And now it's time to winterize

[donttread]

I gave the lawn it's last mow of the year the other day and the garden is torn down , with the composter full. The hose is put away and some raking, but not nealy enough, is done. Our storgae buildings have receieved fall cleaning . But much is left to do. We've got to get the docks out of the water , put the golf cart , lawn mower and trolling motor away and get the snow blower ready, more raking to do and lots of little odds and ends .
What's winterizing like for you? Register , you are not allowed to answer on the grounds that it might depress me. LOL

[Common]

Now comes the reason to live in fla, the next 7 months

[jimmyz]

How do I winterize? I wear pants instead of shorts. The automatic thermometer kicks the pool heater on when needed. We eat-out on the restaurant's patio. Oh, and we have schadenfreude when we see other in the country shuffling over ice and through snow. Ain't Arizona grand in the winter.

[donttread]

Now comes the reason to live in fla, the next 7 months

I should of included you in my instructions to Register! LOL

[Kacper]

My lawn won't get its last mow til Christmas. It has slowed down a lot but the leaves are late coming down so I still have a ways to go in that department. I have moved all my plants indoors that can't overwinter. Cleaned up some of the misc. things and put them away, but really I do a lot outside over winter. I am more active in the cold than I am the heat in this regard--clearing brush, building things, etc.

[Mister D]

Meh. I just don't care for January and February. It's bleak.

[resister]

I gave the lawn it's last mow of the year the other day and the garden is torn down , with the composter full. The hose is put away and some raking, but not nealy enough, is done. Our storgae buildings have receieved fall cleaning . But much is left to do. We've got to get the docks out of the water , put the golf cart , lawn mower and trolling motor away and get the snow blower ready, more raking to do and lots of little odds and ends .
What's winterizing like for you? Register , you are not allowed to answer on the grounds that it might depress me. LOL
Kin folk said "Jed, move away from there!"

Seriously, we just had our first colf front! It got down to a bonechilling 53 degrees:shocked:

As much as I hate cold, it signals the end of hurricane season and the beginning of fossil, season!

[Captain Obvious]

When we finally get that piece of property there will be zero lawn.

Fuck that shit, sagebrush and sand. I'm good.

[Peter1469]

I need to cut the herbs on the balcony, dry them, and get them in the fridge (in ziplocks). I have enough catnip to keep my cats flying high for months.

[jimmyz]

When we finally get that piece of property there will be zero lawn.

Fuck that shit, sagebrush and sand. I'm good.
I know you say you live in the desert... What state?

[Captain Obvious]

I know you say you live in the desert... What state?

Witness relocation program

[Mister D]

I need to cut the herbs on the balcony, dry them, and get them in the fridge (in ziplocks). I have enough catnip to keep my cats flying high for months.
Let me know what method you use. I have to get my parsley dried.

[Peter1469]

Let me know what method you use. I have to get my parsley dried.

Nothings special. Just cut them, wash them, dry them, put them into a ziplock, keep them on the counter for several hours, then put them in the fridge.

[Mister D]

Nothings special. Just cut them, wash them, dry them, put them into a ziplock, keep them on the counter for several hours, then put them in the fridge.
Sounds simple enough. I briefly researched it about a week ago. You can use the oven, the sun etc. OS you just wash them off, let them air dry for a few hours and toss them in the fridge?

[Peter1469]

Sounds simple enough. I briefly researched it about a week ago. You can use the oven, the sun etc. OS you just wash them off, let them air dry for a few hours and toss them in the fridge?

If you don't need them to last for a long time, yes.

[Mister D]

If you don't need them to last for a long time, yes.
What do think the shelf life is in this case?

[Peter1469]

What do think the shelf life is in this case?

A couple of months. Although for the catnip, I may look into another method, because I have a lot of that. The other stuff is for salad and will go fast.

[Kacper]

Let me know what method you use. I have to get my parsley dried.

Do oven or dehydrator.

[Peter1469]

Drying options (https://www.thespruce.com/how-to-dry-and-store-herbs-1403397)

[resister]

Do oven or dehydrator.
I use to dry mushrooms on a flat window screen indoors with a fan, oven drying will likely result in a different flavor than slow drying. At least with reefer, oven dried smokes harsher than slow dried, it retains more chlorphyll (sp). Not sure how this effects herbs?

[Mister D]

A couple of months. Although for the catnip, I may look into another method, because I have a lot of that. The other stuff is for salad and will go fast.
Oh, that's plenty. I was afraid you might say 2 to 3 weeks. I've only been using so many herbs because I have so many on hand. I can go without for January and February.

[Peter1469]

Oh, that's plenty. I was afraid you might say 2 to 3 weeks. I've only been using so many herbs because I have so many on hand. I can go without for January and February.

