| How to Pick Tomatoes Posted: 19 Jul 2018 05:00 PM PDT There's nothing like the flavor of a tomato that's fresh from the garden, whether you're eating it by itself or using it in a delicious recipe. To get the most out of your home-grown tomatoes, it's important to pick them at the right time and in the right way. You can either pick tomatoes when they're fully ripe or you can harvest them at first blush and allow them to ripen inside. EditChecking for Ripeness - Research your variety to find out what color your tomatoes should be. Although most tomatoes turn bright red when they're ripe, some varieties can be orange, green, yellow, pink, or purple. Be sure you know what variety your tomatoes are so you'll know what color they'll be when they're ripe.[1]
- If you start your tomatoes from seeds, you could either check your seed packet or ask the person who giving you the seeds to find out what color your ripe tomatoes will be.
- If you buy seedlings, make sure you know the variety of tomato you are buying so you'll know what color to expect.
- Check your tomatoes for ripeness every 1-2 days. Tomatoes can ripen quickly, so make sure you're keeping a close eye on them. Every day or two, visit your tomato plants to look for a change in color.[2]
- Examine your tomatoes to make sure the skin is smooth and shiny. Ripe tomatoes have smooth, slightly shiny skin. Your tomatoes should be free of any dark spots or bruising, which can indicate rot.[3]
- Gently squeeze your tomatoes to test for firmness. A ripe tomato will be slightly firm. If it's too hard, it probably needs more time to ripen. If it's too soft, it's probably over-ripe and should be picked and thrown away.[4]
- Test the weight of the tomato in your hand. As a tomato ripens, it becomes heavier. Try cupping an unripe tomato in one hand and a tomato you think may be ripe in the other. The ripe tomato should be noticeably more dense.[5]
- Check the smell. A ripe tomato should have an earthy, sweet smell at the stem. If the tomato has a slightly tart aroma (or no smell at all) it's probably not ripe yet.[6]
EditHarvesting Ripe Tomatoes - Carefully grasp your ripe tomato and gently twist it away from the stem. When it's time to harvest, gently take the tomato in one hand. Don't squeeze too hard, or you'll damage the fruit. Most ripe tomatoes will easily free themselves from their vine with a gentle twist. Try to snap the stalk just above the flower-shaped leaf on top, known as the calyx.[7]
- Use garden scissors to snip the vine if it doesn't snap off easily. Some varieties of tomatoes may have a thicker stalk, and you might not want to grasp delicate varieties like heirloom tomatoes hard enough to twist the stem. If this is the case, use garden scissors to cut the stalk, leaving just a little of the stem attached.[8]
- Harvest your tomatoes before they are ripe if they are cracking. If you notice you are having a problem with your tomatoes cracking at the stem, you can try harvesting them just as they begin to change color and allow them to ripen indoors.[9]
- Tomatoes that ripen off the vine tend not to have as much flavor as those which are vine-ripened.
- Pull the plant up by its roots to ripen tomatoes before a frost. Tomatoes should be harvested before the first frost, but there are usually still some unripened fruits left on the plant. If a cold snap is coming and you want to save the last of your tomatoes, pull the entire plant up by its roots and hang it upside down in a basement or a garage. You can them pick the fruits as they ripen.[10]
EditStoring Your Tomatoes - Store your tomatoes in a cabinet or on a shaded countertop. If you set your tomatoes on a sunny windowsill, they may ripen too quickly and spoil before you can eat them. Keep them out of direct sunlight by placing them in a cupboard or in a shady spot on the counter instead. Try putting your tomatoes on a pretty plate to enjoy their bright color until you use them.
- Fresh tomatoes will last for about a week on the counter.
