A wok can last a lifetime with the proper care. This includes occasionally seasoning it, as well as properly storing it. Luckily, both are very easy to do and can be done in just a few minutes. Follow this step-by-step guide that will teach you one of the steps of proper wok care - seasoning it.
It’s important that you do NOT follow these instructions for a wok with a non-stick coating.
Following these instructions will damage the non-stick coating.
Seasoning a Wok
Rinse the wok in hot water and some heavy duty soap (e.g. kitchen cleaner or comet).
Place the wok on the stove over a high heat.
Heat the wok until the bottom of the wok becomes a dark bluish color (about twenty minutes). Rotate the wok on its side and burn similarly until entire wok is dark bluish.
Cooldown wok until room temperature.
Fold a paper towel, and soak it with cooking oil (such as peanut or corn oil).
Spread the oil all over the inside of the wok. Make sure to completely cover the interior of the wok with oil. The wok will now be ready to use.
In the beginning, you will need to season the wok very frequently, after every use is best. When the food begins to stick to the surface of the wok, it may be time to re-season your wok. Eventually, a thin layer of oil will begin to permanently set into the wok. After this happens, you will not really have to worry too much about seasoning it again. From time to time the seasonings on the surface of the wok will be depleted, and it will be necessary to re-season the wok.
Both seasoning and storing your wok are important in keeping your wok in excellent shape. If you happen to get a little rust on it, don’t worry about it too much. Try to lightly brush it away, but, otherwise, just re-season the wok and continue using it. Other than that, use your wok often to develop a tasty seasoning on it to enhance your flavors.
Tomato plants sprouted from seeds. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Whether you’re going to start a plant or flower garden you don’t have to be a meteorologist, farmer, or another specialist to figure out when is the best time to begin planting. One of the most common questions asked by beginning gardeners is when to start planting the seeds. If you’ve done any research on this topic you are likely met with a bit of confusing information: certain plants need to be grown in certain seasons, some plants thrive better indoors and, pay attention to charts and calendars.
While it is true that each plant type will have its own plant and harvesting time and different requirements for each, there is a much simpler way to determine when to start planting. All you need to have is an idea of the last frost date in your location, a calendar, and your seed packets.
Follow the Instructions
There are instructions on the back of all seed packages that states how many weeks your seeds need to develop prior to planting them outside. Again the time you can begin planting will depend upon the last frost date in your area, the type of seasonal plants you have, and instructions provided on the packet.
Tips for Known When to Plant
If you’re new to gardening you might find some of the instructions on the seed packaging to be confusing. Below are a few hints to help you out:
When the ground can be worked: This means that the seeds you’ve purchased can withstand the frost. Since during the winter months the ground is cold and firm it is not easy to work with thus the instructions say as soon as the ground can be worked on. Typically you will find instructions such as these on peas and spinach.
Begin Sowing About Two Weeks Prior to the Last Frost Date (Soil Temperature at least 40 degrees): There are some seeds that prosper much better when planted directly into the ground rather than a transplanting process. These crop types typically adhere to things that can tolerate a little frost.
Plant When All Frost Dangers Have Passed: These plants are very sensitive to frost conditions. Planting these prior to the last frost date could potentially ruin the crops before they start to grow. To provide extreme precautions it is best that you wait a few weeks after the last frost date in your area before transplanting these particular seeds outside.
So to sum it all up the ideal plant that is ready to be placed out into the garden is going to be one that does not have leggy stems, and that has a decent root system, however, one that is not yet pot bound. The best time of year to set out those transplants are when both the soil and air conditions have reached the right status as it pertains to the particular species of plant you intend to grow. It will require a bit of research, a little guesswork, and with any luck, your garden should be blooming as the seasons' change.
