New England FEB 2015

Gosh, Sanderson...there are so many threads on canning that I'll be these won't be missed.

Yea, don't stress over it, Sanderson. When Spring comes along, I'll start a new thread in the appropriate section for anyone else who wants to take part in the "Pressure-Can-Along"...

...besides there isn't much more that us poor New Englanders can do at this time of year than dream of warmer days...

mollyhespra wrote:Yea, don't stress over it, Sanderson.  When Spring comes along, I'll start a new thread in the appropriate section for anyone else who wants to take part in the "Pressure-Can-Along"...

...besides there isn't much more that us poor New Englanders can do at this time of year than dream of warmer days...

Well, we can have nervous breakdowns. That's something.

 NO!  Say it ain't so!!!  

Are you succumbing to the dreaded "Cabin Fever", NHG?!!

Just curious. What do you can in the spring?

Well, I suppose if I were thinking of canning things from my own garden, I could can some asparagus and maybe some fiddleheads (if I liked them), and maybe even some cattail shoots (DH likes them), but the thing with Spring was more because I can only use the gas grill outside to heat up the pressure canner and it's just too damned cold right now for me to be standing outside watching gauges and the like.

We have a place in town called "Big Papa's Fruit & Vegetables" that has an interesting business model: they're only open to the public Thurs-Sat. On Thurs, their produce is full price, Friday it starts to get reduced. Then on Saturday at 2 they have an auction to get rid of anything left.

I figured I could go get some cheap veggies and practice canning those. I'm sure they're not organically grown, but the point would be to practice once the weather warms.

Woo hoooo...snow is just over and the front end loader has arrived to clear the road....so soon! Yippeeeee!

Wonder where he's going to put it all...? I don't see a dump truck...

I can always can more beans in spring. I eat a lot of beans.

mollyhespra wrote:I figured I could go get some cheap veggies and practice canning those.  I'm sure they're not organically grown, but the point would be to practice once the weather warms.

Good idea for practice.

CapeCoddess wrote:Woo hoooo...snow is just over and the front end loader has arrived to clear the road....so soon! Yippeeeee!

Wonder where he's going to put it all...? I don't see a dump truck...

Oh, oh

Yeah Molly, we've just been plastered. I think we may have been getting more than you up there. The plow guy never showed (we tell him 4" or more, and it was probably 6, but it was so windswept it was hard to gauge) so I shoveled myself out. Great exercise tho!

Snow or no snow, this stubborn yankee decided to start my seed planting inside on my planned calendar.  So what that the snow is as high as the fence around the garden.  I went ahead anyway and planted the first of my Giant Caesar lettuce seeds and my Di Cicco Broccoli seeds on my indoor grow stands.  Lettuce seed will be starting every weekend for the next month so when I finally put it out in the garden (theoretically starting in late April) it will be be staggered.  

Worst case I can always keep the lettuce growing in the sunroom if the snow and the garden don't cooperate by then.

I'm more concerned with the Peas, Spinach, and Scallions that I wanted to plan on planting seed directly out starting before the end of March.  That looks highly unlikely at this point unless I shovel off the SFG boxes in early March and build hoops this year which I probably will do so I can get the mix to thaw and warm in March.

I am nothing if not determined.

-Ed

What's your LFD, Ed?

I was going to start some onion seeds this weekend, but just didn't have the time. It can bide until next weekend though.  

NHG, it's quite likely that you've gotten more snow than us this year. It's a funny role-reversal, though we still have plenty of the white stuff around.  It's been falling slow & steady rather than in one (or two or three) fell swoops.  

It's still been mighty cold up my way, though.  I think I've got you beat on that count, sadly.  I had a meeting tonight and when I came home, I knew it must be getting down there because it didn't feel *cold*, it felt *pain*, if you know what I mean.  At least my nostrils didn't stick together.  That usually happens when the temps are -20 or less.  Tonight would be mild in comparison if it weren't for the wind chill...

...from wunderground a minute ago:

-10.5 °F
Overcast
Feels Like -32 °F
Hi: 9 °F
Lo: -13 °F

I have conflicting information on when our LFD is but the date range for average LFD I have been going by is May 10-20, so counting back 6 weeks for the peas and spinach gets me to the end of March.  I know that would be pushing it for the scallion seeds, but I am thinking if I can get the mix temperature up and have the hoops I want to start some each week for about a month starting as early as I can.

Of course, if late March approaches and the medium is still too cold then I will have to adjust.

-Ed

I'm so happy to report that we only got about 3" of the predicted 18" of snow that I can live with the cold tonite.  Just an extra quilt over me.

Molly, you are definitely right about the temp. One time we were up in Littleton for the night, a February long ago, and the temp was -17F. Yowsers!

I'd think about indoor seeding but I haven't even been able to go out and get the potting soil! And I think I may have left the trays under the snow. Hmm.

mollyhespra wrote:At least my nostrils didn't stick together.  That usually happens when the temps are -20 or less. 

I saw this on Facebook and thought of all of you in the freezing snow:

I thought you might enjoy the picture I took this morning, Sanderson...



DH saw me trying to get a picture of the thermometer and he decided to show off his mountain-man blood by coming outside in his shirt-sleeves and joining the party.

Too funny Molly - what. No bathing trunks?

What a sweetie!

NHGardener wrote:Too funny Molly - what. No bathing trunks?

LOL!  No, but do almost-bare feet count?  He was probably only wearing socks.

quiltbea wrote:I'm so happy to report that we only got about 3" of the predicted 18" of snow...

No worries, QB.  The Cape has made up for you shortfall with Sundays and todays snow.  It took me 45 min to get home for lunch today...normally a 10 min drive.  I'm not going back.  Can't imagine having to do that trip in the dark.  We are getting soooooo dumped on.


That photo of you and your man is adorable, Molly.  Your thermometer, not so much.  Doesn't it hurt your lungs to breath out there?

CC

Paint the snow - LOL!!! We managed not to get hit this time by snow. You had snow CC? I better tune into the news.

I would use poster paints or food coloring in water in spray bottles.  Neat idea.    Change out the drawings every few days, fun.

Geez, CC, some years you've still been growing a few things outside under those cold-frame-windows of yours this time of year!  

Up my way, we expect to get buried, but it's hard when it's so rare a thing and the town just doesn't have the infrastructure to cope with it.  Where did they end up putting all that snow this time?  

OH!  And have you checked your roof?  Since you've been getting a lot of snow, you might want to look into a roof rake (or like my neighbors were doing this morning, climb up there--carefully--with a show shovel) to take some of that weight off.

And no, the low temps don't hurt the lungs, at least not if you're just walking.  It's a little hard if you're exerting yourself for a long time outside, but running from the door to the car is OK.  

P.S. I'm going to paint flowers on my snow this weekend!!!  LOVE IT!!!