Well I guess its lamb weather, it’s cool and cloudy but not
storming and there are no roaring winds today. March came in here on a sunny
day, but the temperature was similar. Sunday we had the roaring winds, it was
sunny and warm when I went out to do some yard work, but in a short time the
wind came up and clouds moved in. When things started flying by my head and my
little dog started climbing me to safety, I knew we should go in.
The crocus and iris reticulata are blooming beautifully when
the sun is out. Snowdrops are still blooming and there are large buds on some
of the daffodils. There are tiny green leaves on the honeysuckle and the
willows are flushed with gold as the buds swell. I even saw a honeybee last
week.
Inside the crazy holiday cacti are blooming again and the
geraniums and hibiscus are blooming. My second amaryllis plant bloomed but the
bud got broken off just before the blooms opened so I had to put them in a vase.
The gerbera daisy is putting up another bloom too.
The birds are singing like crazy now and I can hear frogs
all around on milder days. I put a new jelly feeder out for the orioles
yesterday. I haven’t seen any yet, but I
think they will be here soon. I always slice an orange and put it out to
attract them too. I noticed that last year the orioles had built a nest in the
oak tree right over the spot where the jelly feeder was last year. Smart birds,
didn’t have to fly far for food.
I hope everyone is doing well with the shelter in place
orders around the country. Please stay home and safe. You can go outside to
work in your gardens or take a walk just don’t get too close to the neighbors.
Our neighbors have asked if we needed help, I think crisis’s do bring neighbors
together. Just maintain that six-foot space when socializing with neighbors and
you might want to eliminate sharing tools.
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| Oriole nest |
Does
cleaning up the garden in spring disturb helpful insects?
This week I have started removing layers of leaf mulch where
spring bulbs are emerging and cutting back dead stems in my gardens. I am a
gardener who is very aware that rotting leaves benefits the soil, so some
leaves are always left among my plants except in some selected cases. A light
layer that still feeds the soil but allows plants to emerge easily is often
left behind.
In some areas a lot of leaves are going to be left and I
know that after spring rains and warmer temperatures they are going to disappear
from sight, eaten by microbes and worms and hidden by fast growing foliage. But
I choose which areas of the garden receive this treatment. In some cases, I
throw the leaf litter I want removed out on the lawn, where I mow it into
little pieces to feed the lawn. In other cases, I carry debris to the compost
pile.
When I am cleaning my gardens, I am not too concerned with
any overwintering insects. That’s not because I am not concerned with
preserving helpful insects. It’s because I know that for every helpful insect
that might be saved by litter, and I empathize might, there are probably 2 harmful
insects that might be removed or killed when I remove that litter.
There’s a meme going around on the internet, I’ve seen it on
just about every garden site I know of, warning people not to clean up the
garden too soon, because they will disturb all these helpful pollinators and
other insects. Don’t rake out the dead leaves and cut off dead stems they warn,
or you will harm all these wonderful bees and butterflies and other helpful
insects. It’s true that waiting until late spring to clean out gardens has some
benefits but there’s a fine line to be drawn between preserving helpful insects
and enabling harmful ones.
I did some research and there are a few helpful insects that
do overwinter in leaf litter. Most of them are not pretty butterflies or pollinating
bees, however. They are spiders, ladybugs, centipedes, millipedes, some other predatory
beetles and scavengers that break down leaves.
Bees don’t overwinter in leaf litter or debris. Bumblebees
over winter in tunnels in the soil as do some other bees. Some bees overwinter
in the crevices of tree bark or in holes in trees. A few species may over
winter in hollow stalks of plants. Honeybee queens and some larvae overwinter
in hives.
Some butterflies migrate to overwinter. Most butterflies and
moths over winter as eggs on trees or other plants. Just a few overwinter as
pupae or caterpillars in litter. The wooly bear caterpillar that turns into the
Isabella Tiger moth overwinters in leaf litter. It feeds mostly on plants
considered to be weeds like lamb’s quarters, violets, clovers, dandelions,
nettles, burdock, yellow and curly docks. But they are also known to feed on
lettuce, spinach, and other garden greens and herbs as well as sunflowers. Are
they beneficial?
But the caterpillar pupae of sphinx moths also overwinter in
leaf litter. Those caterpillars are some of the most destructive in the garden,
becoming the giant hornworms that devour tomato plants among other things. The
caterpillar pupae of the white cabbage moth and cabbage looper overwinter in
leaf litter too.
