Comments on: Blue Chair Fruit Company: plastic-free at the farmer’s market http://myplasticfreelife.com/2008/07/blue-chair-fruit-company-plastic-free/ Think we can't live without plastic? Think again. In 2007 I committed to stop buying any new plastic & I've almost succeeded! Won't you join me? Let's see what plastic-free looks like in 2012... for the health of our bodies, our oceans, our planet. ~Beth Terry Fri, 24 May 2013 17:23:35 +0000 hourly 1 By: Fake Plastic Fish http://myplasticfreelife.com/2008/07/blue-chair-fruit-company-plastic-free/comment-page-1/#comment-3511 Fake Plastic Fish Sun, 21 Sep 2008 01:50:00 +0000 http://fakeplasticfish.com/2008/07/blue-chair-fruit-company-plastic-free-at-the-farmers-market/#comment-3511 Hi Sarah. I encourage all my readers to write to manufacturers of any products that they personally use to ask them to use less plastic. Perhaps, if you leave this comment on the most recent post (rather than one that is several weeks old and that most people will probably not revisit) others who use Moom will see it and join you. I personally haven’t heard of it, but then there is a whole world of things I personally have not tried!

Also, an idea that comes to me is a Yahoo! or Google group devoted to writing letters to companies to urge them to lessen their plastic use. Would you have time to set up something like that? If so, I’d be happy to promote/support it!

Email me directly if you are interested in that type of thing.

Beth

]]> By: S http://myplasticfreelife.com/2008/07/blue-chair-fruit-company-plastic-free/comment-page-1/#comment-3509 S Sat, 20 Sep 2008 20:35:00 +0000 http://fakeplasticfish.com/2008/07/blue-chair-fruit-company-plastic-free-at-the-farmers-market/#comment-3509 I have been using a hair removal product made by Moom for many years. Those little buggers (the hairs, that is) on my legs can no longer stand the “heat” so to speak, and after 8 years, I hardly have hair on my legs at all…whoohoo! Moom is organic and chemical free; however, they use an unacceptable amount of plastic packaging, which I object to. I’ve just written them an email about it, encouraging them to find alternatives. I mentioned this Web site to them and also mentioned that I would try to encourage readers of your blog to write them as well. Is this okay? Are you or any of your readers familiar with Moom? They’re pretty groovy, out of Canada, and I’m sure they’d be responsive. Do you think you could check it out and add them to your hit list of companies to encourage in reducing their plastic packaging?

Sarah from Virginia

]]> By: eco 'burban mom http://myplasticfreelife.com/2008/07/blue-chair-fruit-company-plastic-free/comment-page-1/#comment-3076 eco 'burban mom Tue, 29 Jul 2008 22:58:00 +0000 http://fakeplasticfish.com/2008/07/blue-chair-fruit-company-plastic-free-at-the-farmers-market/#comment-3076 I use a super huge stock pot with lid as a waterbath canner. Though, you can only can whole or halved tomatoes in their juice or water in water bath canning. Any prepared sauces (with salt, garlic, herbs etc.) need to be done in a pressure canner. I am too cheap to buy a pressure canner so I am canning tomatoes this way and then will puree or chop them for sauce as needed.

]]> By: Allie http://myplasticfreelife.com/2008/07/blue-chair-fruit-company-plastic-free/comment-page-1/#comment-3064 Allie Mon, 28 Jul 2008 13:51:00 +0000 http://fakeplasticfish.com/2008/07/blue-chair-fruit-company-plastic-free-at-the-farmers-market/#comment-3064 I’ve been wondering about canning too. It makes me nervous, but it will be so useful if I can get the hang of it (especially since I’m expecting a ton and a half of tomatoes in a month or so . . .

That jam looks amazing!

]]> By: Tanya http://myplasticfreelife.com/2008/07/blue-chair-fruit-company-plastic-free/comment-page-1/#comment-3057 Tanya Mon, 28 Jul 2008 02:35:00 +0000 http://fakeplasticfish.com/2008/07/blue-chair-fruit-company-plastic-free-at-the-farmers-market/#comment-3057 Hey Beth-

OK, just did a google search and it says that oven-canning is not v. safe so maybe you shouldn’t go that route… I definately don’t want you to get sick! I remember canning as a kid and it’s v. hot and a full day ordeal. I would take the advice of one of the other commenters and recruit an experienced friend to help.

