The Weblog
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Aug 5, 2023 M@D is OpEn with NEW PRODUCTS!
ENJOYING THE SEASONS’S BOUNTY
Seeing pears listed on the Market Page made me remember the box I have in the kitchen waiting to be canned. One reason I’ve put it off is that there are many more to be picked and I prefer to do it all at once rather than a few here and there.
We are tee-totalers at our house, but if you search the deep recesses of my cabinets you’ll find part of a bottle of Captain Morgan’s Spiced Rum. It’s how we do pears here! I tried “Spiced Rum Pears” several years ago and we fell in love! I used honey as my sweeter to make a light syrup, added 1/8 c of spiced rum and a cinnamon stick to each quart. The first time I canned them this way we let them sit about 6 weeks before trying them. The Mr. liked them so much we’ve put them up that way ever since.
We’ve put up both muscadines and scuppernongs as well. I juiced them the first year only to have my hands break out from handling the skins (oxalic acid reaction). The next year I washed and threw them whole in the jar, added sugar and covered with water before processing. It didn’t have that dark rich color like straight juice, but sure looked pretty in the jar and tasted good when we opened it for Thanksgiving. I’ve still got a few jars of the thick strong juice saved for medicinal purposes.
These late summer blessings are easy to take for granted as they grow so well year after year here in the south, but they are so versatile there’s always something new and tasty to do with them.
MISC MARKET NOTES
FROM OUR GROWERS
AVALON FARMS:
Sometimes you have to adapt to the situation. This is my temporary grow light set up for some broccoli and cabbage starts. Yes, that is 2 cases of canning jars and a gallon vinegar jug for height/weight support. Ha ha
It’s too hot in the greenhouse to start these seeds there, so the guest bedroom doubles as a germination chamber. They’ll be moved outside, to some yet undetermined location, to grow for a few weeks. Then into the ground they’ll go.
JBW FARM FRESH: We are so very excited to finally have pastured-pork available for sale! Our pasture-raised pigs are raised on the pasture and in wooded areas where they are able to eat a diverse diet of plants, insects and nuts. They roam large areas and are very happy doing so. Pasture-raised pork contains higher levels of nutrients than commercially raised pork. It can also contain up to twice the amount of vitamin E and three times the amount of Vitamin D contained in confined pigs! We would love for you to give our pork a try and let us know what you think of it. Order here and follow us on our website, as well as on Facebook and Instagram!
MOUNT MORIAH FARMS: It is so hard not to let myself get overwhelmed with the constant “To-Do” List on the farm. Some days, I really think about how easier life would be without so many things relying on me to be on my “A Game”. It has caused me to step back and ask myself, “Why am I doing all of this?” The answer I give myself is not just one reason, it’s several. Most important to me, I’m doing it so that my family doesn’t have to rely on stores being open to provide for us. Secondly, I don’t want personal farms to end in my generation, I want it to continue on with my kids. Lastly, I do it because God gave me a passion and heart for it. It’s tough work but rewarding. I share all these personal thoughts to say THANK YOU for supporting our little farm, and letting us continue to be in business!
We look forward to seeing you next Friday at one of our pickup locations. Thank you for your interest and support of our efforts to bring you the healthiest, the freshest and the most delicious locally-produced foods possible!