Who doesn’t love a cactus? They’re green, naturally, repel pets and at least have a fighting chance, don’t need to water every day—a brown thumber’s dream plant. Of course, some cactus varieties can be quite costly as decorating options. Some affordable, low-maintenance options worth considering are the seasonal cactus varieties. There is the Thanksgiving, Easter, and of course Christmas cactus.
The Christmas cactus is an excellent variety for those who want a small plant that blooms once in a while for some added color and excitement. This cactus gets its name from the fact that it blooms for 2-4 weeks, generally starting in December and lasting through the Christmas holiday.
The flowers themselves are roughly 2 or 3 inches in length and tubular in shape. The flowers tend to be very bright and colorful. This is probably because the Christmas cactus originally came from Brazil, a land known for its exotic colors. The leaves, however, lay very flat and have a smooth, hairless surface with a hard texture.
The Thanksgiving cactus also gets its name from the time of year it generally blooms. However, this vibrant plant is also known as the crab cactus. The leaves on the Thanksgiving cactus have edges on them which are toothed and give the appearance of having a pair of fangs at the end of each branch.
The Easter cactus tends to bloom around the first couple weeks of April. This odd-looking plant grows straight or as close to straight as it can get. Easter cactus leaves are jointed and have hairs on them. The leaves also have fanglike points like the Thanksgiving cactus, though not as pronounced.
Of course, you don’t have to settle for one of the holiday cacti. There are hundreds of varieties perfectly suited for your home. Every species comes with its own specific care instructions and needs. It is important to find out from the nursery or wherever you bought your cactus just exactly how to care for the plant. Most are relatively low maintenance but some of the more exotic species have specific and exacting requirements.
Having a cactus that blooms around the holidays can be an excellent conversation piece and a chance for you to show off your “green thumb”. Adding both color and vibrant contrast to any room, a cactus is a low-maintenance plant that will only make you look good. Choose a cactus for every holiday so that there is always something beautiful to look at while eating all that delicious food! And remember, if a blooming cactus around the holidays just isn’t your cup of tea, there are hundreds of other varieties to choose from and each offers its own special features.
When I was growing up in the 60’s and 70’s, jelly beans showed up once a year. I was always certain of finding jelly beans in my Easter basket. And as far as I knew, there were only two kinds of jelly beans – ones made by Brach’s that were always in my Easter basket, and some off-brand that my Aunt had at her house and that I hated. Like many people, my favorite color of jelly bean was red, or cherry flavored, and it still is. My second favorite flavor when I was little was the black or licorice flavored jelly beans. I still like the black ones a lot, and since nobody else in my house likes the black ones I get those all to myself!
Today, there are numerous types and brands of jelly beans available to tuck into Easter baskets for a sweet treat. The brand most recognizable today, besides the ever popular Brach’s™ jelly beans is probably Jelly Belly™ jelly beans. In my opinion, Jelly Belly™ jelly beans first gained widespread national recognition when Ronald Reagan was elected president in 1980. He was a jelly bean lover and always kept a jar of Jelly Belly™ jelly beans on his desk and on Air Force One for a sweet treat and quick energy boost. He was quick to offer handfuls of his jelly beans to his guests and Cabinet members. I remember watching news stories talking about President Reagan’s jelly beans and what brand they were. Suddenly it seemed everyone was intrigued by these miniature jelly beans in flavors that went beyond the few traditional ones found in most bags of jelly beans.
I first tried Jelly Belly™ jelly beans in the 1980’s and I have to admit I was hooked on them right away. There is a wonderfully intense flavor packed into each one of those little jelly beans. One reason is that I love red jelly beans, and Jelly Belly™ is the only manufacturer I know of that sells red jelly beans in bulk and in individual bags. This means that if I’m in the mood for red jelly beans I can have a whole bag of them!
In our house, we have some favorite Jelly Belly™ flavors. We like the root beer, cream soda, cinnamon, buttered popcorn, pina colada, and cherry flavored Jelly Belly™ jelly beans. There are many other flavors too. I think the current official count of flavors is 50. Some of those 50 flavors, such as the jalapeno flavored Jelly Belly™ jelly beans are a little too daring for my taste buds though.
