Friday, July 31, 2009

Freezing berries

We love berries around here, especially blueberries and strawberries. This time of year you can get fresh berries aplenty, so we decided to put some up in the freezer. I've used this method with blueberries, strawberries and blackberries and it is a fairly quick and easy way to put them up.

First, I clean all the green stemmy bits out--hull strawberries, but leave them whole. Pick stems and leaves out and any mushy or too-green berries. Rinse them well in a colander. I put down several layers of newspaper, then cover those with paper towels (you can add the soggy paper to your compost pile afterward). You could also use cuptowels, but they will have berry stains when you are finished. If you are putting up a lot of berries, you may want to build a screen or perforated tray of some kind to spread them on to let them drain.

I spread the berries out on the towels and let them drain well, then spread them out on a cookie sheet in a single layer and pop them in the freezer. In two to three hours, they are frozen enough that I can scoop them into a freezer container or freezer baggie and put them in the deep freeze. By freezing them on a cookie sheet, they will stay separated so that you can just scoop out a cup or so as you need them. It also allows you to grab a handful for a nice frozen treat when the weather is hot--eat them plain or stir them into yogurt.

I have a book that was given to me years ago that I use constantly when putting up fruits and veggies. It is called Stocking Up, by Carol Stupping, and the newest version is available on Amazon. It is a very comprehensive book on preserving foods and my version even has plans for building a storage area in a cellar for your stores of food, drying trays, home made driers--just about anything you would need. It provides information on freezing, drying and canning fruits and vegetables, preserving dairy products and meat, making butter, storing nuts, seeds and grains and a ton of other useful information. I highly recommend this book if you are growing and preserving your own food.

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Learning about light pollution

If you've never seen the sky on a truly dark, cloudless night, then you are missing one of the most beautiful sights you will ever see. Here in New Mexico, we try to control light pollution. Our subdivision rules include controlling light at night, which we appreciate, because the night views are truly incredible. We have one "security" light and it has sensors for both motion and light, so it only comes on at night if something passes by and triggers it. It is also solar powered, so it can be placed almost anywhere without the hassle of wiring it in. If you want to learn more about the efforts in this country to control light pollution, check out this very informative article from Lighter Footstep on five ways you can reduce light pollution.