Attila and I went picking strawberries this morning. We were there before they began to let people into the parking area, and had to wait parked at the side of the road. It was not a long wait.
The strawberry crop this year is beautiful! There were some strawberries with small spots of rot on them, not for the basket, so as not to pay for poor quality fruit. It was a shame to leave them though, just that one spot! If it was my own strawberry patch I would have kept them in a separate basket to process immediately. But alas, pick your own businesses do not accommodate lower prices for defective fruit, so those lovely slightly flawed berries were left to rot.
The sun is very strong, so I was quite grateful to be wearing a hat. Goodness, working crouched on the ground is getting more difficult, and painful, the older I get. It took an hour to pick four three-litre containers, which cost $39.
Arriving home, processing the strawberries began immediately. Working together, the strawberries were washed twice, hulled, sliced, then layered with sugar in two large stock pots. They will sit for five hours, then heated gently to a boil, then jarred, then steam canned.
The strawberries with sugar need to sit for five or more hours before going forward with the project, so we will be canning this evening.
I am looking forward to canning, as I have a new stainless steel steam canner to try out. The stainless steel canner will work on the induction hotplate, but canning is too intense for our little countertop induction burner. I have two steam canners now, and so can process 14 jars at the same time. This should make steam canning large quantities a lot more efficient, and easier.
But first I have to assemble, and calibrate the new canner!
The jar on the right is a fruit fly trap. Three days ago I saw a fruit fly crawling on the coffee filter lid of the Kombucha: time for the fly traps in the kitchen.
I am glad I got the trap set up, it has already capture more than a dozen fruit flies. They are drawn to ferments.
I think I steeped my green tea to make the Kombucha for too long, it has a lot of caffeine in it, and I feel light headed after I drink it. It is quite a pleasant feeling, but not the benefit I am looking for. I need to limit the time the tea bags stay in the jar!
Worldly
Weather
Updated on Thu, Jun 13 at 5:57 PM
27°C
FEELS LIKE 33
Partly cloudy
Wind 21 SW km/h
Humidity 52 %
Visibility 32 km
Sunrise 5:23 AM
Wind gust 32 km/h
Pressure 100.8 kPa
Ceiling 9100 m
Sunset 8:52 PM
Quote
“We must be willing to get rid of the life we’ve planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us.”
Joseph Campbell
1904 – 1987
I think strawberries are my favorite fruit. Yum! We’re having 90-degree weather i the Midwest. It actally feels good. Happy canning!
I love strawberries too Sandy! Wow, that is hot! Glad it feels good, I suspect the humidity was not high, so that the warmth was welcome. It was coolish here today, lovely and sunny, with the windows open.
I smiled at the idea of your kombucha high. Lol
I don’t think I’d like kombucha, does it taste weird? Enjoy the strawberries!
Teri, a healthy high! I just found some decaffeinated green tea, will give that a try.
Joan, I’ve avoided Kombucha completely until about a month and half ago. I had never tried it, it did not sound appealing. My sister got a scoby and equipment from her son-in-law, and she makes a lot of it, even does the second flavoured ferment. So when we visited last month, she let us try it. I like it. I don’t do the second ferment, too much work for me, so I drink it after the first ferment, and add cranberry juice (sweetened) to it, but any juice would work. I look forward to it every day.
There are commercial products, so it would be possible to purchase a small bottle to see if you like it.
I am really glad my sister let us taste hers, I’ve known for a long time I need to bring ferments into my diet, but I can’t do salt (most ferments have a lot of salt in them), and I don’t like yogurt, so Kombucha it is.