Harvesting Seeds

Harvesting Seeds

In my garden this year, I am going to try to save some seeds to plant next year.  I have already harvested the radishs, and the lettuce.  I hope to be able to harvest the seeds from the squash, tomatoes, pumpkins and brocolli.  I found this on a site called "Yougrowgirl.com" and I thought I would share it with you.

There are a variety of reasons for harvesting your own seeds; some personal, some environmental. Perhaps you have a variety that you like and you are concerned that seed companies may discontinue stocking it. You saw some wildflowers while on an outdoor hike that you’d like to grow in your own garden. You have a heritage variety and you want to continue growing it in future years. You want to trade some of your seeds with some of a friend’s seeds, you want to grow organic seeds, or maybe you just want to save money and avoid buying new annuals next year. Whatever the reason, you don’t need to be a botanist or a farmer to do it. If you can grow plants, you can produce your own seeds. There are however, a few things you may want to know before you get started.

Plants either have all the parts to pollinate themselves, (called self-pollinators) or they are aided in accomplishing this by insects, the wind, or human intervention (cross-pollinators). Self-pollinators are commonly referred to as ‘perfect flowers’ as they contain all the parts to successfully pollinate themselves. The comparatively imperfect cross-pollinators produce all the parts to pollinate, but not all in one place. Parts are divided between blooms or are ‘self-incompatible’, identifying their own pollen as foreign material. Pollen must find its way from one plant to the next. This method is preferable for the survival of the species because it ensures that the plants produce genetically diverse seeds– seeds that contain different genetic information or traits then the original plant. This enables the plant to better adapt itself to the environment it is in, or acquire traits that will help it become more disease resistant. Self-pollinators on the other hand, essentially produce clones, which makes them more susceptible to any problems that may arise.

Be aware that if you want cross-pollination to occur in your garden, you need to make your garden favorable to pollinating insects or be prepared to do all the pollinating yourself. Grow plants nearby that attract pollinators–butterfly bush, Queen Anne’s lace, bee balm, salvia, and cleome are a few, and avoid using chemical sprays that will kill all insects both harmful and beneficial.

In some cases you might want to keep cross-pollination from taking place. Plants that are closely related, for example different varieties of melons, will cross-pollinate producing seeds that are a mix of the two varieties. If you want to keep your varieties true, plant similar species of plants on opposite ends of your garden.

Open Pollenated, Heirloom, and Hybrid

Before you decide to save the seeds from a particular plant you will need to know whether they are Open-pollinated, Heirloom or Hybrid. Open-pollinated plants are those pollinated–naturally or through human intervention–by the same species of plant. Heirlooms are older plant varieties that have maintained relatively unchanged in a particular region for several generations, and all are open-pollinated. Hybrids are plants that have been cross-pollinated using two different species of the same genus of plant. They are bred professionally under controlled conditions, to produce certain desirable traits. Grocery store produce is usually hybridized and often bred for mass production or large-scale farming. Many of the characteristics that are bred into these plants, such as thick skins for transport, or high water content for size, are not desirable for small-scale gardening. This is one reason why you may not want to save seeds from store bought produce. Seed packaged for the home gardener by seed companies may also be hybridized. These plants are bred to contain traits that are desirable to the small scale gardener such as colour and taste. However, seeds produced by these hybrids doesn’t guarantee that those desirable traits will be carried over to the next generation. In most cases the such traits may actually disappear entirely after a few generations. Or the seeds may be sterile and won’t produce fruit anyway. Either way, growing seeds from hybrids is a gamble. Checking the seed packet or catalogue of the grower is one way to find out whether seed are hybrids. Packets will often say F1 to indicate hybrids or OP to indicate open-pollinated.

Harvesting Seeds

If this will be your first time saving seeds, start out with some easy plants that flawlessly produce seeds without any intervention. Annuals such as cosmos, marigolds, pansies, corn flowers and many others are some of the easiest. Collect seeds from the highest quality and healthiest plants. A good specimen is disease and pest free, has bright foliage and flowers, and grows vigorously.

Under usual circumstances snipping flower heads off after they are spent (deadheading) is crucial to encouraging a plant to continue producing new flowers. To save seed, leave the flowers on the stem after the flower dies off instead. That way, the plant will start putting its resources into producing seed instead of new flowers.

Before long a seedpod will replace the spent flower. Don’t remove the seed head right away: leave it on the stems as long as possible, letting it ripen within the pod. Seeds are generally ready when the pod turns brown, dries out or cracks open. If you notice that the seed pod is prone to cracking open on it’s own (snapdragons, violas, pansies), attach a lunch-sized paper bag around it using an elastic or string, catching the seeds as they fall. When the seeds are fully ripe, cut the stem at the base of the plant and shake the seed head inside the bag to dislodge the seeds from the casing. If some seeds are lost to the soil they will come up on their own next year. This is called self-seeding, and many annuals reproduce themselves this way.

If the seed heads are not fully dry and ripe when you cut them off, either hang the stems (with the seed cases) or lay them flat to dry on a newspaper or paper towel pad away from direct light. Make sure that all seeds are completely dry before removing them from the pods: if you package them before they are fully dry they will go moldy in storage. This is the simplest way; it’s easier to dry the whole seed head then a bunch of loose seeds. When the pod is dry, extract the seeds by carefully crushing or breaking open the seedpods. Separate crushed debris from the seeds by sifting everything through a fine mesh screen. The debris will fall through and the seeds will remain on top of the screen. Some seeds such as those from marigolds or black-eyed susans can simply be pulled from the seed head.

