| How to Brine Chicken Breast Posted: 06 Apr 2022 09:00 AM PDT Chicken is great all-purpose meat, but it can dry out easily when you cook it. Keep your chicken from drying out by brining it first. A good brine not only adds flavor to lean meats like chicken breasts, but also helps keep it juicy no matter how you cook it. Make a brine by dissolving salt, sugar, and seasonings in water and allow your chicken to sit in the mixture for a little while. Then, cook it to your liking. [Edit]Making a Basic Brine - Dissolve four tablespoons of salt into a quart of water. A brine, at its most basic level, is nothing more than salt dissolved in water. Different people like different ratios of salt in water, but a good ratio to start with is four tablespoons (about 60 grams) of salt for each quart (0.95 liters) of water. Add the salt to hot water and stir it until it has dissolved completely.[1]
- Generally, brines call for a coarse salt such as sea salt or kosher salt. Table salt will work, but you will need about a quarter less the amount of salt per quart.[2]
- A quart is enough to brine about one and a half pounds (680 g) of chicken.[3]
- Add two tablespoons of sugar. Not all brines require sugar, but it's a good idea for chicken. Sugar will help the outside of your chicken breasts brown and caramelize better when they cook. While your brine water is still warm, add about two tablespoons (30 g) of brown sugar to your brine, and stir until the sugar is fully dissolved.[4]
- Alternatively, other sweeteners like honey, agave syrup or maple syrup can be used within your brine.[5]
- Season your brine with pepper, lemon juice, garlic, and herbs. The exact seasoning you use will depend on what flavors you want in your chicken, but many brines have a few basic seasonings. You can use a combination of fresh or dried herbs, garlic, spices, and peppercorns.[6] A teaspoon (5 g) of black peppercorns, two to four peeled and smashed cloves of garlic, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, and a bay leaf per quart of water will add some subtle flavor to your chicken.[7]
- Flavor your brine. Some brines should be flavored instead of seasoned. If you want your chicken to have a particular flavor once it is cooked, such as honey butter or hot and spicy, you can start building that flavor in your brine. There are a number of brine recipes in books and online to help you find your perfect flavor.[8]
[Edit]Enhancing Your Brine - Make a honey butter brine. For a sweet brine perfect for honey butter chicken, use the standard water to salt ratio. Instead of sugar, swap in an equal amount of honey. Season with whole peppercorns and fresh herbs such as thyme and rosemary to your liking.[9]
- Add a spicy flavor to your brine. Make a spicy brine by adding two to three seeded jalapeno or habanero peppers and a dash of smoked paprika to your basic water, sugar, and salt brine, along with garlic cloves and peppercorns to taste.[10]
- Brine your chicken using beer. If you are going to roast your chicken, make a standard brine but substitute one cup (237 ml) of stout beer in your solution. Add a couple dashes of Worcestershire sauce and use maple syrup or molasses instead of sugar in equal parts.[11]
- Cool the brine before adding in the chicken. Never add a warm brine to your chicken. That creates a perfect environment for bacteria to thrive. Allow your brine to cool until it is room temperature, or pop it in the fridge to cool it off faster. Alternatively, you can also add ice to cool the brine down quicker.[12]
[Edit]Adding Chicken to the Brine - Trim fat and tendons off your chicken. You can put your chicken in a brine fresh or frozen. Before you brine, though, prepare your breasts by trimming away any fat or tendons. Fat is typically a white or creamy color and will be around the edges of the breast, while tendons will be tough, reddish spots.[13]
- Put your chicken in a pan or bag. You can put your chicken in either a large, shallow pan or a sealable bag to brine. If you choose to put your chicken in a pan, lay the breasts out side-by-side, making sure they do not overlap.[14]
- Add your brine. Pour your brine into your container over your chicken. There should be enough brine to completely submerge your chicken. Seal your bag and roll it lightly to get your brine into all areas of the chicken. If your meat is in a pan or dish, cover it with foil or cling wrap.
- Put your chicken in the refrigerator and allow it to rest in the brine. The longer your chicken rests, the juicier and more flavorful it will be when you cook. Brine your chicken for an hour for every pound of meat.
