Foraging!

[ozarklady]

Oops I didn't answer the nut butter question.
Nuts and the oils in them will go rancid.
One year, we hulled pecans like crazy and froze them, within a year they were rancid, even in the freezer.

You use oil in your nut butters, so oils also go rancid.
I would say, only make up one or maybe two jars at a time at point of need. And leave the nuts in their shells in a cool dry place until needed for more nut butter. I would store these butters in the fridge, since they do not contain chemicals to preserve and stabilize them.

The short wide mouth jars are half pints same as the taller ones, just different shape. I found them in half dozen sets at Wally world.

[tz]

I looked into raising worms to eat kitchen scraps but they don't like onions, my main scrap. The red wigglers are the main compost worms but there are some others including some big ones. There is a lot of info on the web about raising worms, ranging from small container kitchen bins to backyard pits.

[ozarklady]

Okay, all addresses that I have on hand are filled with Pawpaw seeds, I have 4 baggies left over.
Once these are gone, you would need to talk to folks who got seeds, as I was pretty generous with them. Most of you, that I have addresses for got 20 seeds.

But, I am almost out of the Pawpaw seed issue! yeah!

[starlight1153]

What I need to do is get a notebook and keep track of when stuff comes into season and at which location. Lots of stuff around, and I think I will remember when to go collect, but always have so much going on forget.

Ozark and anybody else, don't know if your interested in Ginko biloba (sp?) or not, but there plenty of it down here. Can't help tell ya which would be a male tree and which would be a female, til they grow a bit.

I'll be making a road trip soon to go collecting and will see what I can for ya and others. I do know that it won't be like this seed gathering trip I had one year. cubits.org/ellasgarden/thread/view/4483/ ;D

Now I go armed with plenty of bags, baggies, labels, pens, pencils, and toilet paper. rofl

I have some Japanese raisin tree seeds, I bought and will share if you want to give some of them a try for something different.

Not sure if the Chestnut trees are ready or not.

Some friends of mine raise worms in their little city lot. At back of yard under shade tree they built worm beds. They slapped it together out of wood scrapes. Made sure the side s was open just enough to allow for drainage. Filled it with uncomposted manure, tossed in some worms and covered with newspaper and a piece of plywood on the top. They would let that break down and just add scraps and more newspaper, keep watered on hot days, and when one bin started getting composted down good, they would take out worms, start another box. They would just keep rotating boxes. They have given me plants they potted up with that soil and I would go to transplant and find all kinds of baby worms and eggs in the soil.

Are you talking about the little wild Alpine strawberries? The ones it takes ya forever to collect and two seconds to eat a whole bowlful. Not making any promise s here, but will keep my eye s open as I going through seed here to see if I still have any. I did, but don't remember of hand if I gave them all away for if I saved a few back. If I do find some will let ya know and your welcome to them if ya still want some. There a monster patch of them , not to far from me that grows wild and I like making tiny 1" strawberry tarts from them.

I hoping, but have to wait and see if it happens and they make it here, but have asked a friend to ask their friend to try and gather some wild tomato seeds and send fresh coffee beans. Have no idea if and when they might arrive, but if they do will shout out.

[ozarklady]

I loved the seed collecting venture!
That sounds too much like me!

I won't touch coffee, but my glass of iced tea, or cup of hot tea is never far from my fingers!

I try to keep a box of sandwich bags in the glove box at all times.

I really need to carry an ink pen and post it notes. I thought oh baggies will make life easier. And it does, but I still forget what was that seed, and where did I get it?

Even my tomato seeds, I have three batches that I can't share. I only grew 2 yellow tomatoes: Banana Legs and Yellow stuffer. I was fermenting the seeds, and I had some labels come loose. Well, one was definitely a red tomato. But the other two, were yellow, that was all I could tell about it. So I have mystery yellow seeds, it is one and two, no idea which is which. I know that I saved Grueso seeds they are red, tomatoes, and I don't see any so, I betcha I know what the red one was! Out of 3 plants I only got the one fruit of Grueso, so I didn't eat it, I fermented it, then it just up and died, no other fruits... figures! So, these three will just have to remain mysteries until I grow them out in 2011!

I now get the little garge sale things, bright color stick ons... I just write what it is and stick it on the dish! Then I peel it off and stick it on the filter when the seeds are drying. From there it is stuck on the package that I put them into, and taped down for assurance that it still sticks!

So, I am not confident of which is which, these will have to be grown out and then sorted out as the fruits develop.
At least banana legs and yellow stuffer are quite different looking!
And Grueso is the only plain red tomato that I grew, with nothing of note about it. So that should be easy to figure too.

At the moment, I am eyeballing some hedgeapples (bo dock) or better known as Osage Orange. They only grow in one spot that I am aware of... right along the 4 lane, and they are where there is no close road to pull off onto. I want some to start some living fences. But, how do I get to those things. Hubby and I have a plan, he will drive by, drop me off, go turn around and pick me up on the return trip... there is no other way! And that is dependant on my being able to cross the very busy highway, so he may have to go turn around a second time... Such work to get something no one wants! It is growing in the highway right of way, and as such it is fair game for collecting! But have you seen the size of the thorns on those trees? I will have to watch my step.