Seeds from fruits and vegetables should be collected when plants are at their peak, before they are over-ripe and decay has set in. Some vegetables such as beans are the exception and should be harvested when the pods are dry. Seeds from most fruits and vegetables are incased inside a wet environment (the part usually eaten). In the case of very wet pulp such as tomatoes, the seeds can be washed from the pulp and then laid out to dry on newspaper or a screen. The same can be done with pumpkins, squash and other soft pulp vegetables. In the case of harder pulp fruits and vegetables they are simply opened up and the seeds removed manually.

Storing Seeds

The best way to store seeds is to package them in paper envelopes or bags since they allow for good air circulation and don’t sweat. However, any container will do, keeping in mind that humidity and lack of air circulation will cause mold, disease and prompt seeds to germinate prematurely. Film canisters for one aren’t recommended as the plastic promotes humidity and stagnant air. The temperature should be cool to make longer storage possible-refrigerator storage will work if you can’t find a naturally cool place. Be sure to write the date, name of plant and any growing instructions you are aware of on the envelope or package. This will come in handy when using the seeds a year or more later, and will be appreciated if you give the seeds to someone else. It’s worth it (but not necessary) to put a bit of extra effort into the packaging if the seeds are to be given away. Use specialty papers for the envelopes or create fancy labels to mark them. Some envelope and label templates are provided here for you to print out on any paper (or sticker paper for labels that is compatible with your printer type).

Store seeds carefully by placing envelopes inside large glass jars with a bag of silica or powdered milk. These products absorb excess moisture. Reuse the tiny bags of silica gel that come inside new shoes–dry them for a few minutes at a very low temperature in your oven. Alternatively, make a tiny package of powdered milk by pouring a pile into the centre of a piece of breathable fabric or tissue paper. Pull the corners together and close it up with a piece of string or elastic to create a sachet. The best jars for storage are wide mouth mason jars used for canning. They have the proper airtight seal that is essential for long term storage. If you store the jars in a cool, dark place the seeds should last from a year to a few years, depending on the type.

Testing Your Seeds

If you are saving your seeds for extended periods of time, test the seeds before you use them to see if they will still germinate. This is easily done by placing 20 or so seeds (depending on size) onto a half-piece of damp paper towel. Fold it over so that the seeds are covered. Then place it in a plastic baggy with a few pinholes punched into it and set it aside in a dark, warm place. Bear in mind that some seeds need light to germinate and some have other specific requirements-some may need to be soaked first, or may require a certain temperature for germination. Knowing your seeds will help you in this process: however most seeds will do fine with the standard procedure. After a week check to see how many seeds have germinated. Again some seeds will have a longer germination period than others, so if they haven’t germinated by week’s end, wait another week to be certain. If a fair number of seeds have germinated then the seeds are good and can be used with little trouble. If few seeds germinate, increase the number of seeds sown per inch or don’t bother using them at all.

Plants for Beginners

bachelor’s button

nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus)

forget-me-not

pansy/viola (Viola x wittrockiana)

marigold (Tangetes)

foxglove (digitalus)

snapdragon (Antirrhinum)

poppy (Papaver)

love-in-a-mist (Nigella damascena)

blanket flower (Gaillardia)

columbine (Aquilegia vulgaris)

black-eyed susan (Rudbeckiahirta)

cosmos

zinnia

tomatoes

beans

squash

pumpkin

Some More of those Original Vintage Recipes

Dandelion Wine

The following recipe was transcribed ver batim from the booklet,

Fleischmann's Recipes

1915

Pour one gallon of boiling water over three quarts of dandelion flowers. Lets stand twenty-four hours. Strain and add five pounds of light brown sugar, juice and rind of two lemons, juice and rind of two oranges. Let boil ten minutes and strain. When cold, add half a cake of FLEISCHMANN'S YEAST. Put in crock and let stand until it commences to work. Then bottle and put corks in loose to let it work. In each bottle put one raisin, after it stops working. Cork tight.

Buckwheat Cakes

The following recipe was transcribed ver batim from

Fleischmann's Recipes

1915

1 cake Fleischmann's Yeast

2 cups lukewarm water

1 cup milk, scalded and cooled

2 tablespoonfuls light brown sugar

2 cups buckwheat flour

1 cup sifted white flour

1-1/2 teaspoonfuls salt

Dissolve yeast and sugar in lukewarm liquid, add buckwheat and white flour gradually, and salt. Beat until smooth. Cover and set aside in warm place, free from draft, to rise - about one hour. When light, stir well and bake on hot griddle.

If wanted for over night, use one-fourth cake of yeast and an extra half teaspoonful of salt. Cover and keep in a cool place.

