Tips for Successful Bread Making - from Honeyville Grain handout

- Always use quality ingredients.

- Proof your yeast, even slightly.

- Yeast develop;s best in a dark moist, slightly warm environment.

Vital Wheat Gluten + Potato Flake + White Vinegar

Yeast eats sugar and creates air bubbles and gluten strengthens the bubbles. Use 1 - 2 tbsp of gluten for every cup of flour in your recipe.

Potato Flakes add starch to protect the air bubbles fro popping. It's like adding "Goo" to the gluten bubbles. Use 1/4 c. for every loaf of bread your recipe will make.

White Vinegar is an acid and strengthens the gluten bubbles. Some bakers crush a vitamin C tablet or acidic products for this reason Use the same amount of vinegar as you use yeast.

Gluten is like the muscles of the bread holding together those air bubbles. Kneading the bread is like flexing or exercising the muscles to make them strong to be able to hold those bubbles without breaking. So kneading doesn't create gluten, it just strengthens it. Because whole wheat is heavier than all-purpose flour and has bran and fiber which have jagged edges that can break the gluten we need to add more muscle into the bread.

Honeyville's Favorite Food Storage Bread Recipes

Best Ever Food Storage Whole Wheat Bread

1 1/4 cup warm water
1 tbsp active dry yeast
1/4 cup honey or 1/3 cup sugar
2 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cup Honeyville Vital Wheat Gluten
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp Honeyville nonfat non-instant dry milk
1 tbsp oil
1 tbsp white vinegar
1/3 cup Honeyville potato flakes (NOT potato pearls)

Mix ingredients in order listed in a bread machine on the dough cycle or knead for 12-15 minutes. Let rise until double. 1-1 1/2 hours.

Gently punch down, roll out with a rolling pin and then shape into loaf or rolls.

Let rise again until double and bake 375 degrees for 20-30 minutes until golden brown and sounds hollow when lightly tapped. One thing I (Lisa B) do is put a piece of aluminum foil over the loaf for the last 15 minutes of baking so that it isn't too dark.

Best Ever Food Storage White Bread

1 1/8 cups warm water
1 3/4 - 2 tsp active dry yeast
2 tbsp sugar or 1 1/2 tbsp honey
3 cups flour
1 tbsp Honeyville Vital Wheat Gluten
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp Honeyville nonfat non-instant dry milk
1 1/2 tbsp oil
1/3 cups Honeyville potato flakes (NOT potato pearls)

Mix ingredients in order listed for 12 - 15 minutes. Let rise until double, 1 - 1 1/2 hours.

Gently punch down, roll out with a rolling pin and then shape into loaf or rolls.

Let rise in a warm place 45 min - 1 hour and bake 375 degrees for 20 - 25 minutes until golden brown and sounds hollow when lightly tapped.

Backyard Beekeeping

Notes on Keeping Bees in Urban and Suburban Neighborhoods

Many beekeepers have bee hives in their back yards. Some bees are even kept on city roof-tops. Bees can travel several miles to collect nectar and pollen, so they do not need flowering plants close by. Most suburbs have plenty of flowers, and bees can make a good crop of local honey.

City beekeepers must take special care so their bees do not become a nuisance to neighbors, or even appear to be a problem. We all want good neighborly relations!

Bee stings are usually neighbors' biggest concern. Usually, beekeepers can care for their bees in ways that allow neighbors to feel safe and comfortable in their yards.

The Fence

A Fence is important for most backyard beekeepers. A six foot high fence or shrubbery can serve several purposes:

Forces the bees flight path above people's heads. Bees normally travel in a straight path to their hive, and a fence raises their flight path up over everyone's head. A fence reduces the chance that a bee will accidentally collide with someone walking nearby.

Creates an "out of sight - out of mind" situation. Some people may be overly concerned about bees in the neighborhood. A fence hides most evidence that managed bees are in the neighborhood.

Provides wind protection to the hives.

Water

Honey bees need to collect water, particularly in early spring and during the heat of summer. Bees can be fussy about where they collect water. They seem to love small ponds and creeks. The bees may also drink from a dog's drinking bowl, or a neighbor's bird bath or swimming pool. To deter bees from going to a neighbor's yard for a drink, the suburban beekeeper should provide water for their bees.