- Larger chicken breasts or large quantities of chicken may be brined overnight to get the best flavor and texture.
- You can quickly brine your chicken by splitting it up into half-pound (227 g) servings and letting each one soak in their own dish or bag for one and a half to two hours.[15]
- Remove your chicken and pat it dry. Once you brined your chicken, remove it and let it rest on a plate for at least five minutes. This allows the excess juices to drain off your chicken breasts. Then, use a paper towel and gently pat away any excess moisture from the breast's surface.[16]
- Some people choose to rinse their chicken after brining it. This helps keep the chicken juicy and leaves a more mild flavor.
[Edit]Cooking Your Brined Chicken - Grill chicken immediately out of the brine. Grilling brined chicken gives the meat a crispy outside and a tender, juicy inside. Cook your chicken on medium-high heat of 375 to 450°F (190 to 230°C) until the outside of your chicken is golden-brown and the inside is up to a temperature of 165° Fahrenheit (75° Celsius).[17]
- Working over direct heat, chicken breasts can cook quickly. There is no set time for grilling chicken, though. Just be sure to check the inside and make sure it is cooked fully.
- Bake tender chicken breasts. Baked chicken often comes out dry. Brined chicken, though, typically comes out juicy and tender after the baking process. Preheat your oven to 450°F (230°C) and season the chicken with salt, pepper, and other seasonings to taste. Then, place the breasts in a greased dish and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, or until your chicken reaches 165°F (74°C) internally.[18]
- You can use a meat thermometer to monitor the internal temperature of your chicken. If the outside is cooking too fast, turn the temperature down to 400°F (204°C).
- Fry your chicken. Much like baking, frying can dry out chicken. Brining helps keep the breasts tender. Batter the chicken in your favorite batter and deep fry in oil that has been heated to about 350°F (176.6°C) for five to seven minutes on each side, depending upon the thickness of your cuts.[19]
[Edit]References [Edit]Quick Summary |
| How to Grow Bell Peppers Posted: 06 Apr 2022 01:00 AM PDT Bell peppers (Capsicum annuum) can be a delicious addition to any dish. If you or your family eats a lot of bell peppers, consider growing your own! You can grow bell peppers from seeds, or you can purchase transplants. Either way, you will have soon delicious, homegrown bell peppers that you can be proud of. [Edit]Growing Bell Peppers from Seed - Consider growing bell peppers from seed. While a number of garden centers sell specimens ready for transplanting, bell peppers are relatively easy to grow from seed. Although green, red, yellow, and orange are the most common colors, gardeners also have the option of growing dark brown and purple pepper varieties.
- Some fast ripening varieties can produce fruit in as little as two months but others may need over three months before they begin to flower.
- Choose a starting time depending on your local climate. Most bell pepper plants should be started indoors about two months before the frost-free date. Southern gardeners, and gardeners in warm climates with a lengthy growing season, may choose to wait and start their plants outside instead. However, this will naturally affect how soon the plants start producing fruit.
- Plant the seeds in a light-layer of soil. The bell pepper seeds will need to be lightly covered with soil, then watered. The seedlings should make an appearance within a week or two.
- Ensure that the seeds are warm enough. Bell pepper seeds do need a warm period in order to germinate. Plant them in the warm season. By doing this, you can provide bell peppers the right temperature and enough sunlight.[1] Ambient air temperatures of over 80° Fahrenheit (26.6° Celsius) and slightly warmer soil temperatures are recommended for good results.
- Seeds that are slow to sprout may benefit from the use of heating mats.
- Gardeners should note that the plants will not sprout at all if temperatures are below 55° Fahrenheit (12.7° C).
- Try to prevent the seedlings from growing too tall and spindly. Seedlings grown indoors need strong light to keep them from becoming tall and spindly. Bad growth at a young stage can affect their overall health and lead to floppy transplants.
- If this is the case no matter what you do, these tiny seedlings can be staked using thin bamboo or wood skewers and tied in place using plain string.
