Apricots

Lisa has an apricot tree ... we must must must pick them :)

Apricots are one of the first summer fruits. The are full of fiber, beta-carotene, and vitamins A and C. Drying, as a method of food preservation, has several benefits. Unlike frozen apricots, dried apricots can be stored at room temperature and do not rely on electricity to maintain their quality. Unlike canned apricots, dried apricots take up significantly less space and are processed more naturally, with less heat, resulting in a nutritionally superior, less altered apricot. Also, home drying your own apricots ensures they are sulfite free!

You will need
Apricots
Lemon or Lime Juice
Water
Knife
Oven, Window, or Dehydrator
Storage containers

1Choose the Apricots
Choose firm, mature, deep orange apricots and dry them soon after harvesting. Wash the apricot by spraying it with white vinegar and rinsing well. Remove any bad spots from the apricot.

2Cut the Apricots
Cut each apricot in half. Remove the pit. Press the skin of the apricot inward pushing the flesh of the apricot outward. This is called popping the back of the apricot and it aids in the drying process.

3 Dip the Apricots
Apricots should be dipped prior to drying to prevent oxidation. Oxidation is the browning of apricots when exposed to air. Oxidation causes apricots to lose some vitamin content. Dipping in lemon, or lime, juice is the most natural method of preventing oxidation. To dip apricots, cover the apricot slices in water with added lemon or lime juice for 5 minutes prior to drying them. You will need 1/4 cup of juice for every cup of water needed to cover the apricots.

4Prepare for Drying
Spread the apricots in a single layer. The apricots should be spread evenly and not allowed to overlap one another, as air should circulate freely between each piece of fruit. A glass dish is perfect for oven, or air, drying. If you are using a food dehydrator, layer the apricots evenly on the trays.

5 Choose a Dehydration, or Drying, Method
There are 3 general methods of dehydration: Sun (air) drying, oven drying, and food dehydrator. Each has its advantages and disadvantages.

*Sun or Air Drying - Sun, or air drying, is the most natural form of dehydration. It requires a warm day with temperatures near 100 degrees and low humidity. To sun dry apricots, place apricots in a sunny window. A car window can provide an ideal place for sun drying as the ideal temperature for drying apricots is 135 degrees.

*Oven Drying - If your oven maintains low temperatures, between 120 and 150 degrees, oven drying is a good choice for occasional use. It does not require the purchase of special equipment and is reliable when the weather isn't sufficient for dehydration. To oven dry apricots, place them in the oven and set the oven to 135 degrees.

*Food Dehydrator - A food dehydrator consumes less energy than an oven and is the preferred method of dehydration for regular use. If you dry a lot of food, and the weather in your area isn't ideal for sun drying, a food dehydrator is a consistent, low energy, dehydration method. Layer the apricots on the drying trays and dry apricots according to the manufacturers instructions.

6Test for Dryness

Apricots should have most of the moisture removed, but still be pliable. If they are crisp, they are too dry. Overly dried apricots work well for making apricot powder. See the "Rehydration and Use Tips" below.

7 Storage

Pack apricots in a moisture proof container such as a canning jar, or a sealed plastic container. Vacuum packing dried apricots will further prolong their shelf life, but storage in a glass, moisture proof container, is the most natural method. Label the apricots with the date of preservation. Store in a cool dry place. Dried apricots can be stored up to 12 months.

AVOCADOS

lisa has suggested that we grow and pick our own fruits and vegetables and for this i say YES YES YES!!!!
She has a contact that has an avacado orchard .. so let the picking begin ... but first i must do some research to discover can you freeze them ????

Avocados must be used when fully ripe. They do not ripen on the tree and are rarely found ripe in markets. Fresh avocados are almost always shipped in an unripe condition.

To test for ripeness by cradling an avocado gently in your hand. Ripe fruit will yield will be firm, yet will yield to gentle pressure. If pressing leaves a dent, the avocado is very ripe and suitable for mashing. They are best served at room temperature.

Once avocados are at a desired stage of ripeness, they may be refrigerated for up to 2 to 3 days

Freezing Avocadoes

You can freeze mashed fresh, ripe avocados if you want to have an "emergency supply" of avocados on hand for guacamole.

To freeze, mash the avocados with a fork. Add one teaspoon lime or lemon juice per avocado and mix well. The best way to freeze the prepared mashed avocados is to use a freeze-weight zip lock bag. Fill the bag with the mashed avocado. Remove the air from the bag and then zip closed and freeze. They saty for 4 or 5 months

Thaw the frozen avocados in the refrigerator or place the container in a bowl of cool water to accelerate thawing.

Did You Know?

An avocado is a fruit and not a vegetable! It is actually a member of the berry family.