Other harmful insects that overwinter in leaf litter include
thrips, mites, bean leaf beetles, stink bugs, earwigs, grasshoppers, and cucumber
beetles. Slugs and snails overwinter in garden debris. If you have a big
problem with these in your garden, you should rake out all debris early in
spring and allow the soil surface to dry out a bit.
Another very important pest that overwinters in leaf litter
is the tick. Some ticks overwinter on hosts, but research has shown that others
drop off and overwinter hidden in debris. Those gardeners who have ticks in
their area will want to remove leaf litter early from the garden and remove all
standing stems and grasses too.
Another consideration in leaving debris in gardens is that
fungal and bacterial diseases can overwinter in debris. If you had problems
with fungal disease in your garden last year, clean out all debris. This is
very important in vegetable gardens. If the spring is really wet, removing leaf
layers and debris may allow the soil to dry faster and dry soil is warmer than
wet soil, encouraging plant growth and discouraging fungal disease.
If you are a gardener who has allergies to molds and fungus
cleaning out leaf litter and debris may help keep your allergy symptoms in
check. It will make gardening safer for you. If you can find one, wear a mask
when cleaning out the debris if you have allergies.
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A garden that needs a spring clean up |
If you are concerned that you might harm some beneficial
insect when cleaning the garden simply pile the removed leaves and debris in
some out of the way spot or on the compost pile. If you are trimming hollow
stems or think the eggs of beneficial species are clinging to dead plant parts
do the same- just pile them somewhere.
On the pruning note – don’t prune back winter damaged areas
of plants too early as they protect the unfrozen parts of the stem. But by
April those in garden zones 6 and above can generally remove winter killed
areas. These are highly unlikely to have any beneficial insects or eggs on
them. Be careful you don’t damage emerging shoots when removing dead stems.
It’s better to cut rather than pull or break them off.
In short, if you want to clean your garden and the weather
is right, just do it. If you can, do leave a light layer of leaves to enrich
the soil. If you aren’t having pest problems and don’t mind the look you can
leave more debris, just make sure emerging plants aren’t smothered or impeded
by thick layers.
Don’t worry about harming beneficial insects. Simple things
like moving what you cleaned up to another place can mitigate most of that.
Composting that debris will keep the beneficial nutrients but get rid of some
of the pests. The circulating meme is based on sentiment more than science.
Your garden is not the same as a forest or wilderness area and the plants in it
may require different conditions than forest understory plants. Gardeners
manage their gardens with plant health and their health in mind, as well as considering
the greater environmental picture.
More reading
Choosing
a Method of food gardening
Many people are scrambling this spring to plant their first
garden and a great many of these involve growing food. Let’s discuss the pros
and cons of some methods of gardening for those that are a little confused as
to how to get started.
You must remember that all of these gardens must be in full
sun to grow food in any substantial amount. They should also be close to a source
of water for the best results. But the garden area should not be in a wet,
poorly draining area if it’s a method that involves in ground planting.
In the ground
This is the traditional way of gardening for many people. You
simply plant in rows in the ground. If you have plenty of property to use this
may be the right method for you. The pro’s are it’s a simple method that can
grow a lot of food. If you don’t want to garden next year just seed the garden
area with grass and it will quickly revert.
The cons are that preparing the soil the first year can be a
lot of work. I recommend taking any sod off with a spade, by sliding the spade
under sections of turf and lifting them off. If you have loamy or sandy soil
you may be able to lightly work the area up with a shovel or rake without
tilling after removing the grass. If you
have heavier soil you may need to till once the first year. Yearly tilling or
tilling numerous times is no longer recommended.
Also, it can be difficult to know what areas are planted and
which are paths until everything gets growing. Make sure to mark the rows as
you plant them. These types of gardens are more likely to flood in wet weather.
Depending on your soil type it can take longer for in ground gardens to warm up
in spring. If pest animals are around
like deer and rabbits, you’ll need to fence the area.
Mounds
Planting on mounds is a compromise between in ground gardens
and raised beds. In this type of garden, you proceed with clearing an area as
above. You really won’t need to till. After clearing the sod, you then rake and
shovel the soil into mounds about 18” high in rows as long as you want. You are
taking soil from the area that will be paths between the rows and mounding it where
crops will grow. The plant roots will have loose soil to start growing in.