- Harden off indoor seedlings before re-planting outdoors. In areas where pepper plants cannot be directly started outdoors, it is a good idea to harden them off once temperatures are regularly over 60° Fahrenheit (15.5° C) at night.
- Replant the seedlings into containers once they have grown their first true leaves. Bell peppers do well in containers. They can reach up to in height and width, so gardeners should select a pot that measures about in depth to keep them from being overcrowded.
- Ensure that the seedlings are exposed to the correct growing conditions. These plants require full sun growing conditions and well-drained, fertile soil. They are relatively drought resistant if they are not grown in very small pots.
- Bell peppers can grow well around tomatoes, carrots, eggplants, corns, and cucumbers. Do not plant them near cabbage-related or apricot-related plants because they may develop some fungal disease that may affect their life cycle.[2]
[Edit]Caring for Bell Peppers - Use black plastic or mulch to control weeds. The former material is also a good way to speed pepper growth in cool climate areas.
- Gardeners in warm climates will want to stick to mulch because it helps conserve moisture and protects the plants' roots from hot temperatures.
- Fertilize the bell pepper plants. These plants benefit from an addition of slow release granular fertilizer, such as Osmocote, or organic varieties, like those made with fish meal or alfalfa.
- However, if one has leafy green plants and no peppers, gardeners should probably cut back on the nitrogen fertilizer.[3] This element is known for producing lush, fruitless plants.
- Wait for the bell peppers to ripen before picking. Almost all bell peppers start off green and eventually ripen to the desired color in about two weeks, though some types can take as long as a month for the right color to develop.
- Tall varieties may need to be staked to support the fruit and keep the plants from falling over while the fruit grows and ripens.
- Protect the bell pepper plant from sudden drops in temperature. Wire cages wrapped with plastic were mentioned in Mother Earth News article the author read as a good way to insulate tomato seedlings against sudden drops in temperature. Another way to prevent seedling from getting too cold is to use bell jars (hot caps).
- These devices were originally made from glass but now are more likely to be made from leftover plastic milk or soda bottles.
- Save the pepper seeds for future planting. Pepper seeds can be saved for up to two years under ideal conditions. This means that growers will not have to purchase seed annually if they store the leftovers in a dark, dry location to keep them from sprouting prematurely.
- Get rid of used plants. Once the first chill of winter sets in, gardeners can harvest the remaining fruit and then dig the plants up. Specimens that are not diseased are good candidates for the compost bin.
- Diseased plants can be bagged up and left with the trash to prevent the disease from spreading.
[Edit]Dealing with Pests and Problems - Use Epsom salts to encourage the plant to bear fruit. Peppers that are having difficulty bearing fruit in warm weather may benefit from being spritzed with a combination of 1 quart water and 1 teaspoon Epsom salts.
- Another idea is to place a tablespoon of Epsom salts in the ground at the base of the pepper plant and cover the material over with dirt so that it can soak in.[4]
- Use calcium to deal with blossom end rot. Should gardeners end up with fruits that are black at the ends, a condition known as blossom end rot, they will need to find a way to add more calcium to their soil. The simplest way to do this is by watering affected pepper plants with any milk that expires in the fridge.
- Small amounts of soured milk can be mixed up with water if there wouldn't be enough to use on every plant.
- Spray the plant with water or insecticides to get rid of aphids. Aphids are a typical garden pest that can be removed temporarily by a hard spray of water. Organic gardeners may want to try these bugs with neem or pyrethrum based sprays.
- Repeated applications may be necessary as these garden menaces are especially hard to eradicate.
- You can stake them higher from the ground to keep them away from pests.[5]
- Protect your plants from cold or hot temperatures. Temperatures below 65° or above 95° can keep peppers from producing fruit. If it is just a minor cold spell or heat wave, they will resume production once it has passed.
- Keep in mind that cold temperatures are especially bad for the health of peppers. Those exposed to extremely chilly weather may not recover from the experience, so it may be advisable to bring them indoors until the temperatures have warmed back up.
- Harvest the bell peppers when they are fully grown and cook them or store them in freezer.