]]> By: Tanya http://myplasticfreelife.com/2008/07/blue-chair-fruit-company-plastic-free/comment-page-1/#comment-3056 Tanya Mon, 28 Jul 2008 02:18:00 +0000 http://fakeplasticfish.com/2008/07/blue-chair-fruit-company-plastic-free-at-the-farmers-market/#comment-3056 Hi Beth-

My step-mother is very big into canning and she said there is an alternative method where you can actually put the jars in the oven to seal them and that you don’t need a canner at all… I’ll have to ask her about it or do some research on the web…I’ll let you know what I find out.

]]> By: Rebecca http://myplasticfreelife.com/2008/07/blue-chair-fruit-company-plastic-free/comment-page-1/#comment-3044 Rebecca Fri, 25 Jul 2008 17:20:00 +0000 http://fakeplasticfish.com/2008/07/blue-chair-fruit-company-plastic-free-at-the-farmers-market/#comment-3044 I just did tomato sauce this year for the first time as well. I agree with everyone that you can just use a big stock pot to process your sauce – I don’t even put anything on the bottom and my jars have always been fine.

But do make sure that you use a recent recipe because most tomatoes grown now don’t have enough acid to be safe without a pressure cooker. The recipe I use has 1 cup of lemon juice and a bottle of red wine for every 25 lbs of tomotos – Google will come up with lots. Have fun!

]]> By: Kate http://myplasticfreelife.com/2008/07/blue-chair-fruit-company-plastic-free/comment-page-1/#comment-3043 Kate Fri, 25 Jul 2008 16:21:00 +0000 http://fakeplasticfish.com/2008/07/blue-chair-fruit-company-plastic-free-at-the-farmers-market/#comment-3043 Beth,

Canning tomatoes is super easy. You can get a canning pot at a local hardware store (they come with the jar rack – should hold 7 quart size jars) – probably less than $20. Great investment. Let me know if you need instructions!

]]> By: bianca in brooklyn http://myplasticfreelife.com/2008/07/blue-chair-fruit-company-plastic-free/comment-page-1/#comment-3042 bianca in brooklyn Fri, 25 Jul 2008 15:25:00 +0000 http://fakeplasticfish.com/2008/07/blue-chair-fruit-company-plastic-free-at-the-farmers-market/#comment-3042 My mother cans tomatoes every year… tons of them. And it’s so fantastic to be in the middle of winter, opening up a jar of those beautiful, red tomatoes and savoring the delightful taste of summer. Even when it’s 20 below zero, with feet of snow on the ground (in Maine). She’s never used a canner. She has a big stock pot that she uses. She does, however, have this metal thingy that she can set the jars in and it has a handle with which to lower the jars into the pot. The jars sit in it, they have their own space. This keeps them from moving around. You must be able to get one somewhere. Certainly, cheaper than buying a canner. And also, a small dishtowel at the bottom of a stockpot will keep jars from clanging at the bottom.
Happy canning!

]]> By: AnnMarie http://myplasticfreelife.com/2008/07/blue-chair-fruit-company-plastic-free/comment-page-1/#comment-3041 AnnMarie Fri, 25 Jul 2008 13:32:00 +0000 http://fakeplasticfish.com/2008/07/blue-chair-fruit-company-plastic-free-at-the-farmers-market/#comment-3041 If you have freezer room, pasta sauce freezes quite well. I don’t want to risk canning it (I only have a water one, not pressure) so I’ve just frozen it. But like others, I too have seen that water bath canners are okay for it. I’ve filled my freezer with fruit this year so I think I will have to try canning my sauce! On to my real advice: Have a friend to help out who knows what they are doing. I did it on my own the first time and was so overwhelmed and anxious. The second time, Mom helped me (she lives 700 miles away so not around much). I was way too anal about some stuff, and didn’t understand how to coordinate it all on my stove and her advice (and the second pair of hands) was so great. I’m fearless now!

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