h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Britain! the one of the only countries in the world, where your guaranteed a tan every year - it's called RUST

I have just been watching/observing the G S Woodpecker nest and unless every time the young 'un goes inside nest it puts a bigger red wig on or backcombs its hair, there might well be a male and female young pecker in nest as one has a bigger red patch on top of head, sometimes a sign a youngster is male.
The weather is changable and fantasic one minute, cloudy and windy the next, still they are now saying part of the weekend is going to be hottest of year. A few days ago they said wet and windy, so huh?

Another lovely sunny morning. I want to go out but don't want to actually meet people at best of times so will think of something or somewhere to get sun but not have to talk to people much.
Birdwatching in busy places can mean I end up talking so if go birdwatching will find a quiet place. I actually might go to charity shops, not something I have done for a while, as bizarly busy places mean less talking to people as in general people don't talk to strangers. I could even go to a semi town, by that I mean not a big town but a high street with an added shopping centre as need a new green zipped hoodded top for bird watching. zipped is important as can control hot hot I get in sun or walking.
My old one wasn't worn out as such but had faded in sun as worn outside so much in all weathers.

My MIL just brought round about 100 large fresh onions which are now hanging in our carport along with another 20 she brought round earlier on in the week,this happens every year and I hope we use them before they go rotten as I still can't find a way to keep them in the summer heat,
She also grows and distributes / stores a lot of potatoes throughout the summer but I know a lot will go bad.

Isn't there some 'traditional' way of preserving them?

I remember hearing of apples stored in straw /newspaper in a box away from the light but that would probably be horrendous with the humidity....

Perhaps stringing them up and keeping them where there's the most draught....

Onion jam.....

Shade and draught is what the onions get in my carport but still too hot

Perhaps freezing is the only option. Potatoes could be peeled and frozen, I beleive you can get frozen chips in UK that are not coated in oil for deep fat frying(not common though). I am not sure about freezing the onions raw though, I expect they would freeze OK, but not sure what they would be like after, perhaps a little softer. Still, it is easy to find out be freezing some peeled onions. The real problem with freezing a lot of veg is space of course as takes up room for meat, however a lot of people have wasted space in a freezer which i understand is wasteful on electricity, I am no expert though.
Still, the onins and spuds from her garden must be nice though, shame about the tremendous heat in japan in summer though, there are some advantages to cooler UK, lol!

I searched for 'preserving onions' (on a US page to include hotter climes) and then 'preserving onions hot climate' to narrow down the choices. There were so many answers I'll leave it to you......

I wouldn't have minded a quick read but there's reams of the stuff...


Do you grow/get good tomatoes matured on the plant?

I'm a city-slicker who detests the tasteless iron-balls sold by supermarkets....

Was tempted anyway.... this seems to have a few suggestions

http://www.garden.org/foodguide/browse/veggie/onions_harvesting/501

Ta , look later fast running out of time today

Hang on, I think I have seen raw onions frozen in 'Stew Packs' of raw veg so should be ok. I expect Lanza or someone will know for certain as more likely to do from scratch casserols than me.
Today is set to be sunny according to forcast and indeed it is sunny already. I used some clear suntan lotion in gel form yesterday which is aparantly the latest thing. As I shave my head I have to be really careful so although only around 19c yesterday I used the gel as it is easy to get burnt over a few days as so white still as early in year. I like to be outdoors a lot in summer so can get burnt easily. Even with a No2 crop I used to get burnt on top of head if sun hot enbough, even though I still have a full head of hair.
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I don't like that thick greasey suntan lotion that leaves white streaks. I sometimes use an oil free spray which works quite well as is clear and leaves no greasey mess. I usually carry it around all summer if out birdwatching or just in sun as allows me to be out most of day.
I had bit of a clear out this year of too old lotion as can lose its effectiveness if too old.
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We are coming up to the busiest time of year in local wooded parks here which is a bit of a quandry for Birdwatching there and going there in general as don't like it too busy.
I have found avoiding weekends and school holidays best as less people with dogs milling around. The less well used riverside can be good as less people and still some birds.
My local bird sanctuary is good as has a fence and gate code so quiet most of time. I can go to far end which is even quieter and sit in the walkway/pathway which has a natural enclosed top from trees growing over and is so nice and cool ,the path has green moss all year round as so enclosed and cool. The birds like the shade too so it has 'gangs' of Long Tail Tits ans friends flitting about most of time.

Hi AGM - about your onions - (oh what a funny world this is, writing to someone in Japan about onions)

I grew onions on my allotment, and the trick is to keep them in the light, not the shade until they have developed nice dry outer skins. Peel off any damaged skin and dry them (on trays or similar) in the sun. Depending upon how 'ripe' the onions were when you got them this could take anything from a day or two to a week or more. You need to stand them upright and turn them round and check them each day. The light stops them growing, if you keep them dark they start to shoot again.

Obviously if it's too hot,(40+ C) then the onions will start to cook - this happened to me in Lanza when I bought some fresh local ones and accidently left a bag in the blazing midday sun

Use the ones you think are the softest first and string up the ones that look dry enough after the sunshine treatment

No space in the freezer , this is typical over herehttp://www.bbc.co.uk/go/dna/h2g2/brunel/F1694533/ext/_auto/-/http://www.flickr.com/photos/21128589@N02/

Thank's Lanza ,took some pic's for you to get jealous of and with you

Cool photos AGM - if your carport is a light as this one I can't help - it looks perfect conditions -

And your potter friend's place is a treat too.

The thread I posted also has a few tips on preparing the onions for drying.

Mines about the same will look later at your stuff later Ta eagle got to take my daughter to painting class, now will take camera ( their garden is real pretty)

I just read your article Not-so-bald-eagle, and I couldn't have put it better myself ....a man who knows his onions


I've got to go as well, Saturday shopping and collecting son from station for the bank holiday weekend.

Have a good time !


I'm still dreaming of sun-ripened tomatoes.....

Just read the article , I think we cover most of what it said except we only take them down as needed.
I put in some under floor boxes in the kitchen (cool and dark) When I built the house, that's where we store the potatoes (and wine)it helps a bit.