- Place tomatoes in a paper bag with a banana to ripen them faster. If you picked your tomatoes before they were ripe, you can help them ripen faster by placing them in a brown paper bag. Add a banana or a sliced apple to the bag. These fruits produce ethylene gas, which is a chemical that tomatoes produce during the ripening process.[11]
- Don't refrigerate ripe tomatoes unless you have to. Refrigeration will prolong the life of your tomatoes, but it also alters their fresh flavor and texture. Try to use as many of your tomatoes as you can without refrigerating them.[12]
- If you do refrigerate your tomatoes, put them in the crisper to preserve their taste longer.
- Tomatoes should last for about 2 weeks in the refrigerator.
- Freeze tomatoes whole to use later. If you want to preserve your tomatoes for use later in sauces or soups, try freezing them whole. Just take the core out, then place the tomatoes in a freezer-safe bag or container. There's no need to remove the skins, as these will slip off easily when you defrost the tomatoes.[13]
- Frozen tomatoes will keep for up to 6 months in the freezer. To defrost the tomatoes, allow them to sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes.[14]
- Do not leave discarded tomatoes in your garden, as this can attract pests and spread disease.
- Remove diseased or misshapen tomatoes from the vine and discard them to prevent any diseases or pest infestations from spreading.
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| How to Heal a Hyperextended Elbow Posted: 19 Jul 2018 09:00 AM PDT You've pushed your elbow beyond its limits, literally! While this is undoubtedly a painful experience, a hyperextended elbow can usually heal with some rest and ice. Generally, hyperextending your elbow causes a sprain, which is the stretching or tearing of a ligament. It can also tear the cartilage that covers the joint, known as the articular capsule, but that is rarer.[1] Start by applying ice and seeing your doctor if you hear a "popping" sound. EditDealing with the Initial Hyperextension - Apply ice immediately to the injured area. When you overextend your elbow, you'll know it because of the pain. When you injure your elbow, apply an ice pack wrapped in a cloth as soon as you can. Leave it on for 10-20 minutes at a time, as it can keep the swelling down. Never apply the ice directly to your skin. Make sure there's a cloth between the ice and your elbow at all times.[2]
- Elevate your elbow above your heart. Set your elbow up on a high table while you sit, or sit on the ground and place it on a chair or couch cushion. Elevating your elbow both as you ice and after will help prevent and relieve swelling.
- Wrap an elastic bandage around your elbow. Hold the end of the bandage against the inside of your elbow and wrap it tightly around the injury to provide compression. This will hinder movement in your elbow, allowing it to heal. Loosen the bandage if it becomes painful or makes you lose feeling in your arm.
- This bandage wrap is typically tan in color and is sold in a roll. Look for it in the first aid section of convenience stores.
- Rest your elbow while it heals. Keep your elbow as still as possible while it's injured. The bandage should help with this, immobilizing your elbow to help it heal and prevent re-injury. Keep it wrapped as much as possible, and avoid moving it as much as you can.
- Visit the doctor if you hear a "pop." While not every sprain needs to be seen by a doctor, you should visit your doctor if you heard a popping sound when your elbow hyperextended. That could mean your ligament tore rather than just stretched. The doctor will take an x-ray to check for fractures and an MRI to check the tissue, including the ligaments.[3]
- Take over-the-counter pain medications if you're in pain. You can take acetaminophen or ibuprofen, for instance, to help you cope with the initial pain. If these aren't helping after a day or 2, talk to your doctor about a prescription.[4]
- For ibuprofen, you can take 400 milligrams every 4 to 6 hours or so. Do not exceed 3200 milligrams in a 24-hour period.[5]
- For acetaminophen, you can take 650 to 1,000 milligrams every 4 to 6 hours. Don't exceed 4,000 milligrams in a 24-hour period. If you're taking extra strength, don't go over 3,000 milligrams in a 24-hour period.[6]
EditImmobilizing the Sprain - Use a sling for your sprain. Your doctor may recommend that you wear a sling to help keep your arm immobile for a time. You may need to wear the sling for a couple of weeks until the sprain heals.[7]
- A sling will immobilize your elbow at a right-angle and hold it next to your body.