[Edit]Related wikiHows [Edit]References [Edit]Quick Summary |
| How to Make Moisturizer Posted: 05 Apr 2022 05:00 PM PDT Moisturizer is an important part of skincare routine, whether you have dry skin, oily skin, or combination skin. Unlike lotion, moisturizer goes mainly on your face and neck. Unfortunately, many store bought moisturizers are either too expensive or too full of chemicals. Luckily, it is easy to make your own moisturizer right at home! The best part: you can see and control exactly what goes into it to suit your personal needs and tastes. [Edit]Ingredients [Edit]Shea Butter Based Moisturizer[1] - ½ cup (115 grams) shea butter
- 2 tablespoons oil (ie: apricot seed, avocado, jojoba, or sweet almond oil)
- 10 to 15 drops essential oil (choose 2 to 3 different kinds)
[Edit]Coconut Oil Based Moisturizer[2] - ½ cup (115 grams) coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon (15 grams) cocoa butter
- 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) oil (ie: apricot seed, avocado, jojoba, or sweet almond oil)
- 10 to 15 drops essential oil (choose 2 to 3 different kinds)
[Edit]Beeswax Based Moisturizer[3] - ½ cup (120 milliliters) sweet almond oil
- ¼ cup (55 grams) coconut oil
- ¼ cup (227 grams) beeswax
- 2 tablespoons (30 grams) cocoa butter or shea butter (optional)
- 1 teaspoon vitamin E oil (optional)
- 10 to 15 drops essential oil (optional)
[Edit]Anti-Aging Moisturizer - 3 tablespoons (45 grams) shea butter
- 3 tablespoons (45 milliliters) apricot seed oil
- 1 teaspoon vitamin E oil
- 1 teaspoon aloe vera gel
- 10 to 15 drops essential oil (Clary sage, helichrysum, and myrrh recommended)
[Edit]Making a Shea Butter Based Moisturizer - Assemble a double boiler. Fill a saucepan with 1 to 2 inches (2.54 to 5.08 centimeters) of water and place a glass, heat-safe bowl on top. Make sure that the bottom of the bowl is not touching the surface of the water.
- Melt ½ cup (115 grams) of shea butter in the double boiler over medium heat. Stir the shea butter occasionally to help it melt evenly. Unlike coconut oil, shea butter does not clog pores, making it ideal for sensitive skin or acne-prone skin.
- Add 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) of oil and stir with a whisk until combined. You can use just one type of oil, or you can use a combination of two different kinds. Consider using any of the following oils:[4]
- Apricot seed
- Avocado
- Jojoba
- Sweet almond
- Refrigerate the mixture for 10 to 15 minutes. Take the bowl off of the saucepan, cover it with a sheet of plastic wrap, and place it into the fridge. Take it out when the mixture starts to harden and turn translucent, about 10 to 15 minutes. Don't let it harden completely.[5]
- Add in 10 to 15 drops of your desired essential oils. Choose 2 to 3 different types of essential oil, and add them to the bowl. You need 10 to 15 drops total, so play around with the different proportions. For example, you could have 5 drops of lavender essential oil, 3 drops of carrot seed oil, and 3 drops of Clary sage. Consider any of the following oils listed below:[6]
- Carrot seed
- Clary sage
- Frankincense
- Lavender
- Myrrh
- Rosemary
- Blend the ingredients together using an electric mixer for about 1 minute. The cream is ready once it turns thick and creamy—like whipped cream. You can do this using a handheld mixer or a stand mixer. If you don't have a mixer, you can use a food processor fitted with whisk attachments.
- Transfer the mixture into a glass jar using a rubber spatula and store it in a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight. Avoid using plastic, as it tends to leach chemicals overtime. The essential oils in the cream may also degrade the plastic overtime. Use the cream within 6 to 12 months.
[Edit]Making a Coconut Oil Based Moisturizer - Assemble a double boiler. Fill a saucepan with 1 to 2 inches (2.54 to 5.08 centimeters) of water and place a glass, heat-safe bowl on top. Make sure that the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water.
