Friday, October 17, 2008

I am a Hunter - Gatherer

I have, I guess always been somewhat of a Hunter - Gatherer all my live. I love to look for and find things that I can use or re-use in some way or another, wether it be food, lumber or just good old junk. As of late I have been a Gatherer. Gathering walnuts, hickory nuts, pears and apples all for FREE. Walnut trees are all around us as are hickory trees so nuts are a good easy distance from the house. Fruit trees on the other hand is not something we have got around to planting just yet, got to get that done this fall or in the spring. Luckily, a guys down the road has 2 huge old pear trees. I seen him the other day and he told me that everyone in his family had picked pears from the trees and they are still loaded with fruit. After a few minutes of conversation he ask if I would like to go and pick some for my family, well not being one to turn down free food I said I would love to have some. He told me to get all I wanted but watch for the bees, they seem to be everywhere there. I picked, from the ground and from the tree nearly a bushel of fresh pears. Well as fate would have it, one of Liv's family members seen me picking the pears and ask if I would like to come to his place and get apples. Wooo-Hoooo !!! You bet I would. His trees had produced like crazy. He said that about 20 people had come to pick apples and they are still everywhere you look. He was right! Never have I seen so many apples from so few trees in my life. The limbs were so heavy that some had been proped up with 2x4's to keep them from breaking. I was told to PLEASE take all that I could to keep them from rotting on the ground. I picked 7 large bags full. I have plans to make Apple Butter and Apple Cider and some Apple Sauce, some will go in the freezer and some stored in the shed for winter eating. We have been so blessed this year with people giving us food. The folks around here are for sure the best.

Katie and her Mimi Gracie (Liv's Mother) gathering hickory nuts.

Just a few of the many walnuts that we have gathered.


This is just 1 of 7 bags of apples that I gathered. This one weighs 23lbs.


10 comments:

Woody said...

Nice haul...now I'll just wait on the post about your canning the pears...lol

Ron said...

Congrats on finding all those old trees to pick from! I wish that we had some walnut trees around here... I'm going to plant some I think.

We're mighty grateful for good neighbors, too!

Ron

Patricia said...

If you have time, could you write a post on how to process the walnuts and hickory nuts? The trees around here--lots of hickory and walnut are producing like crazy this year. Thanks!
HM

Anonymous said...

Great haul! Like Patricia, I would like to see some more on what you do to process the nuts. I have a hickory tree dropping nuts like crazy and should probably do something with them. Anyhow, time to get back to work to process all that stuff...ain't it great!

Throwback at Trapper Creek said...

Wow you are making out! Does this mean you won't be posting again, since you will be glued to the canner? Hope not.

Marie said...

Those people must know that you are not one to let things go to waste, and if you get your hands on that much fruit (!!!) you will know what to do with it. Glad you got such a great haul--and there was variety too--can't beat that!

The Scavenger said...

Woody, thanks, I frooze what pears that we had left. Gave some away, ate some and frooze the remainder.

Ron, Walnuts are great anywhere, anytime you can get them. It's good to have good neighbors.

Patricia and Warren, I will post pics of the nutting process this week I promise. Gonna get to them in a day or two I hope.

MOH, haha!! I have been spending some quality time with the canner the past few days. I'll post pics of the Apple Butter next.

Marie, thanks, I just hate to see anything go to waste, even if I can it and give it back to them. I hate waste of any kind.

Thanks to all for the comments.
Chris

TEAM HALL said...

Hey Chris
Been away up north since Thurs. or I'd have commented here sooner. Wow, what a haul!!! Can't wait to see this week's posts re: nuts and apple butter. Ummm, I don't know what apple butter is. Also looking forward to this week's installment of "Gotta Love a Goat" part III.
Cath

Anonymous said...

What great blessings! Gen-IL Homesteader

The Scavenger said...

Cath, I trust the time up north was good for all. You have never heard of apple butter?????? Good lord honey, I'll post how to make it. You just don't know what you're missing. Goat post in the works for the weekend.

Gen, A blessing is for sure what it has been all this year.

Thanks Gals,

Chris