Two successful ways to provide water are to (1) Start a small water garden in a half-whiskey barrel with floating plants. The bees seem to love it, since they prefer well-aged water! (2) Use a dripping faucet, with the drips falling on to a wooden board. The dripping faucet is harder to manage, since it must be available at all times when bees are flying so they do not develop a habit of going elsewhere. Bees seem to prefer water that is not TOO close to their hive, so I put a water source at least 20 feet away.

Swarm Control

There is no practical way to prevent swarming with 100% success. However, swarms are usually very gentle because the bees eat a lot of honey before they swarm.

In the photograph at left, a swarm is scooped up from a neighbor's yard.

Strong colonies with good queens are most likely to swarm. Of course, we want strong colonies. The solution is to keep colonies headed by young queens, less than one year old, because they will swarm less and tend to be strong too. This requires requeening each year with young queens if swarms are likely to be a problem.

When bees swarm, they typically form a cluster within 100 feet of their old hive while scout bees search for a new home. "Bait hives" are a good way to discourage swarms from going into a neighbor's yard. A bait hive is simply an attractive home waiting for a swarm to discover. A good bait hive can be made from an old hive body or nuc hive that is at least one cubic foot in volume and an opening size of about 1 or 2 square inches. The ideal place to put a bait hive is in a shady, wind-protected place, between 10 and 30 feet from the hives, and about ten feet off the ground such as under the eve of a house or between branches of a tree. Bees also prefer to live someplace where bees have lived before, so a bait hive will be more attractive to the bees if it has an old frame of honey comb in it or otherwise has a good bee-smell.

Working the Bees

When working inside a hive, it is possible that an angry bee will find an innocent nearby person (other than the beekeeper) to be a suitable target for a sting. Fortunately, there are ways of preventing that from happening!

The defensiveness of bees is greatly influenced by environmental conditions. A beekeeper who works with the bees when conditions are good will have few, if any, angry bees. The same bees that are gentle on one day can become very defensive on another day. The best conditions to work with the bees are when:

Most of the field bees are out in the field collecting nectar
When there is a nectar flow from flowering plants
When the colony is not under stress from predators, such as wasps.
When colonies are in direct sunlight
When the temperature is not very hot (95 degrees F or higher)
When neighbors are not having a lawn party or mowing their yard
Langstroth's first Bee-keeper's Axiom is a good one to remember: "Bees gorged with honey are not inclined to sting." This means that the bees will tend to be gentle when there is a nectar flow, when they swarm and following a light smoking.

Bees that are accustomed to movement around their hive reportedly are also less likely to be defensive, so having bushes, trees, a flag or other objects that move in a mild wind are worth considering.

Angry bees are sometimes attracted to lights at night. Bees normally do not fly at night, but if a predator or something else has disturbed the hive, a few bees may attempt to sting the neighbor's porch light. It is best if nearby neighbor's outdoor lights are not in direct view of the hive.

"Yellow rain" can be a minor problem to neighbors' cars that are parked within about 50 feet of the hives. The yellow specks that bees leave when they take cleansing flights wash off easily, but can be unsightly if there are a lot of hives in the area.

Races of Bees

Most common strains of bees are gentle enough to keep in a city. In the northern U.S., the Carniolan race is most popular. In the southern U.S. and Mexico, the Italian bee is preferred. If a colony is found to be inclined to sting, it should be requeened with gentle stock.

Bees and the Law

Relatively few communities in the U.S. outlaw beekeeping. However, most have "nuisance laws" that are intended to outlaw things that most people would find objectionable, such as a barking dog or a stinky smell. Some communities have laws that put practical constraints on beekeeping, such as limits on numbers of hives and a requirement that the beekeeper provide water for the bees.

There will be bees in our cities and towns as long as there are nectar and pollen-producing plants. Outlawing beekeeping tends to replace domesticated bees with wild bees, but does not make bees go away.

Prospective beekeepers should learn about legal restrictions before keeping bees. Regardless of the law, a good beekeeper does not allow his bees to annoy neighbors. Sharing a jar or two of honey helps too!

Farm and Garden Apiaries

Many beekeepers who can not keep bees at home have made arrangements to keep their bees on a nearby farm. Local beekeeping associations can be a good place to find a location to keep bees. Fruit and vegetable gardeners, and gardening clubs, might also know about possible locations, since most gardeners understand the value of pollination.

Tomatoes in the Garden

Tomatoes in the Garden

Summary
Tomatoes prefer a sunny location and fertile, well drained soils. Incorporate plenty of organic matter and a complete fertilizer into the area before planting. Plant tomato seeds directly in the garden 10-14 days before the last frost date. Most gardeners transplant tomatoes through black plastic for earlier maturity.