Mock Turtle Soup

The following recipe was transcribed ver batim from

The Home Comfort Range Cook Book

Circa 1900

Boil half a calf's head with the skin on until soft; cut the meat into small pieces; also the tongue; prepare from the yolks of two hard-boiled eggs round balls the size of marbles, and chop up the whites; take of soup stock two quarts; then fry in one ounce of butter a medium-sized onion and add one ounce of flour and brown the same; then add the stock, a teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce, pepper and salt, the juice of one lemon, and let simmer for ten minutes. Pour over the meat and imitation turtle eggs and serve hot, adding the chopped whites of the eggs.

Southern Corn Bread

The following recipe was transcribed ver batim from

Home Comfort Range Cook Book

Circa 1900

Sift one quart of white corn meal with two teaspoonfuls of baking powder. Add three tablespoonfuls of melted lard, salt to taste, three beaten eggs and a pint of milk, or enough to make a thin batter. Beat all very hard for two minutes and bake rather quickly in a hot, well-greased pan in which a little dry meal has been sifted. Eat immediately.

Potatoes au Gratin

The following recipe was transcribed ver batim from

The Oklahoma News

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

November 13, 1915

Cut cold boiled potatoes into small dice; enough to fill 2 cups. Put 2 tablespoonfuls of butter into saucepan, melt slowly, and when it is "bubbling" add 1-1/2 tablespoonfuls of flour mixed with 1 tablespoonful of salt and dash of white pepper. Stir until perfectly blended and smooth. Do not brown. Pour on gradually 1 cup of milk, adding 1/3 at a time - stir and beat to avoid lumps. Cook until smooth and glossy. Then add diced potatoes but do not stir, simply heat and turn into buttered baking dish. Cover with fine crumbs and bits of butter and place them under broiler until crumbs are brown. Serve in same dish.

Malted Milk Fudge

The following recipe was transcribed ver batim from

The Rains County Leader

Emory, Rains County, Texas

1913

To make malted milk fudge dissolve three cupfuls of malted milk in a cupful of water, add three and one-half pounds of granulated sugar and three cupfuls of hot water. Boil until the syrup spins a substantial thread or forms into a soft ball when dropped into cold water. Beat and cool in the usual way and cut into squares. A handful of nut meats and raisins may be added just before it comes from the fire.

Mutton en Casserole

The following recipe was transcribed ver batim from

The Oklahoma News

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

November 13, 1915

Cut in small pieces 2-1/2 pounds of mutton from breast and neck. Season with salt, dredge with flour and put into casserole or deep baking pan. Peel and slice 1 large pepper into strips and 3 ripe tomatoes; put vegetables around the meat and add water enough to half cover the meat. Cover and let cook 2 hours in oven; add 1/2 cup blanched rice and 1 cup of water and cook another hour; serve in casserole. A fine dish for cold days.

Cherry Jam

The following recipe was transcribed ver batim from

The Rains County Leader

Emory, Rains County, Texas

April 4, 1913

Steam, wash and pit the cherries and heat slightly to extract the juice. To each pound of fruit add three-quarters pound of sugar. Bring slowly to a boil and simmer for twenty minutes. Skim, put into jam pots, and at the end of 24 hours cover and put away.

Green Tomato Preserves

The following recipe was transcribed ver batim from

The Daily American

Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee

November 16, 1883

Green tomato preserves are in high favor in certain localities, and are entirely unknown in others. Here is a reliable recipe for making them: Take one peck of hard and unripe tomatoes, scald them by pouring boiling water over them, remove the skin and cut them into thin slices; slice also 6 lemons, the skin of the lemon is to be left upon them, but the bitter seeds must be removed; scatter six pounds of brown sugar over the tomatoes and one heaping tablespoonful of ginger; put into a large kettle and let them boil slowly until they are tender; skim them thoroughly; can just as you do any other preserves.

Oven Roasts

The following recipe was transcribed ver batim from

The Rains County Leader

Emory, Rains County, Texas

March 28, 1913

In order to have a juicy tender roast of meat, it should be browned first either in a hot skillet or in an oven which is hot. After it is well browned, cook for the remaining time in a slow oven. This way the juices are kept in the roast and at the same time the meat is made tender.

Caramel Sauce

The following recipe was transcribed ver batim from

The Rains County Leader

Emory, Rains County, Texas

June 6, 1913

Put eight tablespoonfuls of white sugar into a saucepan upon the fire with two tablespoonfuls of water. Stir it constantly with a wooden spoon for three or four minutes until all the water evaporates and watch it carefully till it turns a delicate brown color. In the meantime put into another saucepan twelve ounces of sugar, half the yellow rind of a lemon sliced thin, two inches of stick cinnamon, and a quart of cold water. Bring these gradually to a boil and let them simmer for ten minutes, then add a wine glassful of wine or half as much brandy. Strain the whole into the caramel quickly, mix them together well, and serve the sauce with any pudding desired.

Summer Project-A Forge?

Build your own portable forge

By Corcceigh Green

Backwoodshome.com

Looking for a handy summer project while building skills, supplies, and knowledge to put away for a rainy future? Here’s one to consider: try making your own forge. The ability to forge scrap metal into useful tools is a skill that can bring self reliance and even extra income to any handy person willing to turn a hobby into a part time trade. Whether you’re just pounding out a simple project like a poker or hammering out custom knives, you’ll be building the tools and skills you’ll need to become more self reliant in the future.

The portable forge, made from an old charcoal grill, fire brick, and iron pipe. The portable forge, made from an old charcoal grill, fire brick, and iron pipe.