The pro’s are it’s cheap while giving you some advantages of
raised beds. It can help where drainage isn’t ideal. It’s also easy to revert
this style of garden back to lawn or change the position of beds the following
year. You are able to incorporate soil amendments, fertilizers and water just
in the planting areas, which can save money and time. Mounded garden areas warm
up faster than in ground garden areas. It’s easy to see where things are
planted.
The cons are that mounds are a bit more work then just
planting in the ground and they may not look as nice as even rows in the ground
or raised beds. And in areas with heavy rains the soil mounds may be washed away,
especially early in the season.
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| Onions on mounds |
Raised beds
In my definition raised beds are “boxes” which sit on the
ground with an open bottom. They have a frame of some sort to hold soil. The
frame can be made of a number of materials from wood to plastic to cement
block. The beds should be no more than 4 feet wide, if they can be reached from
both sides, but as long as you desire.
If they can be accessed from only one side don’t make them wider than 2
feet.
Raised beds should be at least a foot deep but they can be
deep enough that you could sit on the edge comfortably. Remove sod from where
the boxes will be placed but you don’t need to till. Don’t put cardboard,
layers of newspaper or weed barrier cloth down on the existing soil before
filling the beds. This impedes drainage, root growth and the movement of
important soil microbes.
Raised beds are one of the best methods of gardening. They provide
a good, controlled environment for plant root growth, won’t need tilling or
digging and usually look nice. If food gardens are frowned upon in your neighborhood
a nice, neat raised bed garden with mulched paths might allow you to garden
without a fight.
Raised beds are great for those with limited mobility
especially if they are deep enough that a lot of bending isn’t necessary to
tend the garden. Paths can be made of a hard surface to accommodate wheelchairs
or other mobility aids.
In a raised bed once again, you can concentrate soil
amendments, fertilizer and water to just where the plants are growing. If you
have really poor soil the raised beds can be filled with a better soil
mixture. Raised beds warm up fast in the
spring and if drainage is a problem on your property a raised bed can allow you
to garden.
The cons are that good raised beds can be expensive if the
frame material has to be purchased. If you need to purchase soil or compost to
fill the beds that’s expensive too. It’s
a lot of work the first year to build and fill the beds, although for many
years to come that prep work will save you time and effort.
Containers
Containers are a lot like raised beds except containers don’t
have an open bottom in contact with the ground, they have a bottom. They must
have good drainage. You can use all kinds of things for containers, purchased
or recycled. You can even use “grow” bags. For things like tomatoes and
potatoes containers should be a minimum of 5 gallons, larger is better.
Containers allow you to grow food crops where you don’t have
access to ground, such as on a balcony or paved area. You can even grow crops
in containers inside, under grow lights. It’s sometimes easier to protect
plants in containers from animal pests or theft. And most containers can be
moved if needed.
The con’s of containers are that food production will be
limited. While many plant varieties have been developed for those who grow in
containers there are still some crops that just don’t do well in containers.
Corn, beans, vining crops like pumpkins and squash may have a few container
varieties but you won’t get much of a harvest from them. If you can put food
crops in the ground or a raised bed, choose that over containers.
Crops in containers can dry out quickly or get waterlogged. It’s
always good to raise the containers off the flooring a little to facilitate good
drainage. They may become too hot sitting on pavement or metal flooring and scorch.
It can be as much work to care for a few plants in containers as a small raised
bed garden that will be much more productive.
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| Some would call this a raised bed, but since it has a bottom, it's a container garden |
Hydroponic
Hydroponic gardening is done in water in special pots
without soil, they use another substance to anchor roots. The roots are either
flushed with water and nutrients several times a day or sit in special
solutions. Hydroponic gardening can be useful when crops must be grown indoors
but it is not a simple or inexpensive project.
Don’t jump into hydroponic gardening unless it’s on a very
small scale. You need to study intensively and start gradually. There’s a lot
of expense involved and a lot of tinkering and maintenance. For some people it’s
a great hobby and when you have the protected space for growing and capital to
get into it you can grow a lot of food (or medicine) this way.
Straw bale gardening
This is a “fad” in gardening. It’s not a good way to grow
food and should be used only in special circumstances. In this “style” of
gardening straw bales are soaked in a nutrient solution and plants are stuck in
them to grow. Sometimes they actually grow and produce a little food, but they
are messy, ugly and inefficient.