Use row covers or hot caps to protect the plants when transplanting before the frost-free period. Side dress with additional nitrogen fertilizer to help grow a larger vine. Irrigation should be deep and infrequent. Plastic and organic mulches help conserve water and reduce weeding. Do not apply organic mulches until soils have warmed to 75F. Control insect and diseases throughout the year.

Harvest tomatoes when the fruits are fully colored but still firm. At the end of the season, gather all mature green and slightly colored fruits and store at 55F. There are more than 4000 tomato varieties world wide. Select varieties based on use, fruit size, earliness, soluble solids, growth habit or disease resistance. Many varieties are hybrids but heirloom tomatoes are becoming very popular. Consult with your local nursery or garden center, seed salesman or any seed catalog for detailed information on characteristics of each variety.

Recommended Varieties
Tomatoes can be categorize by maturity class (early, mid-season or late), fruit size (cherry, pear, plum or large), plant size (determinate, semi-determinate or indeterminate), fruit color (red, pink, yellow, orange), or use (fresh, process or dual use). When selecting varieties, consider your growing environment, primary use, and how much space you have available to grow the plants. Most varieties will grow in Utah but all are not available. Most garden centers and nurseries carry varieties that have been proven to grow well and produce high quality, flavorful fruits for local conditions.

How to Grow
Soils: Tomatoes prefer organic, rich, well-drained, sandy soils for best growth. Most soils in Utah will grow tomatoes provided they are well drained.
Soil Preparation: Before planting, incorporate up to 4 inches of well-composted organic matter. Apply 4-6 cups of all-purpose fertilizer (16-16-8 or 10-10-10) per 100 square feet before planting.
Plants: Tomatoes can be grown from seed or transplants. Seed should be planted 2 weeks before the last frost. Transplants should have 5-7 mature leaves and a well developed root system. Transplants mature about 4 weeks before seeded tomatoes and are recommended for most growing areas of Utah. When growing transplants, allow 6-8 weeks to grow the plant. Germinate the seeds at 80F until the seed root emerges from the seedcoat. Then transfer the seeds to sterile seeding mix and grow out at 65-70F. Adequate light is essential to produce a quality plant. Cool white fluorescent tubes placed 2 to 3 inches above the plants, lit for 14–16 hours per day will ensure plants grow big and healthy. Water regularly and feed weekly with ½ strength soluble complete fertilizer.

Planting and Spacing: Tomatoes should be transplanted when soils are 60F or after all frost danger has past. Plant 4-6 seeds ½ inches deep, and 18 inches apart in the row. After the seedlings have two leaves, thin to 1-2 plants per clump. Transplants should be planted 2 feet apart in row, with rows 2-3 feet apart. Transplants that are extension.usu.edu stocky, dark green, have 5-7 leaves and are 6-10 inches tall, grow most rapidly. Plants with flowers or fruits establish slowly and yield poorly. If plants are quite tall, they can be planted deeper as tomatoes form roots from their stems.

Mulches: Black plastic mulch warms the soil, conserves water and helps control weeds. Plastic mulches allow
earlier planting and maturity, especially with transplants. Lay down the plastic, secure the edges with soil, and cut holes
for the seeds or transplants. When using plastic mulches and row covers, seeds or plants can be set out several week
before the last frost date. Do not apply organic mulches until soils are warmer than 75F. Grass clippings, straw,
newspapers, etc. also conserve water and control weeds.

Row covers: Hotcaps, plastic tunnels, fabric covers, and other devises protect seedlings and transplants from
cool air temperatures. Row covers enhance growth and earliness. Plants grown under row covers require ventilation when
air temperatures exceed 80F. Tomato flowers are sensitive to high temperatures during flower development and early fruit
growth.

Water: Water tomatoes deeply and infrequently, applying 1-2 inches per week. Use drip irrigation if possible.
Mulch around the plant will conserve soil moisture and reduce weed growth. Irrigate so that moisture goes deeply into the
soil. Irregular watering (over or under) can cause blossom-end rot, a dark leathery spot on the bottom of the fruit.

Fertilization: Avoid heavy fertilization of tomato which encourages excessive foliage growth and delays fruit maturity. Side dress with nitrogen (21-0-0) using 1/2 tablespoon per plant at 4 and 8 weeks after transplanting.

