Extending the Season

For several years we have been tolling with the idea of getting a greenhouse.  We scoured Kijiji and other adds and even looked at purchasing new.  Last summer we finally found one up near Woodstock.  It had to be dismantled and shipped down to here and then reassembled.  Clarke was in charge of that operation.  It was a huge job.  Clarke and Roger made 8 beds 4 feet by 16 feet.  That should grow a couple of tomatoes.   We didn't get the plastic on until fall but we planted inside anyway.

We had the most wonderful crop of tomatoes.  They were indeterminate and were over 8 feet tall.  You can see the spools of cord for each tomato to climb.  Each plant was full of tomatoes.  And it rained and rained....remember there is no plastic.  Then one day all the plants and tomatoes went black from blight.  We had to pull all those plants and we never got one tomato.  We did get some peppers though.

In the fall we finally got the plastic on.  double layer of plastic and we blow air in between the layers for added insulation.  If we are spending this much money on something it better pay its way at least with food for us.

Fiddlehead time on the Miramichi....

Every spring Miramichiers wait patiently for the first sign of fiddleheads.   As the new spring ferns raise their sleepy heads from their winter nap only to be picked by a waiting fiddlehead picker. The only consistent thing about  fiddlehead season is that is happens in the spring, but frost, heat and rain can delay and interrupt a good patch of fiddleheads.

Fiddleheads are the uncurled frond of the Ostrich Fern.

This year's fiddlehead season saw a abundance of fiddleheads and the fresh fiddlehead market quickly shut down because of the over availability of them.  So what to do with the extra fiddleheads....preserve them of course.  Nothing is quite as satisfying as having a "feed" of fiddleheads in the middle of winter. 

We "rig" up for trying to get the most fiddleheads ready for the freezer in the shortest period of time.  It usually takes 2 of us.

Clarke is generally the blancher.  We have a propane cooker with a large pot of water boiling outside.  When blanching fiddleheads you have to keep them submerged or they turn black.  So we got two deep frying baskets, you put the fiddleheads in one and put the other on top and then into the boiling water.  The basket on top keeps the fiddleheads from floating to the top.  Once 3 minutes is up those fiddleheads have to stop cooking immediately so into another large pot that has a continual stream of cold water to stop the cooking process.  Now I get in on the act.

 

Those blanched fiddleheads now need to be dried after their bath.  I lay them out on towels and gently towel dry them.  Looking them over and picking out the ones that may not  quite up to par. 

I then put them in bags and weigh them.  1 pound is the right size for a meal and 3 pounds are to make pickled fiddleheads for later.

They get vacuum sealed to lock in the freshness. And it really does help. Since we got this food sealer the vegetables we freeze last so much longer because all the air gets sucked out. I always hated the straw method.

Here is a new batch of pickled fiddleheads, beginning their 3 week fermentation journey before they can grace a cracker or a piece of cheese.

  You will note that the colour of the fiddleheads have changed from a bright green colour to a wonderful olive green colour.  That is one of the ways that you know that your fiddlehead is safe to eat.  Fiddleheads raw have a natural toxin that can make you sick but cooked they are perfectly safe. 

Caution:  eating too many fiddleheads can have a laxative effect.  Affectionately referred to as the Miramichi Cleanse.

Dusting Off the Blog

After the whirlwind restoration to make the homestead presentable for the Home Coming ,we decided restoration should take a break. We then decided that the homestead needed to start earning its keep.Since I had orginally started this to document our restoration journey I didn't update it because there was no restoring going on.  Then one day I said to myself....self there are other things going on here and you should document them.  So I am dusting off the blog and will bring you up to speed on what has been happening.

Here are some of the finished rooms from the previous documented restoration.

The Pressure is On

We have just found out that in the Aug 14,15,16 2009 our community is hosting a community reunion called "Come Home to the River" That means that many people are coming from all over the country to come back to their roots to see family and friends. The organizing committee is busily preparing different events for people to do while they are back home and have asked us if we would host some events. Just about everyone in the community at one time or another had worked at the homestead. It at one time had played a very important part in the community and so it was only fitting that it be available during the Home Coming. We had decided to host two events, a coffee and dessert social on the first day (this was organized by Clarke's mother and two sisters) and a story telling session on Saturday evening. We also said we would have the house open for all 3 days so anyone who wanted to come back to reminisce could do so. Family that would be coming from a far will need a place to stay.

We came home from the meeting to take stock of what we needed to get done before August. Are we going to be able to do it?

The bedrooms above the kitchen looks like this

The kitchen looks like this

Never mind the dust that is everywhere through out the house........no time for doubts.......there is no turning back now.

Nancy

Resurrection

Do you remember or post about the sentimental attactment to the "old red shack" http://wilsonfamilyhomestead.blogspot.com/2007/05/old-red-shack.html. I really didn't think that old building could be saved but again Clarke suprised me with his ability to bring, what most people think can't be saved, back to life. It went from this




to this

The front needed to be replaced but the back was brought back into position and the blocking replaced. It is now a perfectly good shed. We could have never replaced that building for time and money it took fix it. Now it needs to be painted red and it will last another 100 years.

Nancy

Recycle & Reuse

Clarke noticed that a neighbor had a pile of cedar shingles that the neighbor had recently removed from his roof. The cedar shingles had been under the asphalt shingles on his roof and they were in remarkably good shape. So we swapped some firewood for the shingles and brought them home to put on the outside of the barn.




We just flipped them over and they looked like they were always on the barn. They have another 100 years in them. We got enough shingles to finish two half walls and we still lots of shingles left.

There is so much joy in bringing back something that someone previously thought of as being worthless.

Nancy

Chicken Little Was Right.....

The ceiling is falling. I have already talked about redoing of the china cabinet. http://wilsonfamilyhomestead.blogspot.com/2008/04/china-cabinet.html. The upper part of China cabinet was purchased and placed on a bottom cupboard. A tin sheet was tacked to the bottom cupboard before the top was placed on.

It was painted and not in good enough shape to save so we decided to remove it. But in order to remove it we had to take the top part off. Which wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be, however once we did that the ceiling began to fall down. So we had to tear that out as well.

Crumbling plaster is really dirty business. At some point I would like to put back together instead of take apart. I guess that is for another year.

Nancy