I think they are better that way. You lose some of the oils if you oven or microwave them. But for long term storage that is what you have to do.

On edit, my prepping stash doesn't include dried herbs. This is for immediate use.

[Kacper]

I use to dry mushrooms on a flat window screen indoors with a fan, oven drying will likely result in a different flavor than slow drying. At least with reefer, oven dried smokes harsher than slow dried, it retains more chlorphyll (sp). Not sure how this effects herbs?

You can do that or bunch them together in brown paper bags to slow dry them as well. I have a dehydrator so tend to favor it for most things. some things like hot peppers I think do better just slowly air drying.

[resister]

I think they are better that way. You lose some of the oils if you oven or microwave them. But for long term storage that is what you have to do.
I used to store my dehydrated shrooms in honey to prevent, oxidization (the factor leading to a loss in potency) I suspect oxidization leads to loss of flavor in herbs, though I imagine it would be hard to use honied herbs, could be interesting!

[resister]

You can do that or bunch them together in brown paper bags to slow dry them as well. I have a dehydrator so tend to favor it for most things. some things like hot peppers I think do better just slowly air drying.
As long as mold is kept at bay. Being in the AC should prevent mold, either way.

[Kacper]

As long as mold is kept at bay. Being in the AC should prevent mold, either way.

I suppose but you can buy parsley for practically nothing so I am not sure it is worth that much effort.

[Mister D]

I'll have to harvest everything with a week or so. Doesn't look we're going to get a frost this coming week but I don't want to keep putting it off. So this is cool. I will have a lot of parsley and oregano until after holidays.

[resister]

Speaking of winterizing, it is soon time to dump the gas from the mower and run the engine till it conks, get that gas all the way out of the carb. That damn ethanol will jell by spring and gum the carb. I suggest every one with idle power equipment, do the same.

[Peter1469]

I used to store my dehydrated shrooms in honey to prevent, oxidization (the factor leading to a loss in potency) I suspect oxidization leads to loss of flavor in herbs, though I imagine it would be hard to use honied herbs, could be interesting!

Mushrooms have a lot of moisture in them. The article that I linked to above has special instructions for herbs with more moisture.

[Peter1469]

I'll have to harvest everything with a week or so. Doesn't look we're going to get a frost this coming week but I don't want to keep putting it off. So this is cool. I will have a lot of parsley and oregano until after holidays.

We had a frost a couple of nights. The catnip showed it. The other herbs didn't seem to mind.

[resister]

Mushrooms have a lot of moisture in them. The article that I linked to above has special instructions for herbs with more moisture.I saw that. Indeed, mushrooms are 90% water, I would take the larger one and rip them in thirds, right up the stem and through the cap. Then laid out (not to crowded) on a horizontal window screen, a fan blowing right on them.

They dried, in 2 to 3 days.

[donttread]

Kin folk said "Jed, move away from there!"

Seriously, we just had our first colf front! It got down to a bonechilling 53 degrees:shocked:

As much as I hate cold, it signals the end of hurricane season and the beginning of fossil, season!

I can cope with 53 without even a sweatshirt, but I have no way to cope with 97.

[Ethereal]

Meh. I just don't care for January and February. It's bleak.
Same here. I rather like November and December, but January and February are just brutal in the north. One reason why I'll be moving to the south in the future.

[Kacper]

I can cope with 53 without even a sweatshirt, but I have no way to cope with 97.

A friend of mine grew up in a snowbird family. Their home on Long Island had no air conditioning and their home in Florida had no heat. They coped with frequent flyer miles.

[donttread]

So I noticed how late it got light this AM and remembered the "fall back" soon it will be dark virtually all non business hours for several months. That adds to the 3-4 foot snow storms and -30 one day and + 34 with every parking lot and ice rink the next. I'm pretty sure our ancestors hated us somehow to settle here. LOL

[Captdon]

I gave the lawn it's last mow of the year the other day and the garden is torn down , with the composter full. The hose is put away and some raking, but not nealy enough, is done. Our storgae buildings have receieved fall cleaning . But much is left to do. We've got to get the docks out of the water , put the golf cart , lawn mower and trolling motor away and get the snow blower ready, more raking to do and lots of little odds and ends .
What's winterizing like for you? Register , you are not allowed to answer on the grounds that it might depress me. LOL

Winterize? Oh. A long sleeve shirt. Maybe.

[donttread]

Winterize? Oh. A long sleeve shirt. Maybe.

That's just cruel! LOL. We finished Friday. My son came up and he and I pulled the aluminum dock out of the water and beached the raft. We've had nothing more than a couple of inches of snow at a time so far, so we lucked out for being late getting the dock out.