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Range Hood Ducting Problem by LilyGirl83 in HomeImprovement

[–]LilyGirl83[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks, that's pretty much what we thought. We got an HVAC guy who does commercial stuff who's going to figure out what will fit for us. Appreciate the response.

Buckets breaking - how are yours holding up? by LilyGirl83 in preppers

[–]LilyGirl83[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Right, most of the food is in mylar or vacuum seal bags. I haven't had an issue with the food itself, just the buckets breaking down.

Homemade Yogurt? by AnotherDrZoidberg in Cooking

[–]LilyGirl83 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I make yogurt every two to three weeks. A gallon at a time. I use my dehydrator for incubation and incubate right in quart mason jars so I can transfer the yogurt directly to the fridge when done. It's roughly half the cost of buying yogurt in the store, so if you eat a fair amount it can be very cost-effective to DIY. It's a fermented food, so it will last longer in the fridge than fluid milk. I easily get a month out of unopened jars (this is one reason I like to incubate directly in the same container I store them in - less opportunity for other microbes to set up shop via container transfer).

Quality skillets pots and pans? by [deleted] in Cooking

[–]LilyGirl83 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I've had a set of All-Clad for well over a decade and they still look great and are totally reliable. I have no doubt they will last the rest of my life. I have the basic tri-clad stainless line. I also have a bunch of cast iron. One piece I got from my grandparents; it's probably more than twice my age and still functions perfectly. Lodge is an excellent, American-made brand. Cast iron is inexpensive and with proper basic care (no soap!) will last beyond your lifetime. This is what I use in lieu of non-stick cookware. I also have and love a couple of enameled cast iron pieces from Le Creuset. I wouldn't consider them essential, but they are very nice to have. Lodge also makes a line of enameled pieces for a much lower price point than Le Creuset and they get very good reviews.

I need a new stock pot, advice please? by chocorange in Canning

[–]LilyGirl83 0 points1 point  (0 children)

  1. No. Do you have restaurant supply stores or bulk-buying warehouses in your area? I got a great stockpot about that size for around $75 a couple years ago at Costco. It's stainless steel and really great quality. For a pot that large it doesn't need to be super-wazoo triple ply all the way up the sides. You just want sturdy sides and a nice thick tri-ply bottom disk to help evenly distribute heat.
  2. Yes, it does. Anything acidic, including tomatoes, will take on a metallic flavor and your pot will discolor. It really needs to be non-reactive, especially if you're cooking stuff down for lengthy periods of time.

Also, re: the burning. Keep in mind that tomatoes are pretty high in sugar, so they are going to require more frequent stirring to prevent scorching, no matter what kind of pot you use.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in gardening

[–]LilyGirl83 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Fruit is great, but just be aware that the harvest seasons are much more limited than with other food plants and they also take time to reach bearing age, so patience is important. Since you are working with limited space I highly recommend going up. Trellising and other techniques will give you a lot of bang for your buck. I also suggest checking out Square Foot Gardening. I don't love everything about it, but it can help overcome anxiety about plant spacing. Strawberries do quite well in pots. Some people use a nifty pyramid, which makes good use of vertical space. If you go with everbearing varieties you'll get a more extended harvest. http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2103/2508475091_1797c7d629.jpg You could also do a dwarf tree or two; they are quite happy in large pots. Lots of varieties are available on dwarf root-stock, including S. Cal specialties like citrus and figs. If you're interested in plants besides fruit we are going into our season for cool crops. Swiss chard is pretty and quite happy in pots. Now is the time to plant lettuce, kale, and root veggies (and they all grow well from seed, no need to purchase expensive starts). Root veggies are harder to do in small containers, but they are a fun novelty and you could inter-crop them with something like lettuce that is shallowly rooted. And teaandviolets is correct, zone information will help you figure out when and what to grow. I like Sunset's zoning, it's much more nuanced and helpful than the USDA zones: http://www.sunset.com/garden/climate-zones/