Support: Wooden stakes or wire cages are regularly used to support the plants and keep ripening fruits off the growund. Stakes should be driven 18 inches in the soil, 3-4 inches from the stem. Indeterminate varieties require more support and vine pruning to keep plant size manageable. Continue to tie up plants as they grow. Determinate vine types are generally grown on the ground.

Problems
Weeds: Plastic and organic mulches effectively control weeds. Vigorous vine growth by tomatoes will also smother weeds. Cultivate shallowly to avoid root damage.

Insects and Diseases:
Insect Identification Control
Aphids Green or black soft-bodied insects that feed on underside of leaves.

Leaves become crinkled and curled. May transmit virus diseases. Secreted honeydew makes plants appear shiny, wet or sticky. Use insecticidal soaps or strong water stream to dislodge insects. Flea Beetles Small black beetles that feed on seedlings. Adults chew tiny holes in cotyledons and leaves. Beetles can reduce plant vigor or may kill seedlings. Control beetles with insecticide dust at seeding or transplanting.
Hornworms and Fruit worms
Larvae feed on leaves and fruits causing defoliation and fruit damage. Look for bare areas and black fecal matter.
Hand removal is an easy control method. Use bt or other insecticides for heavy infestations.

Disease Symptom Control
Leaf Blights or Spots

Dark spots on stem, leaves or fruits. The diseases eventually spreads to all plant parts. The foliage eventually dies, exposing fruits to the sun, which causes premature ripening. Diseases promoted by cool, wet conditions. Don’t overhead irrigate late in the day and let soil dry between waterings. Apply appropriate fungicide once disease identified. Wilt Diseases Leaves wilt on one or more vines. Plants often die. Streaking, slime formation, or gummy exudates visible on or in stems. Diseases are caused by different pathogens. Identify causal disease. Plant resistant varieties that have V, F or N designated in their name Virus Leaves are light green, mottled, malformed, dwarfed and curled. Early infection affects fruit shape and flavor. Viruses can be transmitted by aphids and leaf hoppers, brushing against infected plants, or from tobacco products. Control aphids. Destroy infected plants, weeds and don’t use tobacco products when handling plants.

Fruit Disorders:
Blossom-End-Rot, cat-facing, and sunscald

Blossom-end-rot is caused by a localized calcium deficiency brought on by poor water management, excessive nitrogen, root pruning and drought. Catfacing is associated with cold weather during fruit set. Sunscald is caused by fruit exposure to direct sunlight during hot, dry weather. Better water and nutrient management can reduce
all of these disorders. Early plantings often have cat-faced fruits on early trusses. Support structures, moist soils and warm weather help reduce these disorders.

Harvest and Storage
Tomato fruits requires 25-35 days to mature from flowering depending on the temperature and variety. Pick fruit when they are fully colored but firm, for the best flavor and quality. Pick fruits as they ripen. At the end of the season, harvest all fruits that are mature green or colored slightly. Store at 55F and use as they ripen. Individual fruits do not need to be wrapped. Ripe tomatoes will store for 1-2 weeks if held at 50-55F. Fruits are subject to chilling injury so do not store for long periods in the refrigerator.

Productivity
Plant 3-4 tomato plants per person for fresh use and an additional 5-10 plants for juicing, canning or freezing. Expect 100 lbs of fruit per 100 feet of row.

Nutrition
Tomatoes are very nutritious and low in calories. One medium fruit has about 35 calories, is low in fat and is an excellent source of vitamin A and vitamin C.

Frequently Asked Questions
!What causes the flowers to drop off my tomato plants? During unfavorable weather (night temperatures lower than 55F, or day temperatures above 95F), tomatoes do not set and flowers abort. The problem usually disappears as the weather improves.

!What can I do to prevent my tomatoes from cracking? Some varieties are more prone to cracking than others. Many of the newer hybrid varieties are quite resistant. Severe root or vine pruning increases cracking. Keep soil moisture uniform as the tomatoes develop and plant resistant varieties to minimize this problem.

!I sometimes see small, cloudy white spots just under the skin of my tomatoes. What causes this? These spots on green or ripe fruits are caused by the feeding of stink bugs.

!Why are the new leaves on my tomato pointed, cupped, twisted, and irregular in shape? It seems likely that your tomatoes have been injured by 2,4-D or a similar growth regulator weed killer. Never use the same sprayer in your vegetable garden that you use for weed control in your lawn. Use caution when applying lawn care chemicals near vegetables or fruit plantings. If applying grass clippings to the garden, make sure the herbicides used are safe for food plants. Consult with your lawn care professional to ensure the chemicals applied to your lawn will not affect your edible garden plants.