- Ask about a cast for a more serious sprain. If you have a more serious sprain, your doctor may recommend a cast or splint instead of a sling. These solutions will keep the elbow even more immobile than a sling, and you may need to wear 1 of them for up to 3 weeks.[8]
- Try taping your elbow if you need to be more active. If you're an athlete, you may decide to keep using your elbow, even against doctor's wishes. If you do, you can stabilize your elbow using medical/athletic tape to help prevent overextension again.[9]
- Have your doctor show you the best way to tape your arm to keep it immobile.
EditProviding Further Treatment - Let the elbow rest. The sling, cast, or tape should help you rest the arm for the first few days. However, make sure you aren't doing things that cause pain or discomfort in your arm. You risk re-injuring your elbow if you do too much.[10]
- Use ice on your elbow during the recovery period. Ice can help with swelling and pain. You can apply ice 3 to 4 times a day. Don't keep it on longer than 20 minutes. Also, make sure to wrap the ice in cloth. Putting ice directly on your skin can cause damage.[11]
- Apply a compression bandage to help with swelling. Wrapping your arm in an elastic bandage can help keep swelling down. In addition, it can reduce pain. An elastic bandage will likely only work in conjunction with a sling, as a cast or tape will apply their own compression.[12]
- Elevate your elbow above heart level. When your elbow is below your heart, gravity encourages more blood flow to the area. When your elbow is injured, that can lead to increased swelling. To help prevent this issue, rest your elbow on pillows so that it's above your heart.[13]
- Elevate your elbow as often as you can, particularly when you're asleep.
- Ask about surgery for severe sprains and torn articular capsules. In some cases, you may need to have surgery to repair the damage done to your elbow. However, in most cases, the doctor will only perform surgery if you also have a severe strain in the muscle rather than just a sprain in the ligament.[14]
- The doctor may also suggest surgery for a torn articular capsule.
- Discuss physical therapy with your doctor. In some cases, physical therapy may be appropriate in helping you heal from this injury. Your doctor is the best person to make this decision. A physical therapist can teach you exercises to help strengthen your elbow, for instance.[15]
EditAvoiding Common Irritants - Skip heat for the first 3 days. Heat may sound like a good idea on a sprain, but it may actually do more harm than good. Avoid using heat sources like saunas, hot baths, or hot pads while your elbow is healing.[16]
- Avoid alcohol. Drinking alcohol can slow down your healing process. Plus, it increases bleeding, which can make swelling worse. While it may be tempting to deaden the pain by drinking a bit, it's best to skip it for the first 3 days or so.[17]
- Don't massage the area. When you get an injury, you may want to massage it to try to make it feel better. However, that can make swelling and bleeding worse, so try to skip it for the first 3 days or so.[18]
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| How to Play a Tambourine Posted: 19 Jul 2018 01:00 AM PDT Tambourines can be played alongside a variety of musical genres, from orchestral to pop to everything in between. If you want to learn a simple and versatile instrument, the tambourine might be the right fit for you. Although playing this instrument can be straightforward, learning the right techniques for holding and striking a tambourine will improve your overall sound. Paired with good timekeeping skills, your tambourine can add the perfect musical accent to any song. EditHolding a Tambourine - Hold the tambourine with your non-dominant hand. If you are left-handed, for example, place the tambourine in your right hand (or vice versa). Because most people have less control over their non-dominant hand, it will be put to better use holding the instrument than striking it.[1]
- Wrap your four fingers around the tambourine's frame. Rest your thumb against either the tambourine head or across the top edge to keep it out of the way.[2]
- Try not to put your fingers on the tambourine's metal cymbals, or zils, as this can muffle the sound.