Building a small, portable hobby forge is not that difficult. This article will show you how to build one from a charcoal grill. Later, when you delve more deeply into blacksmithing, you can build yourself a full blown smithy.

Let’s start with what you’ll need. For my first forge, which I built six years ago, I started with an old portable 24-inch charcoal grill. Next, I bought myself some iron pipes and fixtures: one 18-inch pipe, two 6-inch pipes, one 8-inch pipe, two pipe caps, one elbow connector, and one T connector. All pipes and fixtures were 1-inch diameter, and all pipes were threaded on both ends.

Black or galvanized pipe?

Buy black pipe. If you buy galvanized pipe, you will have to let it “burn off” for a few hours before you can use it. “Burning off” is the process where, after you’ve completed your forge, you load it with charcoal (not storebought charcoal) and burn while forcing air through the pipes. During this process, approach the forge only to load coals, and come in with the wind. The zinc in the galvanized pipes is burning off at this time and will pose a hazard, as it is toxic.

Next, you’ll need 12 fire bricks.

Here’s how to build your portable forge: Screw one end cap on one end of each of the 6-inch pipes. Next, using a drill press or hand drill with a one quarter inch drill bit, drill holes (not on the threads) on one side of a pipe. Start at the open end, drill a hole, then measure one half inch toward the opposite end and drill another hole. Repeat this process until you have a line of holes running between the threads, from one end of the pipe to the other end. Next, using the same drill bit, offset the pipe to the right one half inch, and drill between the existing holes, again from one end of the pipe to the other. Repeat this process one half inch to the left of the first holes drilled and you have finished the first pipe. Do the same thing with the other pipe. . You do not have to drill all the way around the pipe, as you want the air to flow upward only, through the coals in the forge.

Now take the T connector and, using the same drill bit, drill three holes  parallel with the threading one half inch apart and 3 quarters of an inch inward away from the threading. Complete this process on both sides of the T connector's parallel connectors. Next, screw the 6-inch pipes into the T connector so that all the holes face the same way, as in Figure B. Now connect the 8-inch pipe into the stem of the T connector. That’s it; you’ve just built a tuyere, the part of the forge that channels air up through the coals.

For the body of the forge, assemble the 24-inch diameter charcoal grill. You only need to connect the charcoal burner to the tripod. You don’t need the grill, and you can remove the center grill holder with a hack saw. Next, drill out the bottom center of the burner so that the one inch diameter pipe will fit through the hole. You can use a reamer and a hand drill for this job. When looking from the ground up, your hole must be directly in the center of the burner.

Next, before laying the bricks out in the burner, I like to spread ashes in the burner so that I have a flat surface in which to lay out the bricks. In place of ashes, sand will work fine.

Next, lay fire bricks, face side down. With your six remaining fire bricks you will make a rectangular box by laying the remaining bricks edge down on top of the face down bricks You’ve just completed the body of the forge.

Since you now have the tuyere and the body of the forge, you can simply put everything together by placing the tuyere’s 8-inch pipe down between the bricks through the bottom hole of the forge. Then screw the elbow connector to the tuyere’s open end, then to the 18-inch pipe. You now have the means to force air through your forge.

As a blower to actually force air through the pipes, you can use a squirrel cage blower or bellows. For simplicity I use an old shop-vac with one end of its hose on the exhaust outport and the other end put over the open end of the 18-inch pipe. Make sure that the shop-vac’s hose is attached to the exhaust port. You want to force air up through the pipes, and through the coals. You do not want to suck smoke and hot coals down into the shop-vac.

I would like to point out here that I have not recommended that you lay the bricks permanently with mortar, or in this case refractory clay. This way you can remove the bricks and pipes for mobility.Once you’ve connected the shop-vac or blower, you have completed the project, and you now own a forge, one of the central pieces of equipment that you’ll need for blacksmithing projects.

Other pieces of equipment you’ll need are: an anvil, (which can be made from a length of railroad track or I-beam), a cross pein hammer, 2 or 3-pound sledge, a pair of tongs, a metal ash can to catch coals and hot embers as they fall through the bottom hole of the forge. Sooner or later, you’ll also want two metal cans that can accommodate hot metal of at least three feet in length—one for water to cool iron and mild steel, and for emergencies, and the other for oil to quench and harden high carbon steel.

Making charcoal

Earlier in the article, I stated not to use store-bought charcoal (the kind most people cook out with). This is because store-bought charcoal contains impurities which can contaminate the steel or iron being worked, and can cause your project to become brittle. Fortunately, you can make your own contaminate-free charcoal.

Start by gathering some hardwood such as maple, oak, hickory. In many cases willow is preferred. I have had good results with all hardwoods. Saw the wood to adequate length (between the span and half the span of a hand). Chop to different thicknesses, but no thicker than is long. Next, you can either dig a fire pit or do as I do, which is use an old gas-burning grill with a lid with the gas components removed and the bottom lined with fire bricks. When I am sure the fire is burning adequately, I load the grill (or pit) with an abundance of hardwood and close the lid. In the case of the fire pit, cover with dirt, leaving one or more small openings to act as chimneys. Allow to burn for some time, 15 minutes to half an hour depending on the size of your pit/grill. Check periodically. When the wood becomes blackened through most of its depth, but not fully consumed, you have charcoal fuel. Depending on your project, you may need between one and three wheelbarrow loads of charcoal fuel. If the hardwood is burning into ash, or becoming too fully consumed by the fire, you are allowing too much oxygen into the fire. If this happens, block off places that air is getting in with more dirt, or bricks. When you are satisfied that you are getting quality charcoal, remove your charcoal from the fire using tongs, and bury it in sand or dirt, or immerse it in water or, in the case of the fire pit, bury fully, blocking all air intake, and allow the fire to smother.

