Garden chores can be real time-robbers such as plowing, planting, mulching and cultivating. Then there's watering, harvesting and pest patrol. All these chores - the caring for, nuturing and fussing over a plot of ground - are actually a direct intuitive relationship between people and the environment. Without them, the lore of gardening, enriched by the efforts of countless individuals over the years, would be lost.
This six part series will provide some inventive gardening tips that hopefully you will find time-saving.
Brush Your Ears
Instead of picking the silk strands off corn cobs, use an old toothbrush to brush them off. It's much easier and saves time.
Out with the Pits
Use a plastic drinking straw to push out the pits in cherries. The edges of the end of the straw are sharp and strong enough to cut through the cherry skin. The cherry pit is bigger than the straw's opening so it will push the cherry pit, from where the stem was attached, right out the other end. You will find the cherry remains firm and juicy, and your clothes stay clean.
Another alternative is to use a paper clip and they cost less than a penny. Pull apart the inner and outer curves of the paperclip so that they make an L shape. Push one of the curved ends into the cherry stem end to the side of the pit and with slight pinch of the index finger and thumb and a scooping motion of the paperclip, the pit should pop right out. This nifty devise can enable one to pit about 7 pounds of cherries in an hour!
Vegetable Laundry Basket
When pulling rooted vegetables from the garden, they usually come out complete with a little dirt. To easily clean them, toss the vegetables into a laundry basket and hose them down with a garden hose. The basket acts like a strainer for the muddy water to drain out as you tumble the vegetables around a little to get all sides rinsed. If your hose has a "jet spray" setting, the force can generally get the little grit that settles in surface crevaces, and then basically they are ready to prep for storage or cooking.
In-Ground Freezer Vegetable Cellar
If you have a yard, a great idea for storing vegetables is to bury and old freezer (without the motor and door latch) in the ground up to the lid. Make sure the freezer is a sloped a little for water runoff, and the lid is well insulated. Set crates full of your favorite produce inside all year round. It saves on electricity and extends the life of your fresh vegetables. To find an old freezer, try contacting an appliance dealer and they may be happy if you'd come take an old one away.
Hot Water Tomato Bath
When prepping tomatoes for canning, the most time consuming part is removing the skin. The simple trick of putting the tomatoes into a pot of boiling water for a few moments and then into cold water causes the skin to loosen so it's very easy to pull off. This works well for beets too.
More Vegetable Storage Quick Tips:
Peas and lima beans should be left in the pod until ready to process or eat.
Corn should be left in the husk. Slice open the stalk end of the cob and stand in about an inch of water to keep it juicy and fresh.
Cut off the tops of carrots, beets, turnips and parsnips before storing.
Put parsley in a canning jar with a lid, and keep it fresh in the fridge.
Fresh vegetables that don't freeze well are lettuce, celery, tomatoes and carrots.
Add salt to water when washing green vegetables and allow to soak for a few minutes. This will cause any foreign matter to float to the top.
Remove vegetable juice stains from hands and fingers by rubbing a piece of sliced potato on them.
Keep lemons for months in lidded canning jars filled with water and kept in the fridge.
Do not store bananas in the fridge.
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