- Melt ½ cup (115 grams) of coconut oil and 1 tablespoon (15 grams) of cocoa butter in the double boiler over medium heat. Stir the two together with a whisk to help them melt evenly. Coconut oil and cocoa butter are both very moisturizing. Keep in mind, however, that coconut oil can clog pores, so it may not be recommended for those who suffer from acne, blackheads, or oily skin.
- Remove the mixture from heat, let it cool, then whisk in 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) of oil. You can use just one type of oil or a combination of two different types. Consider using any of the following oils:[7]
- Apricot seed
- Avocado
- Jojoba
- Sweet almond
- Add in 10 to 15 drops of your desired essential oils. Choose 2 to 3 different types of essential oil, then add them to the bowl. You will need 10 to 15 drops total, so you can experiment with different combinations. For example, you could have 4 drops of carrot seed essential oil, 4 drops of Clary sage, and 4 drops of Myrrh. Consider any of the following oils listed below:[8]
- Carrot seed
- Clary sage
- Frankincense
- Lavender
- Myrrh
- Rosemary
- Refrigerate the mixture for 1 hour. Cover the bowl with a sheet of plastic wrap and put it into the fridge. Leave it there for 1 hour so that it can harden and set. This will make it easier to whip later on.[9]
- Whisk the mixture until it is light and fluffy. Take the bowl out of the fridge, and whisk the mixture together.[10] You can do it by hand with a whisk, but an electric mixer (either stand or handheld) will be much faster and easier. You can even use a food processor fitted with whisks.
- Refrigerate the mixture for half an hour. This will set the mixture to its final consistency and make it more cream like.[11]
- Use a rubber spatula to transfer the cream to a glass jar, and store it in a cool, dry place away from sunlight. Do not use a plastic jar. The plastic may leach chemicals into the cream over time; the essential oils may also degrade the plastic as well. Use the cream within 6 to 12 months.
- Coconut oil has a low melting point. If your cream starts to get too soft, store it in the fridge.[12]
[Edit]Making a Beeswax Based Moisturizer - Assemble a double boiler. Fill a saucepan with 1 to 2 inches (2.54 to 5.08 centimeters) of water and place it on the stove. Set a heat-safe glass bowl on top and make sure that the bottom of the bowl is not touching the water.
- This is a beeswax-based moisturizer, so it is best to use it on the body and not on the face.
- Melt ¼ cup (227 grams) of beeswax in the double boiler over medium heat. Chop up the beeswax into smaller pieces first, then place it into the bowl. Turn the heat to medium, and wait until the wax starts to melt. Stir it occasionally with a spoon to help it melt faster. This will create the base for your moisturizer.
- Whisk in ¼ cup (55 grams) of coconut oil. Keep stirring until the coconut oil melts and gets evenly mixed into the melted beeswax. Coconut oil is naturally moisturizing, but some people find that it clogs pores. If you tend to get a lot of blackheads or acne, you may wish to omit it or replace it with shea butter.
- Add in some cocoa butter, shea butter, or vitamin E oil, if desired. Keep stirring these until they melt and combine with the beeswax mixture. All three are wonderful for the skin. They are not completely necessary, but they can take your moisturizer to the next level.
- Remove the mixture from heat and stir in the sweet almond oil. Carefully lift the bowl off of the saucepan and set it down on your counter. Stir in the sweet almond oil. If you can't find any sweet almond oil, try any of the following:
- Apricot seed
- Avocado
- Jojoba
- Add 10 to 15 drops of your favorite essential oil, if desired. You can use just one type of essential oil or a combination of different types. If you wish to use more than one type of essential oil, make sure that you end up with 10 to 15 drops total. For example, you could use 5 drops of lavender essential oil, 3 drops of frankincense, and 3 drops of rosemary. All of the below essential oils are wonderful for the skin.
- Carrot seed
- Clary sage
- Frankincense
- Lavender
- Myrrh
- Rosemary
- Pour the mixture into a glass jar. Avoid using a plastic jar, as the chemicals in the plastic may eventually leach into the moisturizer. The essential oils may also corrode the plastic as well.
