression era. They were my Grandparents Generation. One time I asked my grandfather “what was it like to live through the depression. He said that they didn’t have money, but they always had enough food to eat. He said, “it was not so for many who lived in the cities”. It seems even in these modern times many go through their own personal financial depression. Today we have so many government social programs that people do not need to worry about where they are going to get their next meal.
My family insulated themselves against hunger by growing gardens, fruit and harvesting their own animals. It was just what we did in the late summer and fall. We had pantries full of jars, cellars that could store potatoes and apples. The whole family participated. I remember Mom dumping a bushel basket of green beans on the table for me to snap. I wonder where my sisters were? I would snap the ends off while my mother jarred them up.
One good memory is making sour kraut with Grandpa. He had a 3-gallon crock. I remember him slicing the cabbage with a kraut cutter. He would sprinkle salt as he layered and packed the crock. He never measured the salt; he just knew how much was enough. He made sure we packed the kraut with a piece of wood until the juice covered the slaw. The lid was lost to his crock, so he used a plate and a rock to keep the cabbage under the juice. He would make a joke about the sweet smell of fermenting cabbage and store it in the cool of the garage or cellar. He told me once, if the top dried out and molded you could scrape it off until you get down to the good. He loved the stuff.
I am really glad that these skills are still practiced by many of you. You are insulating your family against hard times.
We offer produce in large volumes; Corn, strawberries and tomatoes at discounted prices to help keep the traditions going to the next generation.
Sweet Corn – I have good luck just cutting from the cob and freezing. The older varieties of sweet corn needed blanching to stop the enzymes from turning the sugar into starch. I did it without blanching and it was good in January. 20 ears for $10.00. It may have a small amount of bird damage at the top of the cob.
Tomatoes – Grade be various ripeness at $1.00 lb . I listened to you and planted a large volume of San Marzano type sauce tomatoes. $1.85 Lb by the box. Min 10 lbs
Strawberries – Freeze whole for smoothies, jam or jellies, or eat morning noon and night. You pick 20 lbs or more we reduce the price to 4 lb. Plus give you a small melon of your choice.