For more about straw bale gardening read this article.
Hugelkultur
This is another fad in gardening. The method may have served
some northern cultures dealing with permafrost fairly well but for most gardeners
it’s just not the best method to obtain good food production. Hugelkultur is
basically a raised bed in which the base is rotting wood piled up, usually cut brush
and junk wood. The wood is covered with soil and then planted. Sometimes there’s
a frame around the rotting junk, other times it’s just a mound.
The method does raise the garden off the ground and that
makes the soil drain better and warm faster. It can hide an undesirable brush
pile. But gradually as the wood decomposes the whole area will sink. A 4 feet
high pile of wood and soil will in a few years be a 2 feet high pile and in a
few more years a slight mound.
The rotting junk wood has spaces where animals like rats,
snakes and chipmunks can make fine homes. That may be good for them, not so
good for food production (unless the snakes eat the rodents). While rotting
wood will provide some nutrients to plants and eventually disintegrates into a
compost material it’s not the ideal way to feed plants.
Hugelkultur is often touted by people interested in the
environment and permaculture. It’s more of an experimental way of composting
than a good food producing idea.
Square foot gardening
Square foot gardening is an old idea, it can be done with
any method of gardening but is often done with raised beds. It’s simply eliminating
rows and planting crops quite closely, with the idea that this will shade out
weeds and give you more food per square foot.
With some crops like lettuce this method works quite well,
other crops like the vining crops, corn and larger root vegetables don’t like
the crowding. Every plant needs a
minimum amount of space around it. You don’t have to plant in straight rows you
can stagger plants in an area but do look up the minimum space requirements for
each type of plant and don’t crowd them.
Three sisters garden
This is a kind of Indian legend type of thing that’s more
modern myth than a factual ancient practice. Three sister’s gardens were
supposedly planted by Native Americans and consist of a round mound planted
with beans, corn and squash. Sometimes sunflowers are substituted for corn. In
this idea the corn or sunflowers provide support for the beans which fix
nitrogen for the corn and the squash shades the ground to cool it and the
prickly squash leaves deter pests.
Sounds good but if you ever tried the method you know it
doesn’t work that well. Frankly it’s a mess, one crop usually takes over and it’s
hard to weed and harvest. Believe me, I’ve used this method to interest kids in
gardening and it usually doesn’t work well, but in most cases the kids have
moved on to something else by harvest time. They do have fun planting such
gardens.
And if you ever did any research into indigenous agriculture
you will find little evidence that crops were grown this way. There might have
been some limited mixed crops in woodland culture agriculture, especially in
areas new to agriculture, and many native cultures planted crops on mounds.
But most Native Americans planted crops just like Europeans
did, in fields of one crop. They even knew to separate varieties of corn and
beans so they wouldn’t crossbreed. Squash was often planted at the edge of fields
and may have acted as an animal deterrent to some extent.
You can try the 3 sister’s method if you like but for good
production in food crops plant each of the mentioned crops in its own space.
You can intercrop some food plants among others to save space but generally
corn isn’t a good fit for that.
Sunflowers may actually inhibit the growth of some plants near them. For
example, you could have an early harvested crop like lettuce or scallions near
some squash plants when they are first planted and by the time the squash
plants are overtaking that space the other crops would be gone.
GOT CHICKENS? WANT CHICKENS?
Thinking about adding meat and eggs to your home-grown food
supply? Then you need to buy this book, the best book for raining chickens in
the backyard ever. It covers both egg and meat production in a way easy for
beginners to understand but there’s still valuable information for more
experienced chicken owners.
Tips for Choosing
Fruit Trees
In the spring gardeners are often looking at gardening
catalogs or stalking the aisles of nurseries looking for fruit trees. The
selection is often vast- especially in catalogs, so how do you choose the fruit
trees right for your landscape? There are many decisions to be made so here’s a
quick guide to help you choose. This article is not about citrus or tropical
fruits.
First before buying any fruit trees make sure you have a
suitable spot for them. All fruit trees
require a full sun position in well-drained soil. You can amend soil that is
low in nutrients, but fruit trees will not grow where the soil stays wet for
long periods of time.
Second decide on how much room you can devote to fruit
trees. You can grow fruit in the front yard or close to the house but there is
some mess involved with fruit production, and fruit trees pruned for good
production are not as ornamental as other trees. But it’s a good idea not to
have the trees too far from the house in rural and suburban areas, where deer
and other animals are a problem. You will be better able to protect the trees
and their crops if they are away from the edges of woods and close to your
home.