- Wait for the moisturizer to cool before using it. Store it in a cool, dry place, out of reach of sunlight, and use it within 6 months.
[Edit]Making an Anti-Aging Moisturizer - Whip 3 tablespoons (45 grams) of shea butter in a bowl until it turns creamy. You can do this by hand using a whisk, but an electric mixer (such as a stand mixer or a handheld mixer) would be much faster. You can even use a food processor fitted with whisks.
- Shea butter is great for sensitive skin, because it doesn't clog pores. It also contains lots of anti-aging vitamins.
- Add 3 tablespoons (45 milliliters) of apricot seed oil. Apricot seed oil is especially good for sensitive skin because it is non-irritating and soothing. It also feels light and doesn't clog up pores. If you can't find any apricot seed oil, consider any of the following oils:
- Avocado
- Jojoba
- Sweet almond
- Add in 1 teaspoon of both vitamin E oil and aloe vera gel. Vitamin E oil helps reduce signs of aging, such as wrinkles and lines. It also helps promote skin growth and regeneration. Aloe vera gel is cool and soothing, making it idea for reducing acne and inflammation.
- Add in your essential oils. You will need 3 drops of Clary sage, 5 drops of myrrh, and 5 drops of helichrysum. All three oils have anti-aging benefits and help reduce the appearance of wrinkles and lines. If you can't find these oils anywhere, or if you simply don't like them, consider any of the following anti-aging oils:
- Carrot seed
- Frankincense
- Geranium
- Patchouli
- Sandalwood
- Beat the ingredients together with a whisk, then transfer it to a glass jar. Once you have all of the ingredients in your bowl, beat them together with a whisk until all of the oils, butters, and gels are evenly mixed together. Transfer the mixture into a glass jar using a rubber spatula.
- Store the moisturizer in a cool, dry place away from sunlight. Use it within 6 to 12 months.
- Look at the properties of the essential oils that you choose. Ylang Ylang and neroli will make an uplifting day-cream whilst geranium and lavender makes a vigorous night-cream.
- Don't be afraid to create your own blend. For instance, Ceramide is a protein that helps hold onto water, which allows the moisturizer to penetrate deeper into the skin barrier. You can also use products like glycerin or petroleum jelly.[13]
- Coconut oil has a low melting point. If your moisturizer is made from coconut oil, it's best to keep it in the fridge.
- The essential oils aren't absolutely necessary; leave them out if you would prefer a simpler moisturizer.
- Carrot seed oil has a natural SPF of 38 t0 40. Coconut oil has an SPF of 6 to 8.[14]
- Keep the cream in the fridge. It will make it feel extra cool and calming against your skin.
[Edit]Warnings - Always make sure that you are not allergic to any ingredients that you add to your moisturizer.
- These moisturizers are thick and may not do well in a pump dispenser. It is best to store them in a jar.
- To reduce the risk of infection, make sure that all of the utensils you are using have been properly cleaned and sterilized.
[Edit]Things You'll Need - Saucepan
- Glass, heat-safe bowl
- Whisk
- Electric mixer
- Rubber spatula
- 4 to 8-ounce (120 to 240 milliliters) glass jar
[Edit]Related wikiHows
[Edit]References [Edit]Quick Summary |
| How to Grow Sweet Potatoes Posted: 05 Apr 2022 09:00 AM PDT If you're looking to start a garden, sweet potatoes are a relatively low-maintenance plant that offer a bountiful harvest later in season than most other fruits and veggies. If you have a sunny area in a warm climate, you can plant these lovely copper-colored tubers and have fresh sweet potatoes from your own garden on the table for Thanksgiving dinner. Take these steps to grow your sweet potatoes from the ground up, starting with making your own slips. [Edit]Starting Your Slips - Choose a sweet potato. Slips are small sprouts that are grown from pre-existing sweet potato plants. You can choose to order these online or from a garden center, but you can also grow them at home easily. Find a mature, healthy sweet potato plant from the store or a friend's garden.[1]
- The most common and popular sweet potato varieties (available at most stores) are Beauregard, 'bunch' Porto Ricos, and centennials.
