Canner at Work
November 2nd, 2009More Peppers
Today I went to a meeting at church. On Saturday, one of the volunteer leaders invited me. I didn’t know what it was about, but I enjoy this sort of thing, and my morning was free, so off I went.
It was a meeting of the church’s leaders. If I understand things correctly, they have a practice of meeting on Mondays, and now they’re extending invitations to people who aren’t paid employees. I may have that wrong, but I think it’s about right.
I was relieved to see that they’re trying to communicate with people and organize them. I always complain about Christians using the Holy Spirit as a parachute. Don’t plan; don’t think. Just jump, and when you get in trouble, count on God to pull you out. The church is working to put together a hierarchy of volunteers with defined responsibilities, and it ought to make things run smoother.
On the way home, I picked up a copy of God’s Armorbearer by Terry Nance. This book was recommended to me when I indicated an interest in getting into the inner circle. I also got a copy of The Torah Blessing by Larry Huch. It’s full of stuff connecting Judaism and Christianity. I go through Christian books fast, so I figured one book was not enough.
Right now I’m canning Trinidad Scorpions in lime juice. What will I do with them once they’re canned? Danged if I know. But I canned those suckers. Oh, yes. They are canned. They’re not going ANYWHERE.
I want to dry apples so I can have dried-apple pies at Christmas. Is that too much to ask from life? I think not. But I don’t know how to go about drying them. If I had a junk car, I could dry them inside it, like my aunt used to do. I hate to spring for a dehydrator, but I probably will. It would give me a use for the tons of papayas I grow. Fresh, they’re not so hot. Dried, they’re excellent.
November 2nd, 2009 at 6:16 PM
You would probably use a dehydrator for other things so it might not be a bad investment. Lots of things dry up nice.
You could use your awesome tool collection to build one too if you need another project.
November 2nd, 2009 at 7:34 PM
That parachute thing would get under my skin in a hurry. Don’t plan, don’t prepare, just hope. That “everything will work out in the end” attitude made me quit some groups I used to work with.
Tell us more of these dried apple pies. It sounds like it could intensify the flavor a bit. Are the apples dried whole? What variety of apples did she use? I’m intrigued.
November 3rd, 2009 at 9:10 AM
Alton Brown had some ideas for drying fruit – he likes to lay them out on clean furnace filters, then bungee the stack to a box fan. There’s always the option of running the oven on low, with the door cracked. Or barter your peppers with someone who lives in a dry climate.
It’s great to hear you’re getting into the church leadership. In my experience, it takes a great deal of humility, patience, love and forgiveness, so it will be good practice. Your energy and your analytical skills will surely be a blessing.
November 3rd, 2009 at 9:14 AM
You actually dehydrate with just an oven as long as yours has settings below about 200 F. It’s not perfect but I does allow you to forgo buying another appliance and should work at least as well as the old car method.
November 3rd, 2009 at 9:26 AM
I thought you had a spare Thunderbird lying around. It would be perfect for apple drying. Or maybe you could borrow one of the junk cars piled up in your neighbor’s yard.
November 3rd, 2009 at 10:33 AM
I haven’t tried it yet, but there was a Good Eats episode where he made beef jerky by bungee cording several furnace filters to a box fan.
November 3rd, 2009 at 10:35 AM
“it takes a great deal of humility, patience, love and forgiveness”
.
And luckily for all concerned, I am jam-packed with these qualities.
November 3rd, 2009 at 2:02 PM
“Tell us more of these dried apple pies.”
.
It’s a traditional Appalachian thing. You combine dried June apples with stuff like cloves, and you fry them inside pie-crust pastries. Ronni Lundy’s cookbook probably has a good recipe.