Now that you have your forge, fuel, and other essential equipment, you’ll be ready for your first project.

Unless you have a well ventilated smithy, you’ll have to wait until dark. The reason for dark is that you must be able to see the color of the steel or iron being worked. You must bring the iron or steel you are working up to a red color before you can shape it with the hammer. In broad daylight this process is too difficult to discern, but much easier in dim light.

Dutch Oven Secrets

Seven secrets of Dutch oven cooking

By Roger L. Beattie

Backwoodshome.com

Squatting heavily in dank basements, drafty attics, and dusty, cluttered garages, these three-legged hulks from a bygone era wait impatiently to release their treasures. Until then, they are pitted by time and tarnished by neglect. For those who will uncover the mystery, their gaping caverns can once again be brimming with magic.

From the birth of our nation, Dutch ovens have been an integral and versatile part of Americana. Sadly, today’s high-tech hustle-and-bustle lifestyle has all but forgotten the art of “leather-glove cuisine.” The coal-black cast iron ovens appear outdated, unfriendly, and forbidding. Interestingly however, with seven simple secrets revealed, the beginning camp cook and the consummate backyard chef can utilize these forgotten friends to produce a marvelous and unforgettable variety of succulent delicacies.

Dutch ovens owned by cooks who understand their subtleties are kept in places of honor, sanctuaries reserved specifically for them. On the other hand, ovens owned by cooks who can’t seem to keep the potatoes from burning to the bottom or who can never get the chicken to look anything but a pasty white, are quickly relegated to some obscure location where they will be “out of the way.” For the unsuccessful current user, the interested but uninitiated, or anyone who just wants to cook better, the seven secrets outlined below will provide a firm foundation for the creation and consumption of mouth-watering Dutch oven meals fit for even the most discriminating palates.

Secret 1: Choosing wisely

When deciding on a Dutch oven, there are a few important guidelines to keep in mind. A common question is, “Should I buy cast iron or aluminum?” Both have some advantages. Aluminum Dutch ovens weigh about one-third less than their cast iron counterparts. They require no curing, and, like the cast iron pots, can be used over open fires, buried underground, or used with coals or briquettes. However, aluminum Dutch ovens do not retain heat as well nor distribute it as evenly as cast iron. The flavoring of foods produced will also be different. Aluminum ovens sometimes give a chalky flavor to foods, whereas iron ovens give a smoked flavor to foods. Most Dutch oven aficionados use only cast iron ovens.

When buying a cast iron Dutch oven, whether new or used, look carefully at these five important areas:

1. Only buy Dutch ovens with legs. Some are manufactured with flat bottoms and are far more difficult to use. The three legs should be cleanly attached to the bottom of the oven, never cracked, bent, or broken off.

2. Check the fit of the lid. It should lie flush with the lip of the oven all the way around, with no significant gaps.

3. Check the casting, or thickness, of the metal, especially around the rim. There will be some inconsistencies. However, areas that are 15% (or more) thicker or thinner than the remaining areas will produce hot or cold spots during cooking and cooling. This variance in thickness will also make the oven much more likely to crack or warp.

4. Make sure the lid has a loop handle, cleanly attached to its center.

5. Check the bail (the wire handle) attached to the oven itself. It should be easily movable and strong enough to use for carrying or hanging a heavy pot full of stew without difficulty.

If these five areas pass inspection, you’ve got a good Dutch oven.

Another purchase consideration is the size of the oven. Dutch ovens range in size from 8 to 22 inches in diameter. The most commonly used are 10-inch, 12-inch, and 14-inch ovens. The larger ovens hold more if you’re cooking for large groups, but they are huge, heavy, and hard to handle If you only buy one oven to get started, pick a 12-inch. Later you can add a 10-, 14- or additional 12-inch ovens.

Secret 2: The miracle cure

Once you have an oven, it must be cured. This process will keep your oven from rusting and produce an interior coating that will prevent food from sticking. The process is very simple. If you have an old rusty oven, scrub it well and use a fine-grade sandpaper to clean up and expose the entire surface, inside and out. Once the metal is exposed—or if you are curing a new oven—wash the entire oven well with hot soapy water. This will remove the waxy coating from a new oven and the fine metal dust remaining in an old reconditioned one.

Next, heat your Dutch oven, with the lid on, to about 200° in the oven in your home. (You can also do this in a fire, with coals or briquettes.) While the oven is hot, pour or drop in a small amount of oil, shortening, or lard, and while wearing oven mitts or heavy leather gloves, use a clean cotton cloth to wipe the entire surface well, inside and out, to coat it with the shortening, oil, or lard. When the oven is coated, heat it to 350° for an hour. If you do this in your house, expect some smoke. After an hour of heating, let the oven cool slowly. Force-cooling a cast iron oven by putting it in a freezer, snow bank, or outside during a cold rain, can crack or warp it.

