when are you sowing your garden this year?

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Originally Posted by Jonsey

Thank you very much Hummer. I will try this when I get my rhubarb going again as I am moving and only taking a small one with me for propagation.

One year I made rhubarb butter by cooking it down into a sauce with sugar and then cooking it even more on low heat to get rid of most of the water. Then I canned it in a hot water bath. It was very nice. I would say to eat it on pancakes but I think most of it got eaten straight, with a spoon.
I think your forest is very pretty. Good luck with the mooses and bears!

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Cooked rhubarb with it's high acidity and added sugar syrup will last a long time refrigerated, even without canning. Of course, canning is a good way to take advantage of fruits and veggies when they're abundant. My grandma had a perennial crop of rhubarb in her Denver garden and I grew to love the sauces, pies, syrups and jams that she made from it. I imagine she might have made rhubarb liqueur too, but she wouldn't have told anyone, or labeled the bottles. Nana was a closet sipper who re-bottled rum into plastic containers so it wouldn't look like she kept alcohol in the house. She lived through the Great Depression and her experiences led her to build a large basement cold cellar room filled with home canned goods.

We picked up a couple 3 qt. jars and added to the rhubarb cordials in making. One is dry with tequila only, no sugar yet, one uses vodka with Grand Marnier and sugar syrup, and another is with rum and triple sec with sugar syrup. We'll see how they come out in a few months.



http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g2...psbvqywqxz.jpg


BTW, I have neighbors here in the mountains who have rhubarb plants that I know are more that 35 years old. It's a trouble free and abundant food producer. And, I've never seen evidence that wildlife eat it.

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Originally Posted by Hummer

Cooked rhubarb with it's high acidity and added sugar syrup will last a long time refrigerated, even without canning. Of course, canning is a good way to take advantage of fruits and veggies when they're abundant. My grandma had a perennial crop of rhubarb in her Denver garden and I grew to love the sauces, pies, syrups and jams that she made from it. I imagine she might have made rhubarb liqueur too, but she wouldn't have told anyone, or labeled the bottles. Nana was a closet sipper who re-bottled rum into plastic containers so it wouldn't look like she kept alcohol in the house. She lived through the Great Depression and her experiences led her to build a large basement cold cellar room filled with home canned goods.

We picked up a couple 3 qt. jars and added to the rhubarb cordials in making. One is dry with tequila only, no sugar yet, one uses vodka with Grand Marnier and sugar syrup, and another is with rum and triple sec with sugar syrup. We'll see how they come out in a few months.



http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g2...psbvqywqxz.jpg


BTW, I have neighbors here in the mountains who have rhubarb plants that I know are more that 35 years old. It's a trouble free and abundant food producer. And, I've never seen evidence that wildlife eat it.

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Grandmas are lovely people.

These look really fun to make. I can't wait to get moved so I can start my garden again. I will have to try rhubarb up on my mountain property too. I have been trying to think of ways to grow things up there. Lots of deer. I really like the way you seem to be forest gardening. I was thinking about doing that too and wondering if any of my herbs would survive sheltered by the trees.

Deer resistance Vegetables
https://wirelessdeerfence.com/deer-r...nt-vegetables/

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Originally Posted by tactical_2012

Deer resistance Vegetables
https://wirelessdeerfence.com/deer-r...nt-vegetables/

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Vegetables Against Deer? There is a protest group for everything.

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Originally Posted by tactical_2012

Deer resistance Vegetables
https://wirelessdeerfence.com/deer-r...nt-vegetables/

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Thanks Irving. This is very helpful.

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Originally Posted by Hummer

Cooked rhubarb with it's high acidity and added sugar syrup will last a long time refrigerated, even without canning. Of course, canning is a good way to take advantage of fruits and veggies when they're abundant. My grandma had a perennial crop of rhubarb in her Denver garden and I grew to love the sauces, pies, syrups and jams that she made from it. I imagine she might have made rhubarb liqueur too, but she wouldn't have told anyone, or labeled the bottles. Nana was a closet sipper who re-bottled rum into plastic containers so it wouldn't look like she kept alcohol in the house. She lived through the Great Depression and her experiences led her to build a large basement cold cellar room filled with home canned goods.

We picked up a couple 3 qt. jars and added to the rhubarb cordials in making. One is dry with tequila only, no sugar yet, one uses vodka with Grand Marnier and sugar syrup, and another is with rum and triple sec with sugar syrup. We'll see how they come out in a few months.



http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g2...psbvqywqxz.jpg


BTW, I have neighbors here in the mountains who have rhubarb plants that I know are more that 35 years old. It's a trouble free and abundant food producer. And, I've never seen evidence that wildlife eat it.

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Wish we lived closer to you two. The things I could learn by watching all the magic that happens bubbling away in those jars/carboys, or in this case just soaking away I guess... :)

I might have one of those old rhubarb plants in my back yard. I mowed over it every year I've lived here except last year. It grew pretty big, and I tried some of the raw fruit, but otherwise I don't know what to do with it.

EDIT: Wife planted all the seeds on Sunday, right before the hail. We were mostly out of the hail danger zone. It would have destroyed plants, but we only had seeds. A lot of the stuff is sprouting already. What I think are radishes must have sprouted in only about 4 days. They are already off the races. I put in more sod tonight and the flowers planted in the front are taking off as well. Hopefully I'm looking at having a nice looking yard this year. I fertilized both the front and back (back didn't really need it) and everything is greening up nicely.

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Originally Posted by Brian

Wish we lived closer to you two. The things I could learn by watching all the magic that happens bubbling away in those jars/carboys, or in this case just soaking away I guess... :)

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It's rewarding to make things from your own garden but I think the magic comes from sipping what's in the jars. [Beer]

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Originally Posted by Irving

I might have one of those old rhubarb plants in my back yard. I mowed over it every year I've lived here except last year. It grew pretty big, and I tried some of the raw fruit, but otherwise I don't know what to do with it.

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If it's still going you could transplant it to a corner of your garden. It likes plenty of water and full sun. Raw rhubarb isn't really palatable, kind of like raw potato, and the leaves are poisonous. The stalks need to be cooked, boiled in water with sugar, or baked. Combine it with strawberries, peaches or apricots. Rhubarb is in some grocery stores now at about $4/lb. A little bit goes a long ways.

We're still working on the 21 lbs. our friend brought us. Mrs. Hummer made a rhubarb custard yesterday.

We planted on Mothers Day. The wife likes to garden but has a black thumb so it's an interesting ballance. My elevated bed garden now has corn, tomato, basil, snap peas, green onion and cucumber. It's crowded, and we will see what happens with the corn. A separate pot with some strawberries was planted too, and I hope the dog leaves it alone. This year we bought starter plants, last year we grew from seeds but started them too late. This made the tomatoes fruit just before the freeze.

The 1/4" black rubber water "sweat" line is a bit anemic. Anyone know if they need yearly replacement?

Watch the weather later this week..possible snow and cold temps..argh