Tuesdays with Annie 02 09 10

Late posting due to some glitches. Ooops! That happens on occasion. The inspirational quote of the day is by Cullen Hightower. “Laughing at our mistakes can lengthen our own life. Laughing at someone else's can shorten it.”

The best way to store potatoes is to place them in a cool, dark dry location. False. Potatoes like a cool moist location. Our friend’s family spreads them out on trays as a single layer and sprinkles lime (ground limestone) on them to keep them fresh.

Ten pounds of seed potatoes can produce approximately 25 pounds of potatoes. False. Ten pounds can produce far more than your average 25 pounds of potatoes. Last year even with all the rain ten pounds of seed potatoes produced 80 pounds. On average, you should get 100 to 130 pounds.

To produce the hottest Horseradish, add the vinegar immediately after you grind it. False. If you like it hot, add the vinegar after the ground horseradish sits for three minutes. If you add the vinegar immediately it stops the reaction of volatile oils. Store the horseradish in a sealed container in the fridge. Leaving it out to the open causes it to lose its pungency and flavor. Be careful – wear gloves if you grate it by hands. Best to use a food processor.

There is only one type of yeast to make bread. False. There are numerous types of yeast used to make all kinds of bread. Some of the yeast is produced from rotting fruit like raspberries and grapes. It is a subject in and of itself. Some of the artisan sour dough breads produced in San Francisco use a specific indigenous strain of yeast that can create very sour and acidic properties, hence its name.

The most popular flower on Valentines Day is the red rose. True. Here is a link to what color combinations mean when sending roses. You want to make sure you aren’t saying something in flower language that could get you in hot water.
http://honeymoons.about.com/cs/valentinesday/a/Valentine_Roses.htm

Have a great Tuesday. Annie.