In the past, the avocado had a well-entrenched reputation for inducing sexual prowess and wasn't purchased or consumed by any person wishing to protect their image from slanderous assault. Growers had to sponsor a public relations campaign to dispel the ill-founded reputation before avocados became popular.

Avocados got their name from the Spanish explorers. They couldn't pronounce the Aztec word for the fruit, know as ahuacatl, "testicle," because of its shape. The Spanish called the aguacate, leading to the guacamole we know today.

Avocados must reach full maturity before they are picked, however, they do not soften on the tree. The tree can actually be used as a storage unit by keeping the fruit on the tree for many months after maturing.

Tips on How to Pick Raspberries

Tips on How to Pick Raspberries

• Gently grasp the berry with your fingers and thumb, and tug gently.
• If it is ripe, it will easily come off in your hand, leaving the center part attached to the stem.
  
• Repeat these operations using both hands until each holds 3 or 4 berries.
• Carefully place - don't throw - the fruit into your containers.
• Repeat the picking process with both hands.
• Don't overfill your containers or try to pack the berries down.

General Picking Tips

Whether you pick Raspberries from your garden or at a Pick-Your-Own farm, here are a few tips to keep in mind:

• Be careful that your feet and knees do not damage plants or fruit in or along the edge of the row.
• Pick only the berries that are fully red.
• Part the leaves with your hands to look for hidden berries ready for harvest.
• The plants don't have thorns, but they do have little tiny stickers, like velcro. Those with tender skin will find that annoying or painful, so it's best to just touc the berries!
• Thankful, the berries stand out from the rest of the plant, so it's not hard to do!
• Avoid placing the picked berries in the sunshine any longer than necessary.
• It is better to put them in the shade of a tree or shed than in the car trunk or on the car seat. Cool them as soon as possible after picking. Raspberries may be kept fresh in the refrigerator for two or three days, depending upon the initial quality of the berry. After a few days in storage, however, the fruit loses its bright color and fresh flavor and tends to shrivel.
• DON'T wash the berries until you are ready to use them. Washing makes them more prone to spoiling.
• Raspberries are more perishable than blueberries or strawberries, so make a point of refrigerating them as immediately as possible after purchase.
• Temperatures between 34 F and 38 F are best, but, be careful not to freeze raspberries! (Fresh raspberries are highly prone to freeze damage). Even under ideal conditions raspberries will only keep for 1 - 2 days in a refrigerator, so for best flavor and texture, consume them as soon as possible after purchase.
• Pour them out into shallow pans and remove any mushed, soft or rotting berries
• Put a couple of days supply into the fridge, wash and cut the caps (green tops) off the others and freeze them up!

Going Raspberry Picking

and you know what that means ... LOL
I have to figure out how to best pick these berries .. so i googled and came up with a few sites and ideas so here goes
There are usually two crops of raspberries: June bearing, and Fall (or everbearing). In the U.S., the first crop of raspberries typically peaks during June in the South, and in July in the North.
The Fall crop starts in late July and late August respectively and continues till frost. Crops may be ready at various times of the month depending on which part of the state you are located. In order to produce good local Raspberries, producers depend a spring and summer that are not too hot and dry, nor too wet. Raspberries can be finicky and susceptible to fungus if it's too wet