The Bertie Bott's Jelly Bellies™ which are also called the Harry Potter™ jelly beans by many people, offer flavor choices such as earwax, dirt, and earthworm. The thought of eating those makes me shudder. If you’re wondering if they really taste the way their names suggest, Jelly Belly™ says on its website that Bertie Bott’s™ jelly beans are true to their names. If you’re curious about what other people think about them, do an Internet search. You’ll find online postings from people who have tried the Bertie Bott’s Jelly Bellies™. Some people enjoy some of the Bertie Bott’s™ flavors, such as the grass flavored ones. Some of the other flavors, such as the “vomit” ones, were typically described as tasting “nasty.”
Jelly Belly™ isn’t the only brand or kind of jelly bean available. There are numerous kinds. Brach’s™ is probably the brand most often seen on the store shelves at Easter (and throughout the entire year in the candy aisle of many stores). Brach’s™ candy company also makes yummy jelly beans that taste like some of the flavors of Smucker’s™ jam.
In addition, there are jelly beans that taste like Starburst™ candy along with spiced jelly beans, mini jelly beans, speckled jelly beans and some very good tasting sugar-free jelly beans. One other thing to note: if you’re searching for jelly beans and you see pectin jelly beans, that’s just another term for the normal jelly beans you see on store shelves.
Don’t be fooled into thinking that each manufacturer makes each color the same flavor. You may love the taste of the purple jelly beans (grape flavored) made by Brach’s and may think the purple jelly beans by Gimbals™ are grape flavored too but they’re not, they have a boysenberry flavor.
Jelly beans are often found in cute gift containers at Easter time and can even be found tucked inside hollow chocolate Easter eggs. And jelly beans are a popular item to tuck in plastic eggs for Easter egg hunts.
The most popular place to put jelly beans though is still in an Easter basket. After all, what’s an Easter basket without jelly beans in it?
A tomato plant can be grown anywhere in the world and is thus well known as the plant in every home garden. It has been estimated that almost 90 percent of the vegetable gardeners have this crop in their garden. This is because the tomato plant requires very little attention from the gardener during the time of growth. The important elements needed for perfect growth is enough sunlight, a little patience, and adequate water.
Tomato is considered to be a summer crop. Select the tomato variety from the wide variety which is easily available. Always check with your neighbors, nursery professionals, and other online sources to find the most dependable and disease resistant variety of tomatoes.
The soil is to be prepared well before starting off with the tomato growing process. It should be mixed well with compost and well-rotted manure if you are using sandy soil. Superphosphates are recognized to be the best nourishment for appropriate growth. Another balanced fertilizer would be 6:3:2 which should be mixed well with the soil before the process. It is considered as the perfect alternative in case of any short supply of manure.
It is highly advisable to sow the seeds as early as possible because tomatoes take more than four months to start with the bearing process. In places where winters are cold, make sure to sow the seed in seed boxes which are sheltered during the later winter season. In frost-free place, start out with the sowing process during the late autumn or summer season. Within six weeks, the seedlings attain the height of 15centimeters and can be easily transplanted before the passing of frost. Always be very particular in the transplantation process to choose only the strongest seedlings. They should be planted in the coolest climate in the afternoon. A sprinkler can be used and spraying should be done early in the morning much the sun rises up. It is highly recommended to dust the crops with fungicides so as to prevent the formation of any kind of diseases. Appropriate fertilizers should be used to stimulate the growth of the plants. The day-long sun is what the tomato plant requires for healthy growth and perfect yield. For vertical growth, always ensure to plant the crops in cages or stakes.
The fruits shall be hand-picked when the color changes to red. It can be then ripened by placing on any sunny windowsill so as to prevent them from being eaten by any bird or rotting on the vine. The taste of these fruits are enhanced if they are ripened in the vine, therefore a perfect balance is to be maintained between the taste as well as the ripening process.