- Make sure you have the right climate. Sweet potatoes are a tropical plant. This means that they grow well in USDA hardiness zones 9, 10, and 11. This area includes most of the southern and south-western United States. If starting your own slips, start sprouting them in March or April. Slips should be planted in the ground in May or June.
- Prepare your potato. When you've gotten your hands on 1-2 healthy sweet potatoes, stick them in the sink and wash them well. Then, cut your potato in half. If the potato is particularly large, consider cutting it into thirds or fourths.
- Fill a jar with water. The way your slip-growing works, is that you'll place your potato half in/half out of a container of water. Use a jar or a glass cup with an opening large enough to fit your potato, and fill the whole thing with water.
- Place your potato in the water. Stick 4-5 toothpicks out of the sides of your potato equidistant apart and near the middle, like spokes on a wheel. Place the potato into the jar/glass of water with the cut side down, with the toothpicks holding half of the potato out by balancing it on the rim of the glass.
- Do this for every slice of potato that you have, with each section in a different jar.
- Add some light and heat. Move the jar with the potato onto a windowsill that gets a lot of sunlight.
- Let your slips grow. Wait for 2-4 weeks for the small leafy slips to begin sprouting out of the top of the potato.
- Harvest the slips. When the top of your potato is covered in slips, carefully twist each one off individually. They won't have roots yet and will resemble small leaves with a short stem.
- Put your slips in water. Fill a shallow bowl with a bit of water, around 1" or less depending on the number of slips you have. Set the slips in the bowl so that the stem is submerged in the water. Leave them like this for several days, until roots have formed from the bottom.
- Add fresh water once a day or so to keep the slips healthy.
- If any of the slips are not forming roots or begin to wilt, throw them out.
- Get your slips out for planting. After 2-3 days, your slips should have developed roots at the bottom. At this point, dump out the water in the bowl and bring your slips out for planting. These are best placed directly into your garden rather than in individual planters to keep the roots intact.[2]
[Edit]Preparing Your Garden - Choose a garden plot. Sweet potatoes grow primarily underground, but their vines grow above the ground. Each vine can grow to be over ten feet long. Make sure your garden plot has plenty of room for the vines. Sweet potatoes prefer a warm environment, so try to choose an area that gets a lot of sunlight (especially if you live in the north) and is well drained.
- Till the earth. Being tubers, sweet potatoes will grow deep in the earth. Make sure they'll have an easy time of it by tilling the soil about deep. Get the soil as loose and light as possible, incorporating gardening soil if necessary.
- Prepare the soil. As will all fruit and vegetable planting, having nutrient rich soil is necessary for a bountiful harvest. Add a layer of good planting soil or compost. Remove any large rocks that might be present. Check the pH of your soil. If the pH is not neutral, adjust the pH with peat moss or wood ash to compensate for acidity or alkalinity until it is neutral. This is called amending the soil.
- You can buy pH testing kits for your garden at a garden center or store.
- Know when to plant. Because of their heat-loving tendencies, sweet potatoes need to have warm soil in order to flourish. Wait till at least a month after the most recent frost, in the beginning of spring, to plant your slips.
- Choose a mulch. Help your sweet potatoes to grow by adding mulch over the top to trap heat. If you are in a particularly cold area, get some black plastic mulch or a similar heat-trapper to place over the potato plants after planting.[3]
[Edit]Planting Your Sweet Potatoes - Dig your holes. Sweet potato slips need a bit more space than some other garden vegetables, so dig your holes apart each. They need be only as deep as the root ball on the bottom of the slips and about ½ an inch up the base of the plant.[4]
- Plant your potatoes. Place each small slip in your pre-dug holes and cover the stems with soil about ½ of an inch up the base. The leafy part of the potato plant will begin to sprawl in vines outwards while the roots will produce the tubers between deep in the soil.
- Add your mulch. Protect your sweet potatoes from cold weather by adding your chosen mulch to the top. This will also help to block out weeds and prevent too much vine growth, which steal energy from tuber growth.
