Sally's GF3 thread

[Iluveggers]

You can treat them with ascorbic acid, or (yuck) sulphur to keep them from turning brown, but I never do.

Peel, slice, arrange on the trays. 125 F for 10-18 hours, depending on how thickly you sliced them. I like thick slices, so it's a long time for mine.

I need to go swap my trays around and rotate them front to back. Then another 5-8 hours. Probably close to 20, all told.

I wash them, quarter them, cut the core out, then slice them thin. I don't try to get them really even in thickness. And place them on the dehydrator trays. One dehydrator doesn't have controls. They other is set at 135F because that is what the label on it it recommends for fruit. When the apples are done, they go into mason jars. Or ziplock bags if I have the canning jars full. I don't add anything at any point of the process.

I flip them after a while (maybe an hour or two or three - it partly depends on whether or not I have fresh slices on the bottom tray. Flipping them is a bit time consuming but it has three advantages: the slices don't stick to the trays, they end up closer together so I can fit more into the dryer, and any that are done faster than others can easily be identified and taken out.

I don't mind that some get dried more than I like but I want them out as soon as possible so I can get more started.

It takes about three to six or eight hours for any given slice to be done. It depends on how thick the slice is and where in the dehydrators it starts. I move the trays down as I empty the lower trays. And one of the dehydrators dries noticeably faster the center than around the outside of any tray.

Thanks! Hub and I both bought a bag of apples yesterday without realizing the other did also, so I might dry one of the bags!

 

[Sally PB]

Yesterday, I took a CPL class. It's time to renew my license, and MI says I don't *have to* take a class, I just have to say that I know what the laws are, including any new ones, and that I've spent some time shooting on a range.

It's been a while since I took or taught a class, though, and I wanted to make sure I wasn't getting rusty. This class was through USCCA, and was different from the NRA class that I've co-taught many times. There was nothing new, though some of the material was presented in a different way.

The instructor pronounced the word "escape" as "excape" (which grates on my ear), but she ran the class well. There was one bit of legal advice that I disagreed with, but I didn't say anything, since I was the student.

Last night, I ran it by my "World renowned gun guru" friend, and he agreed with me. He teaches this stuff in a 40 hour, in depth, format, a far cry from an 8 hour class. He knows this stuff backward and forward, left and right, up and down. He is often called as an expert witness. I would pay money to watch him testify in court.

The range was nice, the weather was gorgeous, and I shot pretty well. I had to keep telling myself, "Self defense accuracy is not the same as Bullseye Pistol Competition accuracy," and that 10 shots in a 3" pattern at 5 yards is ok.

 

[aart]

"Self defense accuracy is not the same as Bullseye Pistol Competition accuracy,"

Ha! This reminds me of going to a range with a boyfriend long, long ago.
We shot at farther then closer distances, I asked him to move it even closer and he said any closer and it's murder.

 

[Iluveggers]

I actually decided to get my hunting license this year as well! They are offering an online class, and whatever help I need in person my hub can help with (he is a shooting instructor), and I told him if anything ever happened to him I’d want to be able to provide for myself & the kids. Hopefully I still have time to enroll before they close seats!

 

[Sally PB]

I actually decided to get my hunting license this year as well!

And a CPL?

 

[Iluveggers]

And a CPL?

Of course

 

[Sally PB]

Today, I helped my bee mentor remove all the honey supers from 4 hives. This entails using a "fume board" to make all the bees move down into the hive, off the frames of the super. The fume board is a hive top with some fabric stapled to the inside. You put some liquid on the fabric that stinks, and the bees move down to get away. It works fast, about 5 mintues. The liquid is called "Bee Go," used for this purpose. It stinks.

The most interesting thing was that the workers (female) are starting to throw the drones (male) out of the hive. Guys, you had your chance to find a queen and pass on your genes. You failed (or you'd already be dead; mating kills a drone), and we have no use for you. Out you go.

The drones are nearly twice as big as a worker. Yet she was trying to wrangle him off the landing board at the hive entrance, and succeeding. It was fascinating to watch. Sorry guys.

 

[cavemanrich]

I ,, for much time assumed, the drones were also the soldiers???

I know Black Widow spiders finish off their mates,,, Maybe some are quick to escape,,,,,,
These Queens should possibly be referred to as Yellow Widows.

 

[aart]

Today, I helped my bee mentor remove all the honey supers from 4 hives.

In your hives or theirs?

These Queens should possibly be referred to as Yellow Widows

Many insects eat their mates.

 

[Sally PB]

I ,, for much time assumed, the drones were also the soldiers???

Heh heh...The workers (females) take care of the drones (males). Feed, clean up after... The drones go out and if they mate with a queen, they die in the process. If they don't mate, they return to the hive to fly another day. If they don't find a queen to mate with, the workers throw them out of the hive. Drones serve no purpose to the hive but to mate with a queen.

These Queens should possibly be referred to as Yellow Widows

In your hives or theirs?

His hives. I've asked him if I can "help" when he does this kind of thing so I can learn how. Actually, just being another pair of hands is a help. And me seeing how it's done is a good learning experience for me. I can ask questions, which I can't with you tube. (I avoid youtube when possible. It eats up a lot of data...)