Ingredients:- 2 lbs. of beef or veal (these can be omitted), any kind of white fish trimmings, of fish which are to be dressed for a table, 2 onions, the rind of 1/2 a lemon, a bunch of sweet herbs, 2 carrots, 2 quarts of water.
Mode:- Cut up the fish, and put it, with the other ingredients, into the water. Simmer for 2 hours; skim the liquor carefully, and strain it. When a richer stock is wanted, fry the vegetables and fish before adding the water.
Time. 2 hours.
Note. Do not make fish stock long before it is wanted, as it soon turns sour.
Crayfish soup.
Ingredients:- 50 crayfish, 1/4 lb. of butter, 6 anchovies, the crumb of 1 French roll, a little lobster-spawn, seasoning to taste, 2 quarts of medium stock or fish stock.
Mode:- Shell the crayfish, and put the fish between two plates until they are wanted; pound the shells in a mortar, with the butter and anchovies; when well beaten, add a pint of stock, and simmer for 3/4 of an hour. Strain it through a hair sieve, put the remainder of the stock to it, with the crumb of the rolls; give it one boil, and rub it through a tammy, with the lobster-spawn. Put in the fish, but do not let the soup boil, after it has been rubbed through the tammy. If necessary, add seasoning.
Time. 1-1/2 hour.
Eel soup.
Ingredients:- 3 lbs. of eels, 1 onion, 2 oz. of butter, 3 blades of mace, 1 bunch of sweet herbs, 1/4 oz. of peppercorns, salt to taste, 2 tablespoonfuls of flour, 1/4 pint of cream, 2 quarts of water.
Mode:- Wash the eels, cut them into thin slices, and put them in the stewpan with the butter; let them simmer for a few minutes, then pour the water to them, and add the onion, cut in thin slices, the herbs, mace, and seasoning. Simmer till the eels are tender, but do not break the fish. Take them out carefully, mix the flour smoothly to a batter with the cream, bring it to a boil, pour over the eels, and serve.
Time. 1 hour, or rather more.
Note. This soup may be flavored differently by omitting the cream and adding a little ketchup.
Lobster soup.
Ingredients. 3 large lobsters, or 6 small ones; the crumb of a French roll, 2 anchovies, 1 onion, 1 small bunch of sweet herbs, 1 strip of lemon-peel, 2 oz. of butter, a little nutmeg, 1 teaspoonful of flour, 1 pint of cream, 1 pint of milk; forcemeat balls, mace, salt and pepper to taste, bread crumbs, 1 egg, 2 quarts of water.
Mode:- Pick the meat from the lobsters, and beat the fins, chine, and small claws in a mortar, previously taking away the brown fin and the bag in the head. Put it in a stewpan, with the crumb of the roll, anchovies, onions, herbs, lemon-peel, and the water; simmer gently till all the goodness is extracted, and strain it off. Pound the spawn in a mortar, with the butter, nutmeg, and flour, and mix with it the cream and milk. Give one boil up, at the same time adding the tails cut in pieces. Make the forcemeat balls with the remainder of the lobster, seasoned with mace, pepper, and salt, adding a little flour, and a few bread crumbs; moisten them with the egg, heat them in the soup, and serve.
Time. 2 hours, or rather more.
Oyster soup -1.
Ingredients:- 6 dozen of oysters, 2 quarts of white stock, 1/2 pint of cream, 2 oz. of butter, 1-1/2 oz. of flour; salt, cayenne, and mace to taste.
Mode:- Scald the oysters in their own liquor; take them out, beard them, and put them in a tureen. Take a pint of the stock, put in the beards and the liquor, which must be carefully strained, and simmer for 1/2 an hour. Take it off the fire, strain it again, and add the remainder of the stock with the seasoning and mace. Bring it to a boil, add the thickening of butter and flour, simmer for 5 minutes, stir in the boiling cream, pour it over the oysters, and serve.