Raspberry Facts and Tips

• Raspberries come in many colors besides red: there are also black, purple and gold raspberries.
• Raspberries are a very healthy food; they are high Vitamin C and naturally have no fat, cholesterol or sodium. They are also a good source of iron and folate (which is used especially in treatment of low red blood cells or anemia).
• Raspberries contain a natural substance called ellagic acid, which is an anti-carcinogenic (cancer-preventing) compound.
• Raspberries have been shown to lower high blood cholesterol levels and slow release of carbohydrates into the blood stream of diabetics.
• Raspberries are high in fiber. Half to one pound of raspberry fruit per day can provide twenty to thirty grams of fiber which is adequate for an adult daily nutrition requirement.
• Select plump, firm, fully red berries (or yellow or purple if that is the color of the variety).
• Unripe berries will not ripen once picked. When ripe, most varieties achieve a darker blush at peak sugar and they separate easily form the core which remains attached to the plant.
• If you must pull hard to remove the berry or it remains attached to its core, it is not ripe!
  Raspberries 1 pint = 2 cups = 500 ml and about 3/4 lb (about 1/3 kg) and is good for about 2 to 4 servings.
• 1 cup of raspberries is about 123 grams, The USDA says 1 cup is about 64 calories!
• Raspberries are a type of bramble, like blackberries and are also known as "Cane berries"
• Raspberries are different from blackberries in that the fruit has a hollow core that remains on the plant when you pick the raspberry.
• Raspberries are so expensive in the grocery store because, since they are so soft, they bruise easily, spoil quickly and do not ship well. It's much better to pick your own!
• 2 pints (4 cups) of raspberries are needed for a 9" pie
  1 - 1¼ cups = 10 oz. package frozen berries
  Do the math and be careful not to over-purchase as Raspberries quickly mold when left at room temperature, and only last a couple of days in the refrigerator.
  You can easily freeze berries that you can not use right away - just wash, cut the hulls off and pop them into a ziplock bag, removing as much air as possible. Those vacuum food sealers REALLY do a good job of this! The berries will keep for many months frozen without air.
• Before you leave to go to the farm:
  Always call before you go to the farm - Raspberries are affected by weather (especially rain and cooler temperatures) more than most crops. And when they are in season, a large turnout can pick a field clean before noon, so CALL first!
• Leave early. On weekends, then fields may be picked clean by NOON!
• Most growers furnish picking containers designed for Raspberries, but they may charge you for them; be sure to call before you go to see if you need to bring containers. If you use your own containers, remember that heaping Raspberries more than 3 inches deep will smush the lower berries.
• Plastic dishpans, metal oven pans with 3 inch tall sides and large pots make good containers.
• Bring something to drink and a few snacks; you'd be surprised how you can work up a thirst and appetite!
• And don't forget hats and sunscreen for the sun.
• Bugs usually aren't a problem, but some deet might be good to bring along if it has been rainy.
  
  

Strawberry Picking

We got up early, had a quick bite to eat and headed out to go pick strawberries. Armed with the garmin and a sense of this is really what i want to do! Away we went. We went through the back streets of gopher canyon (through vista) to hit the U PICK STRAWBERRY stand on paseo del norte and cannon! Really none of us are big strawberry eaters but i have been told that this is quite the experience and i am always up for a new and fun experience. We got to the U PICK STRAWBERRY stand paid for our buckets and low and behold wouldn't you know it derrick filled his fast! However i did not let this fly ... that boy was going to fill his bucket with strawberries not his head! Armed with 2 buckets and $24 lighter in the pocket book we headed out into the field. I have to share the the aisles between the rows is not very big and derrick was having a heck of a time maneuvering his big feet. Not sure why but i wore my burks with sandals and quickly discovered the fine strawberry red colored toes! UGH! The boys seemed to do well with picking. We talked before we walked down the aisle on what to look for (as seen on a previous post) i knew that the strawberry should not have green on the end! Can I tell you that this is back breaking work and i thank all the farmers that do this for a living. You might notice that we are all in jackets on this fine summer day --- lol it sprinkled all the way to carlsbad and was a tad chilly!

We spent about an hour out in the fields and came back with 2 buckets full. I had BIG plans for all these strawberries! I will share that in another post! All in All this was a great experience I would love now to try to do some apple picking in oak glen!

How to pick a strawberry

Before you leave to go to the farm:
Always call before you go to the farm - strawberries are affected by weather (both rain and cooler temperature) more than most crops. And when they are in season, a large turnout can pick a field clean before noon, so CALL first!
Leave early. On weekends, then fields may be picked clean by NOON!
Most growers furnish picking containers designed for strawberries, but they may charge you for them; be sure to call before you go to see if you need to bring containers. If you use your own containers, remember that heaping strawberries more than 5 inches deep will bruise the lower berries. Plastic dishpans, metal oven pans with 3 inch tall sides and large pots make good containers.
Bring something to drink and a few snacks; you'd be surprised how you can work up a thirst and appetite! And don't forget hats and sunscreen for the sun. Bugs usually aren't a problem, but some deet might be good to bring along if it has been rainy.


Tips on How to Pick Strawberries
Grasp the stem just above the berry between the forefinger and the thumbnail and pull with a slight twisting motion.
With the stem broken about one-half inch from the berry, allow it to roll into the palm of your hand.
Repeat these operations using both hands until each holds 3 or 4 berries.
Carefully place - don't throw - the fruit into your containers. Repeat the picking process with both hands.
Don't overfill your containers or try to pack the berries down.


