Lost my mind this past weekend

[chadinclw]

Other posts report my herb and pepper activity over the last week or so, but I lost my mind on Saturday.

1. I love fruit. I'm diabetic and can't eat as much as I want, but I love growing fruit.

2. I was real active in FFA in school and still love to grow stuff

3. So, as a result, every where we live I plant fruit and stuff!!

As a result of this compulsion I bought:

2 - muscadine grape vines (best varieties for FL)

2 - Figs (I adore a good fig)

2- guava plants

Guava are funny. We used to have them all over central FL until about the mid 1960's when the weather nailed them. They are not the least bit frost tolerant so I know these are going to be labor intensive during the winter. I'm talking it get's below 40 and you have to cover them up!

Anyway, I'll be building the grape arbor in the next week or so. 

As always, SWMBO thinks I've lost my mind, but after 32 years I'd think she'd be used to me doing things like this!!

 

[SmokinAl]

Sounds like you have your work cut out for you!

 

[chadinclw]

Sounds like you have your work cut out for you!

Yeah, like I said, I lost my mind. We are getting some citrus from the trees we planted a few years ago and I'll be making some limoncello from my Meyer lemons this year. I've got a woodpile to move to make room for the new plants.

 

[billyj571]

When will they start producing fruit ?

 

[tjohnson]

Grapevines!!!!!!

have you tried smoking with grapevines yet?

Give it a whirl and you may just be surprised

Todd

 

[larrym]

Grapevines ?  I had thought about it once but never did it.  Am getting ready to do some pruning on 2 8yr old plants, , do they do okay for smoking ?  I dont have a chipper but could probably mash them up good enough with a 10# sledge.  Should I debark them first ?

 

[venture]

Citrus and grapevines all make good smoking when seasoned.  Enjoy!

Good luck and good smoking.

 

[alblancher]

All of that is good smoking wood.  Just be aware that we normally use a lot of pesticides on citrus and fruits that need time to dissipate  before burning the wood.  Shouldn't be a problem  especially with your own trees.

I have 4 or 5 muscadine vines that are 7 years old now and producing quite well. I just don't have much use for the fruit.  I'll make muscadine butter (taste a bit like mincemeat) for pork but can't think of much else to do with it.  I should have enough of a crop next year to try my hand at some wine.

I love homegrown peaches and plums.

Have you ever tried any of the no sugar pectins?  The jellies and jams are not the same without the sugar but it you use about 3/4 Splenda and 1/4 sugar you are able to keep the color and have a pretty good product.  Don't forget about making low sugar syrups for your BBQ sauces and mops.  I use a blueberry/blackberry syrup as a mop and I love the additional flavors.

Good luck and good planting

 

[SmokinAl]

I just chopped down our avocado tree, it had some kind of disease & just died. Well it almost died I left it about 8 feet tall & it's coming back. I saved the wood. Has anybody used avocado wood for smoking?

 

[alblancher]

Did it have guacamoldy?

 

[SmokinAl]

Geez Al, Where do you & Bear come up with some of this stuff?  

 

[alblancher]

I think we are on the same meds!

 

[SmokinAl]

Can you mail me some?

                  

 

[michael ark]

X2 can't be any worse than the med i'm

 on now.
 

Can you mail me some?

                  

 

[Blackford69]

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