Each standard sized fruit tree will need 25 feet between it
and the next tree in all directions. Each semi-dwarf tree will need 10-15 feet
of space in all directions, depending on variety and species. True dwarf trees
can be espaliered against a fence or planted as closely as 5-8 feet apart. Some
dwarf fruit trees can be grown in tubs but in northern areas these can pose a
problem in winters. To keep the roots from being killed the tubs may need to be
buried in the winter or moved to another location where temperatures are cool
enough to satisfy dormancy requirements (about 40 F) but not cold enough to
kill the root system in an above ground pot.
Next you need to decide what species of fruit you can grow
in your planting zone. Most apples and
many pears and cherries will grow in planting zones 4-7. Peaches, nectarines, apricots and plums are a
little less hardy. Some will grow in planting zones 5, a few even in 4, but
most do best in zones 6-8. Of course, northern gardeners (zones lower than 8)
will not be able to grow citrus in the ground.
And those in planting zones 8 and above have to search for
apples and other fruits that have a low dormancy or chilling requirement. Some
fruit varieties will not set fruit if the winter temperatures are too warm. Once
you have become interested in a certain fruit variety make sure to check the
zone hardiness which should be given in the catalog description or plant tag.
Pollination requirements are another factor you need to
consider when choosing fruit trees. Apples, pears, sweet cherries, and some
plums and one or two varieties of peaches or apricots need two trees of
different varieties nearby to make fruit. Sour or pie cherries, and most
peaches, nectarines and apricots will self- pollinate- you don’t need two
trees.
This pollination requirement may figure in when you have
limited space to grow fruit trees. Nearby usually means within 500 feet. If a
neighbor has a similar fruit tree you may not need another for pollination. For
apple pollination some ornamental crabapples or wild trees growing along
roadsides can provide pollination. (The fruit will not be affected by this
cross pollination.)
Two trees of the same variety of apples, sweet cherries, and
plums or even closely related varieties will not pollinate each other. That means you should not plant two McIntosh
apples if there are no other apple tree varieties nearby. Read catalog
descriptions to get an idea of what tree varieties will pollinate each
other. As a tip, Golden Delicious apples
are good pollinators for almost all apple varieties. Gala and Red Delicious pollinate each other,
Red Delicious and McIntosh are also compatible, HoneyCrisp and CandyCrisp can
be pollinated by Jonathan or Gala apples.
Bartlett pears are good pollinators for most other
pears. Any two different pears will
generally pollinate each other. European
type plums like Damson and prune plums do not need another pollinator but
Japanese type plums do. Pie type cherries are generally self- pollinating and
one variety of sweet cherry called Stella
is also self- pollinating. Sweet cherries can also be pollinated by tart cherries;
you may want one of each. Pawpaws need two varieties to set fruit. Persimmons are self-pollinating.
You don’t need two trees of the same mature size for
pollination- if you don’t have room for 2 semi-dwarf apple trees for instance-
you could plant a dwarf variety and a semi-dwarf of another variety. Or for apples, maybe you could plant a small
ornamental crabapple in another location in the landscape.
Should you buy your fruit tree potted or bare root? Potted trees are generally found at local
nurseries. These may be large and
attractive looking if they have been well cared for, but the selection of
varieties will be small. Buying bare root fruit trees by mail or online will
allow you to choose from a wide selection of trees, including heirloom
types.
Bare root trees will catch up quickly to potted trees if
they are planted soon after they arrive and are well cared for. They may even
be healthier than potted trees that have sat around for a while. Even larger sized
trees can be sent bare root while dormant by mail.
The size of the tree and the age of the tree will determine
how soon you get fruit. Size means both whether the tree is dwarf, semi-dwarf
or standard in height when it is mature and what size it is when you buy it. Most
people will find semi-dwarf trees are the easiest to care for and they bear quicker
than standard size trees.
Some types of semi-dwarf fruit trees will get 20 feet high,
but they can be pruned to remain lower. Standard trees may get 40 feet in
height in old age. Peaches, nectarines and apricots tend to be smaller trees
even if standard size is selected. Dwarf trees usually remain below 10 feet in
height. Except in very restrained space conditions it’s generally better to
select semi-dwarf trees. Dwarf trees bear small crops and they often have
trouble supporting those crops. They tend to break under wind and snow loads
more easily.