Once you have your oven cured, it is ready for cooking. However, after each subsequent use and cleaning, you maintain and strengthen the cure by wiping a very light coat of oil, shortening, or lard over the dry, warm oven.

The proper cleaning of a Dutch oven is a favorite topic of many cast iron cooks. Some say that excess food must be burned off by turning the oven over in a fire, or by putting the lid on and heating the oven until the food residue inside is burned to a black crust or dust (like a self-cleaning household oven). Others claim it is a mortal sin to use any kind of soap when cleaning Dutch ovens. All, however, agree that you never scrape or scour a Dutch oven. Using metal utensils or wire scrubbers or brushes can remove the curing and allow food to stick in the exposed areas unless the oven is re-cured.

Most frequent Dutch oven users have found that wiping out excess food with a paper towel, then washing the pot with hot soapy water and a sponge will produce a clean and sanitary oven. Remember, after cleaning, be sure to dry the oven completely, then wipe a light coat of your chosen oil over the entire surface of your oven, inside and out, legs included, using a paper towel or cotton cloth. Soon your oven will have a beautiful dark brown or black coat that will be amazingly easy to keep clean.

If you use too much oil while curing or after cleaning your oven, it will become apparent the next time you use it. Each time you take out the oven, remove the lid and smell the inside. If it smells a little rancid, you used too much oil, but don’t worry. Just heat up the oven on your stove or over a fire to allow the oil to melt down and puddle in the bottom of the pot. Wipe out the old oil with a paper towel and you’re ready to go. There is no need to clean the oven again before using.

Secret 3: Power tools

You will need all the usual utensils required for cooking, such as spoons, forks, spatulas, etc. However, when you pick utensils to use with your Dutch ovens, choose items made of wood, plastic, or Teflon. Metal utensils tend to scrape off the curing when hungry eaters try to dig the last bite of food out of the oven. If areas do get scraped to the bare metal of the oven, you’ll need to re-cure it.

In addition to the utensils you are familiar with, there are other tools unique to Dutch ovens which will make your efforts safer, easier, and more successful.

1. You will need a pair of loose-fitting leather gloves long enough to cover your wrists. When leather gloves get hot, loose ones can be flipped off easily and quickly. Tight hot gloves will stick and burn you. Some people prefer welding gloves (gauntlets), but any good thick leather gloves should do fine. Wear these gloves when working with your ovens. They will prevent numerous painful burns, dropped ovens, and ruined meals.

2. Another tool you will need is a lid lifter. There are a number of lid lifter designs to choose from. The most typical is a wire-handled hook. Many of these hooks have a small bar welded horizontally a short distance up the handle from the curve. This is to keep the lid from tilting from side to side while being lifted. Hook lifters can be very ornate or simple hay-hook-like designs. Probably the surest lid lifter is a more recent design which combines the hook with a three-legged brace. The three legs fit flush against the top of the lid, and the hook goes down the middle of the legs and under the lid handle. With this type of lifter, the hook is pulled up to tighten the lid against the three legs of the brace. This design is steady and excellent for keeping coals and ashes on the lid from accidentally becoming additional garnish for the dish being prepared.

3. Lid holders are also a necessity. This tool may be anything from a clean brick to a three- or four-legged wire rack. It is used to keep hot lids off tables and counter tops or out of the dirt when the cook is adding spices or checking the progress of meals cooking.

4. Long-handled tongs are an invaluable addition to your Dutch oven tools. Even a cheap stainless steel pair will last indefinitely. Tongs are used to place, add, or remove coals as necessary. Attempting to position coals with sticks, pliers, etc., often results in poor placement, burned hands, and generally miserable experiences.

5. A small shovel is also important. This small tool, a garden shovel or fireplace shovel, is used for moving coals from a fire, digging a long-cook pit, or burying excess extinguished charcoal.

6. The last special tool you will want to consider is a whisk broom. The broom is used to brush the dirt, ashes, etc., off the lid and side of your oven in preparation for serving. This makes the possibility of ash-flavored beans remote and cleans up the ovens nicely to prevent carrying dirt or charcoal into your camper, cabin, tent, or kitchen.

Secret 4: A fire in the belly

Here’s a secret that even most seasoned outdoor cooks don’t know: You can prevent burned bottoms, raw tops, and dried-out foods by using properly sized and spaced coals to control the interior oven temperature. Virtually all baked goods can be baked successfully at 350°, which is the ideal temperature for a Dutch oven. To establish and maintain this temperature, the first thing to remember is to use coals from a fire that are roughly the same size as charcoal briquettes.

Or, for more consistency, use briquettes. Charcoal briquettes will burn longer and more evenly than coals from a fire. Use the best briquettes you can afford. There is a difference in quality, and the more expensive brands are generally worth the additional cost.

The number and placement of the coals on and under your oven is critical.The optimal number of coals used for any oven is based on its diameter. For example, if you are using a 12-inch oven, you will need two coals per inch, a total of 24. More coals will likely burn your food and less may necessitate too long a cooking period. To determine how many coals go under and how many go on top, remember the magic number 2:

· 2 coals per inch of oven diameter

· place 2 more coals than the oven size on the lid, and

· place 2 less than the oven size under it.