- Water the plants. At first planting the sweet potatoes will require a lot of water. Over time, you should reduce the amount that you water them until they receive moisture only about once a week. Begin watering daily, knocking off days from your watering schedule as each week progresses.
- Wait for the tubers to develop. Sweet potatoes have a relatively long fruiting period, becoming ripe and ready to harvest in the early fall (hence their association with Thanksgiving). Continue watering on a weekly basis, and weeding the beds if necessary to keep the plants healthy.
- Harvest the sweet potatoes. After about 120 days after planting, the sweet potatoes should have reached full maturity. When possible, wait until the last possible time (the last warm weather before a frost) to harvest the sweet potatoes, as this will result in larger and more tasteful tubers.
- Cure the sweet potatoes. One of the most important steps, sweet potatoes must be cured after harvest. This will help them to develop their flavor (they won't have much immediately after being dug up) and to grow a tougher skin - literally. Place the sweet potatoes in an area with a temperature of with 80-90% humidity for 5-10 days. After this, they should be ready to eat![5]
- Consider using a small space heater and a humidifier in a large closet or small room to cure the potatoes.
- Store your sweet potatoes. One of the best things about these lovely tubers is that they will remain fresh and good to eat for many months if stored properly. Keep the potatoes in temperatures hovering around 70 degrees (that means no refrigeration!) in an open, dry area. Never store your sweet potatoes in a plastic bag or tightly sealed container.[6]
- Avoid dropping or hitting the sweet potatoes after they have been harvest, as they develop large bruises particularly easily.
- The longer you allow a sweet potato to cure, the better the flavor will be. Therefore, curing can take several weeks if desired.
- Try not to use a hoe or rake to till the soil after your sweet potatoes have been planted, as these tools will break apart the delicate roots of the tubers.
- If you would like to grow sweet potatoes in a container, this is possible too. For instructions on this method of growing, see How to Grow Sweet Potatoes in Containers.
[Edit]Warnings - Avoid fertilizing sweet potatoes during the growing season. Fertilizing will encourage heavy vine growth and light tuber growth. Miracle Grow or similar fertilizers, esp. high nitrogen fertilizers, will make many leaves, but fewer, smaller potatoes.
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| How to Remove Stains from Tea Cups Using Baking Soda Posted: 05 Apr 2022 01:00 AM PDT You can tell you're an avid tea drinker when all your ceramic cups have a light brown stain at the bottom. Drinking tea and coffee in cups results in a residue build-up over time. There's no need to use harsh chemicals to remove the stains, though. A simple baking soda paste will do the trick just as effectively. - Wash the cup as usual. This will get rid of any extra gunk that can be taken off with regular soapy water.[1] Start with cups that are as clean as possible.[2]
- Dampen the cup. If your cup isn't already wet, dampen it with some hot water. It's easier to remove the stain when there is little moisture present for the baking soda to cling to.[3]
- Sprinkle baking soda into the cup. Half a teaspoon or so should do the trick. You only need enough to make a light paste.
- Rub the stain with a soft cloth. You can use a soft microfiber cloth.[4] A paste-like film should form as you rub over the dampened cup. Concentrate on places where the stain is darkest.
- Check the stain and continue rubbing. Put some effort into rubbing directly over the stained areas of the cup. Continue doing this until the stain lifts. You may need to turn the cup around as you are scrubbing, to ensure that you reach all areas of the stain.[5]
- Rinse out the cup. Remove the baking soda residue from the cup with warm water.[6] Check that you have removed the entire stain. If it's gone, turn the cup upside down and leave to air dry before returning to its usual storage spot.
- Repeat if necessary. If you still see remnants of the stain after a good scrubbing, repeat the process with more baking soda. It will usually come off after an extra treatment or two.
- Salt can be used in place of baking soda if wished.
- Dental cleaner works well also.
- You can also soak the stained item in white vinegar. That will remove tea and coffee stains as well as hard water deposits.
[Edit]Things You'll Need - Baking soda
- Soft cleaning cloth
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