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Post by oxbowfarm on Dec 11, 2012 22:58:26 GMT -5
Soak your strings in glue.
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Post by steev on Dec 12, 2012 0:11:45 GMT -5
String theory; it really is cutting edge, for the blunted.
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Post by Joseph Lofthouse on Dec 12, 2012 0:43:38 GMT -5
The thing I am currently stewing about is how to build a spiral seed separator for under $20 and about a day's labor. Almost got it figured... Problem is, all my sand is currently frozen into a block of ice.
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Post by Joseph Lofthouse on Mar 7, 2013 2:23:03 GMT -5
I have been sorting Glass Gem corn kernels by shape, trying to select seed that has better popping ability. I'm hoping that the trait(s) will be heritable so that I can eventually turn it into a great popcorn. Tonight I popped some in the microwave. The selected seeds produced 50% more volume of popped corn, and had half as many old maids as unselected seed. They were still a poor quality popcorn, but I'm glad for whatever improvements that I can find.
I'm fussing in regards to whether I want to grow Glass Gem this summer, or if I only want to use it as I had originally intended, as the pollen recipient in a cross with my popcorn. It's easy to be excited about growing sugary enhanced sweet corn, because my family loves to eat it. It's hard to want to grow Glass Gem because in my culture and family non-popping flint corn is only used as a decoration or as bird food: And I don't decorate or keep poultry.
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Post by mnjrutherford on Mar 7, 2013 10:04:33 GMT -5
Could I buy your Glass Gem from you if you decide not to grow it out? We really need bird food.
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Post by Joseph Lofthouse on Mar 9, 2013 17:42:28 GMT -5
I've continued to pop corn. Today I found the best cob ever. It expanded 34 times when popped, there were not any old maids, and it was super easy shelling. It was pretty too: reddish orange coloring that encompassed the kernels (pericarp), cob, and leaves. Of course it had an unfortunate trait as well: It was one of the later maturing cobs in the patch, harvested during that nebulous time between first frost and killer frost. Jo: Wish you were closer, I'd load up your truck with excess corn seed....
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Post by DarJones on Mar 10, 2013 2:37:36 GMT -5
You can work on separating some Cherokee Squaw X Silver King (F3) in a couple of days. Please put the corn in the freezer for a couple of days when you get it, I saw a few weevils in the box as I was shelling it.
DarJones
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Post by mnjrutherford on Mar 10, 2013 8:36:56 GMT -5
Dang! Seriously? Wish I was closer too! Even though our birds free range during the day, we supplement them with feed and it's pretty expensive. On the other hand, we are getting close to having adequate production and folks are starting to buy regularly. I'm charging $3 a dozen and that is the low end of market around here for organic brown. I found and printed a little chart that gives the weight per dozen eggs by size so I weigh the eggs after washing them. I make sure I package at least 24 oz which equals a dozen large. Our goal is to sell 10 dozen per week. That should pay for the feed.
EDIT: Just for grins, I used a trip calculator to see what the gas would be for a round trip.... $684.96, about 4500 miles, and about 5 days driving (includes stopping to sleep).
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Post by irishpilgrim on Mar 11, 2013 1:04:12 GMT -5
I just logged on to check out some differences I was experiencing with popping commercial popcorn. Your discussion has greatly enlightened me. The commercial popcorn I like has an expansion of 36X and good eating and taste. What results could I expect if I planted some of these grains? This commercial popcorn was grown 30 miles from me in Iowa, so all climate factors should match. Joseph's discussion showed me how to calculate the moisture difference in a different brand that wasn't popping so good. I needed to add 1/4 cup of water to 2# of corn to make the weight /cup of grains equal. I use an air popper and noticed that the high moisture grains don't fly out of the popper so much either. I guess lower moisture, lighter corn, flies higher. Good coaches have really increased my IQ. Thanks
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Post by mnjrutherford on Mar 11, 2013 7:37:03 GMT -5
Irishpilgrim, be careful, you may become addicted to this place... ;o)
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Post by Joseph Lofthouse on Apr 12, 2013 14:36:25 GMT -5
I'm done selecting popcorn for planting this year. Now I'm getting the seconds ready for popping. Here's how much water I had to add to my popcorn today to bring it into the optimal moisture range [edit: for popping].
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Post by 12540dumont on Apr 12, 2013 17:49:15 GMT -5
Did I get the good popcorn or the seconds?
Trying to weigh whether to plant popcorn or plant maize morado....
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Post by Joseph Lofthouse on Apr 12, 2013 18:01:30 GMT -5
Holly: Any seeds that I mailed out for planting were the good stuff: What popped the best. I may have found some even better poppers since then if you want another shipment.
If I sent something called "Cherokee Popcorn" that only pops marginally, but it looks pretty as a decoration.
fusionpower: Wow... Your cross sure behaves differently with the soak test than my allegedly se+ does. I wonder what I have really been selecting for?
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Post by mnjrutherford on Apr 13, 2013 15:01:06 GMT -5
You put water in the popcorn? For planting or for popping? Seems I've missed something?!?!?
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Post by Joseph Lofthouse on Apr 13, 2013 20:59:22 GMT -5
You put water in the popcorn? For planting or for popping? Seems I've missed something?!?!? Popcorn pops best when the moisture in the seed is about 14%. Due to my super arid climate drying corn seed stabilizes at a little under 10% moisture. So I add water to the seed before popping. To determine how much moisture the seed has, I grind the seed, and dry it in the oven at about 215F for around 3 hours, weighing it occasionally. Then I add the amount of water necessary to adjust the moisture to 14%. Here's what the results look like: I dumped all the seconds into a common lot of seed, and popped one batch dry and one batch with added water. It takes about a day to absorb the water evenly. The spoon shows the amount of seed that I started with. That's a 27 times expansion ratio for the moisturized corn. Pretty good for seconds!
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