On some of my tomato plants, the leaves are turning yellow and the plants are no longer growing. Also, the fruits are ripening prematurely, and are leathery and bitter. What is wrong? Tomatoes with these symptoms are infected with the curly top virus, a disease transmitted by the beet leaf hopper. Once infected there is very little you can do. Since the severity of curly top varies from year to year, planting a few more plants than required will compensate for potential
losses. In high risk areas plant Roza, Columbia, Rowpac, or Saladmaster, varieties resistant to curly top.

Dan Drost, Vegetable Specialist

How to Sterilize

 In a situation where trained medical or dental health care is non-existent or unavailable, sanitizing of medical instruments  will become the very first order in treatment of the sick or injured.  In fact if you were to ask anyone who has been involved in the medical/dental/food service sections of the military they will tell you that many casualties of war and collateral damage/death for civilians in the affected area are caused by sanitation issues.

Most sanitation issues can be addressed by simple hand washing with soap and water, good personal hygiene and sanitary preparation of food and water and their containers. When medical equipment and instruments are used however because of their use around open wounds or people who may be carrying disease, these instruments should always be sterilized.

There are a couple of ways sterilization of medical/dental instruments can be accomplished, even in the most primitive conditions:

Sterilizing 

The best way to sterilize is with heat. High heat kills almost all harmful germs—especially those that cause hepatitis, tetanus, and mouth infections. Wet heat (steam) is always more effective than dry heat from an oven. Here is a simple rule to use in deciding when to sterilize:

Boil or sterilize with steam any instrument that has touched blood.

Instruments left in boiling water need 30 minutes to become sterile. A pot with a cover to trap the steam can act faster. The inside becomes hotter and 20 minutes is enough. But remember that water can rust metal instruments. To prevent rust:

• Add 5 spoonfuls (20 ml) of oil to every liter of water you boil.
• Then lay the hot instruments on a dry, clean (sterile, if possible) cloth, so the water can evaporate.

Never put an instrument away while it is wet.

Sterilizing with steam under pressure is the fastest and surest method. It kills harmful germs in 15 minutes. You need a strong pot with a tight fitting lid. But be sure to make a small hole in the lid so steam can escape when the pressure becomes too great.

A special pot called a pressure cooker is perfect for this. It even has a safety-hole on it to release extra steam.

1. Put 2 cups of water and 2 spoonfuls of cooking oil into the pot.
2. Place the handles together. Put on high heat until a loud hissing noise begins.
3. Put on lower heat.

Begin timing now. Leave the hissing pot on the low flame for 15 minutes.

DO NOT LET THE COOKER BOIL DRY!

4. Cool the pot under water, open, and lay the instruments on a clean towel to dry. The next time you use the pot, you can use the same water that was left inside it.

Sterilizing with heat is not necessary for instruments that do not touch blood. For example, after you examine a person or place a temporary filling, you can clean your instruments and then soak them in a solution of alcohol or bleach.

Alcohol solution
1. Mix in a large container each week: 7 parts alcohol (95%) with 3 parts clean water. Keep the container tightly covered to prevent evaporation.

2. Keep a covered pan half filled with this mixture. You will have to add some more of the mixture from the large container to the pan each day.

3. Leave your clean instruments in the pan, completely covered with the liquid, for 30 minutes.

Bleach solution (sodium hypocholorite)

Find the cheapest brand name in your area for bleach. Examples are Javex, Clorox, Purex, and Cidex. Make 1 liter of solution with a mixture of ½ cup (125 ml) of bleach and 3½ cups (875 ml) of clean water.

BLEACH and WATER

Unfortunately, bleach rusts metal instruments. To reduce rust, add 1 large spoonful of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) to the solution, and leave your instruments in the solution for only 30 minutes. Wipe each instrument with alcohol to remove the film of bleach. Then store it dry inside a clean cloth or in
another covered pan.

Before you use any instrument again, wash it with clean water—to remove the taste of the disinfectant.

Keep your sterile instruments together in a clean place.
Wrap them in a clean cloth or leave them in disinfectant. Mark with tape the names of the instruments inside

Gauze or cotton swabs.

Germs living in dirty cotton can easily start an infection. It is important, therefore, to keep the cut pieces in a container that is clean and has a cover. Use clean tweezers to remove the cotton gauze when you need some.
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Information comes from “Where there is no Dentist”