Weekly Gardening Thread --- To grow or to buy

MSN Money ^ | May 28,2008 | Sally Herigstad

[Gabz]

I want the seedless jelly recipe!!!!

I love using lime instead of lemon in many recipes, including blueberry jam.

[Just mythoughts]

I want the seedless jelly recipe!!!! I love using lime instead of lemon in many recipes, including blueberry jam.

I used Ball Easy Gel Liquid Fruit Pectin. I followed the Simple Steps for Cooked Jellies, except that I put the strawberries into the blender. Then I strained the juice.

I have found that the tightest weave, nylon hose is required. I do not have a 'name' brand on this pair I am using but the tag says 86% Nylon, 13% Lycra Spandex, 1% cotton.

I cut the legs off and turn inside out so the seam at the toes is on the outside. I used both legs of the hose one inside the other. What I have found with strawberries the juice does not cloud like grapes when straining. So I work the juice through the hose until all is left is seeds and thick paste. It does take some time to work the juice out of the hose.

This recipe calls for 3 3/4 cups prepared juice and 1/4 cup lemon juice. One year I was out of lemon so I used lime and the taste was awesome. (at least to me) So I have used mainly lime since. The recipe says to get this 3 3/4 cups of juice you will need 8 l lb. containers of berries. I did not keep track of how many berries it took as this was day one of strawberry picking and once I clean them I started blending and straining.

I hope I have explained what I did well enough, I am still coming out of a strawberry fog. And I will remember the lime when it comes to doing blueberries... thank you for the tip. (Oh last time I did blueberries I strained them as well, basically same method as strawberries.)

[Puddleglum]

ping to myself to use this list of plants that repel insects - thanks!

[Alia]

The mint plants I've had in past which have thrived always surrounded the faucet/hose hookup (getting drips and reg water), got full sun up to mid day (and including mid-day) and received shade from the burning afternoon CA sun. The funnest way I found to deal with inground mint? Using old pots, all types, cutting the bottoms out, placing plant in the hole -- doing this puts a real dent in mint-spread and taking over the garden.

Have you considered the soil you are planting the mint in? If its too chalky, the mint will die.

My gardening season this year, outside some veges, involves MOVING and transplanting current plants, shrubs and bushes. (Not as much fun as planting from seed or seedlings. But nice to see them take root and like their new locations.)