Example: For a 12-inch oven, 12 - 2 = 10 coals under the oven, and 12+2=14 coals go on the lid, for a total of 24. The same formula applies to all ovens. A 10-inch oven should have 8 coals underneath and 12 coals on the lid. A 14-inch oven should have 12 coals underneath and 16 coals on the lid.

The placement of the coals is also an important part of proper heat regulation. The proper layout for coals or briquettes under the oven is circular. Coals should be approximately one inch apart in a circle under the oven. Never place coals directly under the center of the oven. If you do, you will create a hot spot and burn whatever you are cooking. By placing the coals in a circle, the natural conductivity of the oven will distribute the heat evenly and effectively.

The coals on the lid of the oven should also be placed evenly in a circle along the flange of the outer lid. However, four of the coals should be placed toward the center of the lid, two on either side of the handle. This coal placement will produce an even, consistent temperature within the oven of approximately 350° and maintain that heat for up to two hours.

In the event that you need to generate a higher temperature inside your oven, “cheat up” the coals. Additional coals placed two at a time, one on the lid and one under the oven, will add another 50°. Two additional coals top and bottom would bring your oven’s temperature up to 450°. It is extremely rare to need a temperature of 450°, and you should never need one higher than that.

Secret 5: A cut above

Meats prepared in a Dutch oven are delectable. They have a flavor and aroma you will never duplicate using any other cooking method. While the taste is always exquisite, some Dutch oven users have difficulty producing a visually appealing meat from inside the steamy oven. The secret is simple: regardless of the spice and flavorings you use on any meat or poultry, always brown the meat first.

To brown the meat, place some oil, bacon, or any fatty item in the hot oven to produce a good covering of oil on the bottom, heat the oven, then put the meat you want to cook in the oven and sear or brown it well. This will seal in natural juices and provide the outer texture and color more typical of grilled or fried meats. Once the meat is well browned on all sides, drain off any leftover fat drippings, add whatever seasonings you like, put on the lid, and cook the meat for 30 to 35 minutes per pound of beef, pork, or lamb, or 25 to 30 minutes per pound of poultry.

Secret 6: Garden pride

Garden vegetables are a magnificent addition to any Dutch oven dinner. Most Dutch oven vegetables are prepared in a sauce of some type, but they may be steamed or boiled as you would on a traditional stove. However, if you choose to bake or roast Dutch oven vegetables, they should cook for approximately three minutes per inch of oven diameter. A l0-inch oven full of squash should cook for about 30 minutes, a 12-inch oven full for 36 minutes. Vegetables to be cooked in sauces, such as sour cream potatoes, broccoli in cheese sauce, or new peas and potatoes in white sauce, should be brought to a rapid boil first, the water discarded, the sauces added, then baked for the proper time noted for other vegetables.

Secret 7: If you knead the dough

Good Dutch oven breads seem to be a rarity. However, marvelous corn breads, biscuits, rolls, and sourdough loaves are surprisingly easy to perfect in the old black pot. The larger the oven the better when it comes to cooking breads. A 14-inch oven serves nicely to produce three loaves of bread or up to three dozen rolls or biscuits. To successfully brown breads, however, you must alter the cooking process for the last five to eight minutes of the traditional 25-30 minute, 350° baking time.

First, put a light coat of oil on the interior of a cool oven (including the lid), and let the rolls or bread complete their final rise in the oven prior to applying the coals. Second, place the oven on the coals with the proper number of coals on top as noted earlier. (Remember: no coals directly under the center of the oven.) Third, when there are five to eight minutes left in the cooking time, lift the lid, lightly brush the tops of the breads with butter, replace the lid, then take all the coals from under the oven and distribute them evenly on the top. With all the heat now on the lid, check the bread every couple of minutes until you think it looks perfect. After brushing the coals and ashes from the lid, remove it, tilt the oven over a bread board, and your perfect bread will gently fall out.

Now that you know the seven secrets, here is a trio of fabulous tried-and-true recipes you can easily make with your old, new, or reincarnated Dutch oven.

Prairie chicken

Using the correct number of coals under the oven, brown both sides of enough clean, uncoated chicken pieces to cover the bottom in a hot Dutch oven with a bubbling 1/4 inch of oil. When the chicken is browned to your liking, remove the excess oil from the oven and discard. Season the chicken generously with the following pre-mixed coating:

2 Tablespoons each, parsley flakes & thyme

1 Tablespoon each, marjoram, oregano, celery salt, & rosemary

1 teaspoon each, garlic salt, onion salt, ginger, ground black pepper, sage, & paprika

Put lid on oven, arrange coals as noted earlier (top and bottom) and cook for 45 minutes to one hour.

Italian zucchini

Coat and marinate zucchini or summer squash (one per person) for 30 minutes in a mixture of 1/2 olive oil and 1/2 lemon juice (A half cup of each will coat enough zucchini for 20 people.) Place one layer of the marinated vegetables in the bottom of the Dutch oven. (A 10-inch oven works great for up to 15 people.) Sprinkle salt, pepper, and a good coating of grated Romano cheese over the layer, then repeat the process, layer upon layer, until all the zucchini is used or until the oven is almost full. Sprinkle extra Romano cheese on the top layer. Place the lid on the oven and cook as noted earlier with the proper number and placement of coals. Cook for 30 to 35 minutes. This is a marvelous tart and tasty vegetable treat, guaranteed.

