(garden, cooking)

[elainegrey]

Took yesterday off. I got four hours out in the yard. I could have had more, but hadn't realized how shady it was after five -- the day length is changing, and maybe the yard is in full shade as early as 5 pm? (It was full shade at 6 pm.) The drive circle is fully weeded, and i completed the rain garden last Sunday. The squash at the king trellis is recovering, but i don't know if there's enough day length for any more squash. (More sprouted -- away from where i had planted. Did insects carry off the seeds?)

I picked a two quart basket full of figs, simmered them with a splash of lemon juice (color preservative), and then used the immersion blender to finish pulling apart the skins. Could have done that step longer. Cleverly used the mesh wire colander as a splash guard. Dehydrated as fruit leather overnight. Not bad at all! No added sugars. I think if i cut the round tray into quarters, i could easily pack in a plastic bag in the freezer. I'm not sure why this wouldn't keep shelf stable when the figs themselves are shelf stable, but i do dehydrate the figs into rocks.

Picking the figs early gets me to the tree before the wasps and ants. I evicted one spider from the tree this morning. I am trying to get over my arachnophobia but falling off the ladder due to my startle reflex seems like something to take steps to avoid.

We splurged on watching both episodes of Ahsoka since i took the day off.

I can't seem to journal (here and in my to-do & to-done list where i am recording more data, less narrative), read, and check mail all in one morning any more.

Comments

[amaebi]

I'm totally impressed from afar about what you can get done.

[elainegrey]

Well, then there are days like today where i just read the newspaper.

[weofodthignen]

Yes, please don't fall off the ladder!

I can never get anything totally weeded. Things sproing out of the ground.

[elainegrey]

Here weeded means the 3' tall grasses are laid out in the drive, drying like hay. I know i got the worst grasses before they began setting seed. I think the goosegrass (Eleusine indica) hadn't set the see, even if they had flowered. The grasses had discouraged lots of other plants from being thick. The Indian strawberry (Potentilla indica) has already set fruit so i didn't make any special effort with those other than to try and smother them with a thick layer of hay-mulch.

[adore]

Dehydrated as fruit leather overnight.

Good idea! And I'm sure the lemon juice enhanced the taste, it always does when I make jam.

[elainegrey]

I think it also keeps the color bright for dehydration. Doing another batch from tonight's fruit.