Time. 1 hour.
Note. This soup can be made less rich by using milk instead of cream, and thickening with arrowroot instead of butter and flour.
Oyster soup -2
Ingredients:- 2 quarts of good mutton broth, 6 dozen oysters, 2 oz. butter, 1 oz. of flour.
Mode:- Beard the oysters, and scald them in their own liquor; then add it, well strained, to the broth; thicken with the butter and flour, and simmer for 1/4 of an hour. Put in the oysters, stir well, but do not let it boil, and serve very hot.
Time. 3/4 hour.
Prawn soup.
Ingredients:- 2 quarts of fish stock or water, 2 pints of prawns, the crumbs of a French roll, anchovy sauce or mushroom ketchup to taste, 1 blade of mace, 1 pint of vinegar, a little lemon juice.
Mode:- Pick out the tails of the prawns, put the bodies in a stewpan with 1 blade of mace, 1/2 pint of vinegar, and the same quantity of water; stew them for 1/4 hour, and strain off the liquor. Put the fish stock or water into a stewpan; add the strained liquor, pound the prawns with the crumb of a roll moistened with a little of the soup, rub them through a tammy, and mix them by degrees with the soup; add ketchup or anchovy sauce to taste, with a little lemon juice. When it is well cooked, put in a few picked prawns; let them get thoroughly hot, and serve. If not thick enough, put in a little butter and flour.
A scanned red tomato, along with leaves and flowers. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Planting tomato plants is easy. They are among the easiest garden plants to grow and if you live in an area warm enough to grow them, you can plant them the way I do, and they are almost maintenance free. Here are ten tips to start your best tomatoes yet.
1. Choose disease-resistant heirloom varieties and buy from reputable nurseries.
2. Choose plants with dark healthy leaves and thick stems. Long lanky stems are signs that they either grew too fast or they didn't get enough sunlight while growing.
3. Make certain that the area where you plant your garden has at least six hours of direct sunlight every day. Remove rocks and weeds from the garden area where you intend to plant. I never put manure or fertilizer in the soil where I plant tomatoes.
4. Invest in and put up a sturdy fence upon which to grow your tomatoes. I like to use a good quality cattle panel held up with metal fence posts buried every four feet. Good quality tomato cages also work as well.
5. When soil temperatures are above 55 degrees Fahrenheit, dig a trench four inches deep and long enough to bury the entire stem of the tomato plant. Without a fence, you would have to plant tomato plants 4 foot apart but since you are growing your tomatoes up a fence, you can plant each plant a foot from the one beside it.
6. Remove all but the uppermost leaves of your tomato plant, then plant the entire stem, leaving only the leaves above ground.
7. In planting hole, pour one gallon of water and dust the hole with about a tablespoon of dried kelp powder. Make certain to spread it around the hole and not just dump it all in the bottom of the trench. The water guarantees that the plant stays well hydrated and the kelp contains growth hormones that give the plants a healthy boost.
8. Now plant the tomato into the planting hole. Lay the plant so that the leafy part of it is next to the fence. Cover the entire stem.
9. Sprinkle another tablespoon of kelp along the area where you planted the tomato stem and dust with the diatomaceous earth around the base of the tomato to prevent cutworm damage.
10. Water a second time with another gallon of water. If your soil is sufficiently warm enough, mulch around plants to conserve moisture and to prevent diseases in the soil from splashing up from the soil when it rains or when you water.
Now that you planted your tomato plants, water your plants regularly and keep the vines tied to the fence. With proper care, within a few weeks, you will have a terrific tomato crop that the entire neighborhood will envy.
Donna Brown under the pen name Cygnet Brown has written simple organic gardening tips for the beginning gardener like the ones in this article in her book Simply Vegetable Gardening. The book is available through her website at http://www.cygnetbrow.com