If you want fruit quickly, buy the largest (most mature)
size fruit trees you can. Some places sell trees by trunk diameter, others by
their height. But larger size generally means the tree is older and will start
bearing fruit earlier. Larger sized and older trees cost a little more, but
since fruit trees take from 3-5 years to even begin bearing fruit, sometimes
longer for standard trees, buying trees that are 2-3 years old or more will get
production going faster. Some places sell “selected” fruit trees. These are
usually large and well branched for their age. They may make your wait for
fruit shorter if you can afford them.
Beware of people advertising seeds or seedling fruit trees. Fruit
trees are almost always propagated from cuttings grafted on to root stock. Seeds
of most fruit trees do not come true and will not bear the same type of fruit
the parents had. It’s impossible to tell what kind of fruit a seedling will
have until it starts producing and by then a lot of time has gone by.
Don’t go to the store and buy apples (or other fruits) and
save the seed to plant. You’ll get trees but the type of fruit you get will
vary considerably and probably won’t be very good. Don’t buy seeds or seedlings
unless you don’t mind a long wait for fruit and enjoy surprises.
If you want to grow your fruit trees with minimal spraying
of pesticides look for varieties that say they are disease resistant. Most of these are newer varieties and there
are more apple varieties in this category than other fruits. Keep in mind that
they are disease resistant, not disease free.
Almost all fruit trees can be managed organically but how the fruit
looks and how big your harvest is can vary by your management techniques. It
helps to start with disease resistant trees.
The variety or “flavor” of a fruit type is a personal choice
based on your taste and needs as long as it’s suitable for your space and
climate. Read up on what uses the
variety is good for, like fresh eating or canning. You may want to purchase
different types of fruit at the market and do a taste test, keeping in mind
that fresh off the tree the fruit will probably taste better. You may want to
ask other gardeners what they like and what grows well in your area. This may
be the hardest decision you’ll make because there are hundreds of varieties of
common fruits.
Another
activity for kids- the pantry
Are the kids bored, you need an educational activity for
them to do and you have a full pantry right now? Here’s an idea.
Have the kids inventory the pantry. Let them take everything out, count it and
write down what it is. They can sort and organize it too if it’s needed. For
older kids take it a little further. Ask them to add up the pounds or ounces or
gallons of the various foods you have. They can check the serving size, and
either using the box label or charts you can look up on online or find in some
cookbooks, figure out how many meals for the family the pantry contains. Have
them convert ounces to cups. Or pints and quarts to gallons. (Reading, math, reasoning,)
If the food item needs additional items to make a dish, such
as eggs for a cake mix, milk for scalloped potatoes, and so on, ask them to
calculate how much of those items will need to be on hand to use the foods.
Have them check the expiration dates on food and see what should be used first
and if the item is likely to be used up before it expires at the rate in which
your family consumes it. (Reading and
Math)
You can also extend the lesson by asking them to read food
labels and identify which foods seem the healthiest. Which have more added
sugar or salt? They can look up the
terms on the box or bag and define them. They can look up chemical additives on
the package and then research what they are used for and what their safety
risks might be, if any. (Reading, research,
science, writing)
To go further you can ask them to research how a certain
food is grown and/or produced. For example, what crops produce sugar and how
are they grown and turned into sugar? How is cocoa powder made? Canola oil?
Spam? You could ask them to write about how things like toilet paper are made
or aluminum foil.
(research, reading, science, writing, maybe some history)
You’ll know more about your pantry and your kids will know
more about their food and how it’s produced plus they may learn some food
science and nutrition.
Cinnamon Rolls or Bread plus dinner
roll variation
This cinnamon roll or bread recipe takes a little time and
you must pay attention to details but it’s well worth the effort. This sweeter
dough also makes good dinner rolls and the variation for making them will be
given.
Until you get familiar with the recipe and have made it a
few times use a candy or meat thermometer to test the temperature of the water
and milk in the recipe. If they are too hot or too cold the bread won’t rise
correctly.
To knead dough, sprinkle a little flour on your hands and
use a folding motion and pulling motion to work the dough. Add just a tiny bit
of flour if it is really sticky. The dough should rise in a moderately warm
place out of drafts covered with a paper towel. If your house is cold and
drafty turn your oven to 200 degrees and let it heat for 5 minutes while you
make the dough. Turn off the oven after
5 minutes and let it sit 10 minutes or so while you finish the recipe then put
the bowl of dough in the oven to rise.