General Picking Tips

Whether you pick strawberries from your garden or at a Pick-Your-Own farm, here are a few tips to keep in mind:
Be careful that your feet and knees do not damage plants or fruit in or along the edge of the row. Pick only the berries that are fully red. Part the leaves with your hands to look for hidden berries ready for harvest.
To help the farmers, also remove from the plants berries showing rot, sunburn, insect injury or other defects and place them between the rows behind you. If they are left in the plants, the rot will quickly spread to other berries.
Berries to be used immediately may be picked any time, but if you plan to hold the fruit for a few days, try to pick in the early morning or on cool, cloudy days. Berries picked during the heat of the day become soft, are easily bruised and will not keep well.
Avoid placing the picked berries in the sunshine any longer than necessary. It is better to put them in the shade of a tree or shed than in the car trunk or on the car seat. Cool them as soon as possible after picking. Strawberries may be kept fresh in the refrigerator for two or three days, depending upon the initial quality of the berry. After a few days in storage, however, the fruit loses its bright color and fresh flavor and tends to shrivel.
When you get home
DON'T wash the berries until you are ready to use them. Washing makes them more prone to spoiling.
Pour them out into shallow pans and remove any mushed, soft or rotting berries
Put a couple of days supply into the fridge, wash and cut the caps (green tops) off the others and freeze them up!

How to Freeze Strawberries!

(Also works for blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, gooseberries, tayberries, loganberries, saskatoons, cranberries, marionberries, boysenberries, etc.)

If you like strawberries in the winter, for cobblers, dessert, or just in a bowl; just imagine how good it would taste if you had picked a couple of quarts fresh or bought a them from a farm stand and then quickly froze them at home! It is also one of the simplest ways to put up a fruit for the winter. Here's how to do it, complete instructions in easy steps and completely illustrated. Your own frozen strawberries will taste MUCH better than anything you've ever had from a store. Strawberries you must remove the hulls (the green cap) after washing, but otherwise the same

Directions for Freezing strawberries
Ingredients
fresh berries - any quantity
Equipment
a pan or tray that will fit in your freezer
a strainer or colander
Vacuum food sealer or "ziploc" type freezer bags (the freezer bag version is heavier and protects better against freezer burn.
Instructions
Step 1 - Get yer berries!
Start with the freshest strawberries you can get. Look for plump, full berries with a good color.
Step 2 - Wash and sort the strawberries.
Wash the strawberries in a bowl of plain cold water.
Then you need to pick out and remove any bits of stems, leaves and soft or mushy strawberries. It is easiest to do this in a large bowl of water and gently run your hands through the strawberries as they float. With your fingers slightly apart, you will easily feel any soft or mushy berries get caught in your fingers.

Step 3 - Drain the strawberries
Use a large sieve or colander to remove as much water as possible. I usually let them sit for about 10 minutes in the colander.

Step 4 - Spread the strawberries in a pan
there are two ways of doing this. If you have space in your freezer, spread the berries out in a large oven pan with a lip or ridge. Put enough on to make 1 layer. this way they will freeze quickly and not be frozen together in a lump, so later you can remove only what you need without thawing the rest.

If your freezer isn't that big, just drain as much of the water as you can, then put them into whatever container will fit in your freezer. After they are frozen, they may stick together a little bit, but should break apart fairly easily.

Step 5 - Put them in the freezer
Pop them into the coldest part of the freezer, or the quick freeze shelf, if your freezer has one!
I leave them in the freezer overnight, to get completely frozen.

Step 6 - bag the strawberries
I love the FoodSavers with their vacuum sealing! I am not paid by them, but these things really work. If you don't have one, ziploc bags work, too, but it is hard to get as much air out of the bags. remove the air to prevent drying and freezer burn. A tip for a low budget vacuum sealer:
To remove the excess air from a ziploc bag, put a straw inside the bag and zip it closed as far as possible. Then suck the air out of the bag, pinch the straw shut where it enters the bag and pull it from the bag and quickly zip the bag the rest of the way.

Step 7 - Label the bags!
Of course, you'll want to label them with the contents and date, or all this work could be wasted, if you can't identify them later, or don't know how old they are.

Step 8 - Done!
Pop them into the deep freeze, or in the coldest part of your regular freezer!
To use them, just set them in the fridge overnight, or on the counter for a couple of hours. I wouldn't recommend the microwave unless you are planning to cook with them!
Tips:
Harvest early in the morning, especially if the weather is hot, to get peak flavor.

A strawberry picking we will go -----

We thought about going strawberry picking and we were going to head into Julian (san diego area) however, the drive seems sooooooooooooo long that i think that i can convince tim to go to carlsbad with a stop at pendleton and anita's he might just go for it! I would like to make the kabobs that i posted in an earlier post.

I found another patch in Escondido however i can't seem to find much more information about the place (i am sad too because i could have convinced tim to take me back to the wild animal park to see the condor exhibit.

We will be going to carlsbad strawberry company ... located here --- the corner of Cannon Road and Paseo del Norte, just east of Interstate 5 at the Cannon Road exit in Carlsbad. We're located right around the corner from the Carlsbad Flower Fields, the Carlsbad Company Stores, Legoland and Car Country Carlsbad. Does Anyone have any tips or tricks they would like to share with us (btw i am taking derrick (isn't he going to be surprised)).