Wheelbarrows

100,000 poets around the world celebrated their art today, including a few in nearby Lexington. We strolled around the local Kroger store, adding items to shopping carts while speaking random lines from "The Red Wheelbarrow" by William Carlos Williams. Local shoppers must be accustomed to weirdos talking to themselves. They didn't pay us much mind. When one of our group began beating his drum in the front of the store, we headed that way and gathered around him. Our leader shouted out the poem, then we began calling it out and repeating it line by line. After a few minutes we returned to our carts and checked out. For more, check out Karen's blog at http://holesinmyjeans-kpannabecker.blogspot.com/.

Next project, sweet corn. I seeded many plantings of sweet corn this year. Several were miserable failures, but persistence paid off. We have more than we need at the moment. I reined in our black wheelbarrow, loaded it with ears, and rolled it over to a paddock. There, Karen and I served dessert to goats and donkeys. I continued to the outdoor kitchen, where I cut off the kernels. Finally, down in the basement kitchen, I canned and froze 20 quarts.

Here's one instance in which the best is the easiest. To freeze the corn, I put a quart of kernels in a large cereal bowl and microwaved it for 3 1/2 minutes. I immediately stuck the corn in a plastic bag and into the freezer. This has worked well for years. The only thing I worry about is the Mideastern (?) petroleum that makes the plastic bag. You tell me. Is that okay?

Canning is more complicated, as has been explained in earlier blog entries. 

"Yeah, but how about showing us what the canner's supposed to sound like?" says Virginia.

All right. Here it is.

Turkey Broth

Whenever we roast a chicken or turkey, it seems a shame to throw the bones away.  I like to use them for soup.  Soup on a 90-degree day, though, doesn't have the appeal it has in the middle of January.  Hold on a minute!  I heat up our canning kitchen in the summer to put away tomatoes, pickles, corn and other foods, so maybe those bones present an opportunity.

Put them in a pot, add just enough water to cover them, and boil for awhile.  Then strain the broth and fill seven sterilized quart jars, leaving 1-inch headroom.  Carefully place the jars in a pressure cooker, tighten the lid, and fire up the burner.  When steam begins to escape through the blow hole, set the stop cock on top in its 10-pound position.  As soon as it starts rattling, turn the timer to 25 minutes and don't forget it.  After the timer beeps, switch off the heat and remove the canner from the burner.  Wait an hour or so for the canner to cool, then open it.

Remove the jars and let them come to room temperature.

 "What did you write on them?" asks Virginia.

"8/09 T. Broth."

Finally, stick them in a cupboard next to their brothers and sisters.  Down there, lower left.