Yield 3-4 dozen rolls depending on size or 2 loaves
Cinnamon rolls- Ingredients
1 pkg. active dry yeast
1/4 cup of warm water (105-115 degrees)
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup of evaporated milk warmed to 105-115 degrees
1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick) melted and cooled
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
3½ to 4 cups flour
Filling
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1/2 cup soft butter or margarine
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
Directions
Put the warm water in a small bowl, stir in 1 teaspoon of
the sugar, and sprinkle the yeast over the top. Set this aside for about 10
minutes, until the yeast begins to look foamy.
In a large bowl put the warm milk, the rest of the sugar,
butter, oil and salt. Beat this until
smooth with an electric mixer.
Gradually beat in one cup of flour.
Add the yeast mixture to the large bowl and mix well. Beat on low speed for about 2 minutes.
Blend in 2 cups of flour, one at a time. The dough will start
to get stiff. Mix in enough additional
flour to make a soft dough. (You’ll need about a 1/2 cup more flour.) If you
are using a hand mixer you may need to finish the dough by mixing flour in with
your hands.
Let the dough sit 10 minutes in the bowl.
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. If it is still sticky work in a little more
flour. Knead dough for about 3 minutes, until it is smooth and elastic feeling.
Make the dough into a ball and place it in a large clean
bowl that has been sprayed with cooking spray.
Lightly spray the top of the ball with cooking spray and cover the bowl
with a paper towel.
Let the dough rise in a warm spot for about an hour until it
is doubled in size. Push the dough down
and let it sit 10 minutes.
While you are waiting make the filling by blending together
the sugar, butter and cinnamon in a small bowl. It should become a soft paste.
Turn the dough out of the bowl onto a floured surface. Pat or
roll it out to a rectangle about 8 inches long by 12 inches wide, dough should
be about an inch thick.
Spread the filling evenly over the surface of the dough to
about a 1/2 inch from the edges. Sprinkle on the chopped nuts.
Roll the dough up, starting from one of the long sides.
Spray baking pans with cooking spray. If you want cinnamon rolls slice the dough
roll into rounds about 1½ inch thick.
Arrange rolls in pans about an inch apart. For cinnamon bread cut the
dough in half. Place each loaf in the
pan with the seam down. Lightly spray the top of the loaf with cooking
spray.
Let the dough rise about an hour, until it has nearly
doubled in size again.
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Rolls need about 15 minutes to
bake. Bake bread for about 30 minutes. The bread or rolls will look slightly
browned and pull away from the pan sides when done. You can stick a meat
thermometer inside the loaf- 180 degrees means it’s done.
Remove the bread or rolls from the pan within a few minutes
and let it cool on a rack or plate. Let bread or rolls cool before cutting or
frosting. See frosting recipe below. Make sure bread or rolls are completely
cool before wrapping for storage.
Cream Cheese Frosting
(optional)
1- 3 oz pkg. cream cheese softened
2 tablespoons butter, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
small amount of milk- 1-2 teaspoons
Blend the cream cheese and butter in a bowl with electric
mixer, gradually beating in the powdered sugar. If the mixture is too stiff to spread
add a tiny bit of milk at a time and blend well.
Dinner rolls
variation
If you like a slightly sweet dinner roll this recipe will
work for you. Simply make the bread dough using the recipe above. You will not need the filling ingredients. The
recipe will make 3-4 dozen rolls depending on size.
After the dough has risen the first time, push it down, let
it rest 10 minutes then divide it into small balls. For large rolls make about
a 2 inch ball, make a smaller ball for smaller rolls. Set the dough balls about
2 inches apart on greased cookie sheets. Spray tops of dough balls with cooking
spray or brush with melted butter. Allow rolls to rise until doubled, about an
hour.
Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees. Bake the rolls for about 10 minutes, until
golden brown.
This yeast bread recipe sounds complicated but once you
master the steps you’ll be able to put it together quickly, while you do other
things around the house. Plan on about 4 hours total from start to finish.
Spring makes its own statement, so loud and clear that
the gardener seems to be only one of his instruments, not the
composer.
Geoffrey Charlesworth
Kim Willis
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permission.
And So On….
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