[starlight1153]

Ozark... If you could look at the history on my computer you would see where I went looking when I was typing my post this morning to see if the Oasge Orange was edible or not. That just too funny.

I didn't mention it as possibly trying to collect on my trip as most people don't like the mess. You can see bored teens using them for baseball practice. We call them monkeyballs and ankle breakers. They hurt like the dickens if ya get hit with one. I only had found one site that said something about the only edible part was the seeds and they pretty embedded in the flesh.

I didn't think about using post it notes. Great idea. I usually trying to rip up and writ eon little pieces of paper and hope they don't blow away or get wet or lost when I put my bag down at next spot to collect .

[ozarklady]

I had no idea that Osage Orange is edible at all.

I want them for creating a living fence! I already have black locust!

I have also heard that they have pesticide properties.

I tried it, and they drew pests, so not sure that is what a person would want.

Look up living fence, from Mother Earth News, it is good for animals to hide in, nest in, etc. And yet it keeps out the pesky animals.

[starlight1153]

I'd do some research before giving it a try. Locust is wicked. LOL I wish I could think of the name of the one I bought a bunch of seedlings from to make a living fence, but name escapes me. It makes a fruit that the birds get drunk on and keeps folks out from the thorns.

It maybe also possible that is it edible for humans. The birds love it, but before I could get the seedlings planted my one dog at the time, ate them. I mean literally ate them down to nubs. Leaves and stems. When my dog did, he had tumors that were located in areas that surgery safely couldn't remove because of age. It may be that humans could too. My dog lived to over 15years.

Hollies make good living walls, they feed the birds and provide shelter and is also food for certain types of butterflies. There supposed to be a Holly Ilex 'Mate' that folks in S.A make a beverage from. Not sure if that truth or myth though.

What ever you do, do not plant Ilex x 'Rotundra' it wicked with thorns, and has deep underground runners and you'll never get rid of it.

I went yesterday up and was looking at my Sassafras trees, wondering if I could try and dig the roots. I found some new seedlings that have sprouted. They are about 1 1/2' to about 3' tall. The leaves are green on them and haven't started turning yet. They must not be long sprouted as they weren't there in the spring. Do you think the leave s off the seedlings could be harvested or do you think it better to wait til spring. The leaves are bigger than the mouse ear size you suggested. Oh and before I forget, do you freeze your leaves green or dry them first?

One of the things I wonder is they use mice all the time for making drugs and such for humans. I wonder if you see wild mice forging and eating , if it wouldn't be safe for human consumption too.

[ozarklady]

I am officially out of Pawpaw seeds. I did find 3-4 mummified pawpaws, not sure of the seed quality in those. Other than that... no more till next year!

You might try some of the folks who got seeds if you still would like some, and didn't get your address to me.

[ozarklady]

I have very personal research of black locust, it is the weed of choice in my garden.
Some times I got exasperated at it, popping up here, there, and everywhere, and just grab it to yank it out... oops

I counted about 6-8 that are growing inside my garden fence, and these are only the ones that outgrew my bowsaw, and got over 6' tall! They seem to pop up over night. But the electric company herbalist insists that they only grow 2' per year.... He hasn't seen my garden!

I clean the bed totally, and whammo the locust outgrows everything that I plant.

They spread by underground roots, and no matter how many roots you remove they are always back in about a month!

[peppereater]

starlight, I wonder if what you had could have been poncirus trifoliata, trifoliate orange. Thorns straight out of hell itself and small edible "oranges." The oranges are about 2 1/2 inches across and they do ferment.
ozarklady, I don't know what that "herbalist" is thinking, I've seen black locust grow 6 feet in a single year. Once they're about 20 feet tall, 2 feet a year is about right.
I considered growing black locust because it is a nitrogen fixing legume. Evidently, it's possible to plant rows of it and plant crops between the rows...when the soil is tilled, it slices the roots and allows the nitrogen in the root nodules to be released. My better sense kicked in, though, and I didn't do it. The other benefit of black locust is the wood itself. Both black locust and osage orange produce wood that can be used as fenceposts and lasts easily 60 years. The osage orange is also by far the best wood native to north america for making bows. Even 40 and 50 year old fenceposts are highly sought by bowmakers. Try using a chainsaw to cut a 2" thick piece of dead boise d'arc (osage orange) and you'll see why it's such good wood...you can practically dull a chain cutting through it. Never even attempt to use pruners to remove dead wood, it ain't gonna happen, not even the half inch thick stuff.

[starlight1153]

Peppereater. That the name of the orange I couldn't think off. The first time I came across that tree I thought fantastic fresh oranges. Was dreaming of orange for breakfast when I went to try and reach for one. My bare hand and arm got the shock its life. I knew then why nobody was picking the oranges off. No gloves or tools or anything I longing looked at them and walked away. Just couldn't deal with the pain factor that day getting in there and getting them. Wish I could learn how to get in there and get them and get out without having a supply of a thousand bandaids around. ; )

Hunting in tree seeds today I found the Bay Laurel ones i had. Have a couple extra if somebody wants to grow some of them, or try anyways.

[redneckplanter]

think they would grow in texas?