Trailside beans

1/2 pound bacon, sliced in small pieces

1/2 pound ground beef

1/2 diced onion1 diced red bell pepper

1 diced green bell pepper

Two 33-oz. cans of pork and beans

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup of Worcestershire sauce

2 Tablespoons of white vinegar

Cook bacon and ground beef well in a 12-inch Dutch oven. Use 24 coals all on the bottom to start, then separate and place the coals as noted earlier during the baking stage. Before removing excess oil, sauté diced onion, diced red bell pepper, and diced green bell pepper with the meats until the onions and peppers are soft. Drain off excess oil. Add pork and beans, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and white vinegar. Stir well, place lid on oven, and cook with repositioned coals for 90 to 120 minutes.

Check for moisture content every 15 to 20 minutes. (Some ovens allow too much moisture to escape.) If there is not a soupy layer of liquid covering the beans, add water, a little at a time, and stir to maintain the moisture content.

Eat this with hot biscuits and jam, and you’ll understand why cowboys always looked so happy on those long, hard, dusty cattle drives.

Some Original Old Fashioned Recipes

A change of pace from what we have been talking about lately....

Read through these, and see how simple our ancestors ate.  When TEOTWAWKI happens, won't it be nice to go back a few years and enjoy a much more simple and slower pace....Well, as far as food goes that is!

Read and enjoy..........

Real Boston Baked Beans

The following recipe was transcribed ver batim from

The Home Comfort Range Cook Book

Circa 1900

Boil one pint of beans in a half gallon of water for one hour. Then pour off the water, put the beans in a large pan, pour over them half a pail of cold water and wash thoroughly. Repeat this several times, until the skins of the beans are all washed off. Place the beans in a half gallon stone jar and cover with water; add a pound of fat pork or bacon, a tablespoonful of molasses and a little salt, and bake all. Must be kept tightly covered, and, if it gets too dry, add more water.

Fricasseed Rabbit

The following recipe was transcribed ver batim from

The Home Comfort Range Cook Book

Circa 1900

Cut up and disjoint the rabbit; put in a stewpan and season with cayenne pepper, salt, and chopped parsley. Pour in a pint of warm water and stew over a slow fire until quite tender, adding when nearly done some bits of butter.

Jelly-Cake Fritters

The following recipe was transcribed ver batim from

Kansas Free Press

Topeka, Kansas

September 23, 1881

To make jelly-cake fritters cut some stale sponge or other cake into rounds with a cake cutter. Fry these a nice brown in hot lard; dip each quickly into a bowl of boiling milk and lay upon a hot plate, spread thickly with jam or preserves. Serve hot, with cream to pour over them.

Grape Marmalade

The following recipe was transcribed ver batim from

The Chicago Record-Herald

Chicago, Illinois

September 13, 1913

Wash and stem the grapes, remove skins, heat the pulp and press through a sieve to remove the seeds. Adds the skins to the pulp and place it on a fire, then add three cupfuls of very hot sugar to each of four cupfuls of fruit and let simmer twenty minutes. If the grapes are very ripe, add a little lemon juice. Turn the mixture into glass jars and seal.

Mint Punch

The following recipe was transcribed ver batim from

The Chicago Record-Herald

Chicago, Illinois

September 13, 1913

Make a sirup [sic] of one quart of water and two cupfuls of sugar. Boil for ten minutes. meantime bruise and cut fine with scissors two cupfuls of mint leaves which have been carefully washed and dried. Mix with the mint the juice and rind of three lemons, and pour the boiling sirup over. Let stand several hours, or, better, overnight, then strain. Color with a bit of green coloring material, if you choose. When serving use plenty of crushed ice and equal parts of mint and ginger ale.

How to Crystallize Fruit

The following recipe was transcribed ver batim from

The Home Comfort Range Cook Book

Circa 1900

Pick out the finest of any kind of fruit, leaving on stalks; beat the whites of three eggs to a stiff froth; lay the fruits in the beaten egg with the stalks upward; drain them and beat the part that drips off again; select them out one by one, and dip them into a cup of finely powdered sugar; cover a pan with a sheet of fine paper, place the fruit inside of it, and set in an oven that is cooling, when the icing on the fruit becomes firm, pile them on a dish and set them in a cool place.

Sheep's Brains, Roasted or Baked

The following recipe was transcribed ver batim from

The Home Comfort Range Cook Book

Circa 1900

Four or six brains will be required for a dish. Prepare the brains as for stewing, and procure as many slices of bacon as there are brains. After they have been boiled and are thrown into cold water, drain and dry them perfectly; brush over with oil, and roll them in highly-seasoned bread crumbs. Put them in the bacon before the fire in a Dutch oven, or bake in a well-heated oven, turning them about that they may be equally cooked, and basting them occasionally. When they are nicely browned, take them up. Lay the slices of bacon on toast, put the brains on them, and send sharp sauce or tomato sauce to a table in a tureen. Time to bake, thirty to forty minutes. Sufficient for six or seven persons.