- Strike the tambourine with your dominant hand. Hit the tambourine with your four fingertips or with a stick held in your dominant hand, which will give you a wider range of control as you play with the tambourine.[3]
- Keep your grip loose. Putting too much pressure on the tambourine's frame can limit its volume. If you feel your hand tightening, relax your grip as much as possible.[4]
EditPracticing Striking Techniques - Try a standard strike. Hold your four dominant fingers together and hit the head of the tambourine in the top or bottom third of the tambourine. Play a simple standard strike to whatever beat or rhythm the accompanying music requires.[5]
- Striking the tambourine in the center usually produces a muddled tone.
- Beat a snare drumstick against the tambourine for a louder sound. Hold the tambourine in your non-dominant hand and hit the head with a snare drumstick. Use more pressure while you hit the head for a louder sound and vice versa for softer.[6]
- Do a thumb roll for a continuous sound instead of a rhythm. Hold the tambourine at a slight angle from horizontal, and curl your four dominant fingers into a fist. Press your thumb against the tambourine's head and drag it in a circular motion. This should cause the zils, or metal cymbals, to make a sustained jingling sound.[7]
- Use a shake roll for longer periods of time than a thumb roll. Thumb rolls are ideal for short jingling sounds but, if you need something longer than a few seconds, a shake roll will work better. Hold the tambourine vertically in front of you and twist it back and forth with your non-dominant hand. Shake it as quickly or as slowly as you want depending on the rhythm you're trying to achieve.[8]
EditMaking or Supplementing Music - Practice transitioning between striking techniques. Depending on the song's rhythm, you may need to rotate between several different striking methods in a song. Practice going from one technique to another quickly so that if a song calls for several different tones or rhythms, you can match it with the right roll or strike.[9]
- Play as much of the rhythm as possible on one hand. While using two hands may seem useful for complex songs, it can mess with your timing. Avoid switching the tambourine back and forth between your hands for the clearest rhythm.[10]
- Strike your tambourine against your knee when playing fast rhythms. If you're playing along to a fast song, hold the tambourine in your non-dominant hand and prop your foot on something that puts your thigh parallel to the floor, like a box or stepping stool. Strike your knee or thigh with the tambourine's shell (back side) while you play a tempo with your dominant hand.[11]
- This helps make the tambourine strike louder and more pronounced.
- Play to the beat of the percussion if you don't know when to play. If you're trying to play along to a song you didn't write, listen for a drum, triangle, cymbal, or other percussion instruments, and try striking your tambourine to the same beat.
- When in doubt, this is a safe way to make sure you're playing to the right beat.
EditUsing a Tambourine to Keep Time - Train yourself to identify time signatures. Developing a good ear for tempos will help you beat out the same rhythms on your tambourine. Listen to common music time signatures while reading the accompanying sheet music to learn how different tempos affect musical notes.
- Record yourself to assess your current time keeping skills. Choose a time signature (like 4/4 or 6/8) and try to beat your tambourine to the rhythm while recording yourself. Listen to the recording and make a mental assessment of your abilities. Ask yourself the following questions:[12]
- "Did I hurry or slow down too much at any parts?"
- "How even was my rhythm?"
- "If I compared this to a metronome beating at the same time signature, how would it compare?"
- Practice keeping accurate time with a metronome. A metronome can help guide you through a tempo and train you to play an even rhythm. Set your metronome to a specific time signature and strike your tambourine along to the beat. As you improve on keeping time with your metronome, set your metronome to increasingly complex time signatures.[13]
- If you don't have a metronome, download a metronome app on your phone.
- Play along to song recordings. Choose a recording with a time signature you're having trouble with and try to accompany the song with your tambourine. A song already featuring a tambourine is ideal to start with because you can compare your timekeeping skills to the tambourine recording. As your rhythm improves, progress to songs without tambourines and add your own beats as you see fit.
- Take tambourine lessons from a musician to improve your technique on a professional level.
- Play the tambourine if you want an instrument with plenty of genre variety. Tambourines can be played alongside pop, rock, folk, marching, classical, and many other musical styles.[14]
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