prickly pear juice production

it never ceases to amaze me how there are people in this world who are so consumed with control, the obsession with it, and making sure that everyone complies, even if it means being completely irrational and rude. i honestly can't imagine spending any of my time exhibiting such characteristics. but, as i have no control over what people do, and neither do i want to, i have edited this posting. if you read the first publishing of this post you will notice that i have now reduced it to merely pictures and the occasional caption.

 because of the enzymatic qualities of prickly pear juice it is important to freeze it until ready to use. unless you're using it for recipes then anything bigger than a 1/2 gallon jug will go bad before you use it all. but even the fermented juice can be used to make to prickly pear wine!

we also juiced a bunch of apples.

MY PRICKLY PEAR PRODUCTION

if you're using a household juicer it's best to scrape off the prickles. the champion juicers, for instance, only separate the seeds and emulsifies all the pulp. john's juicer on the other hand separates everything, so scraping isn't necessary. be sure to wear gloves or you'll be sorry.

yosemite, the grand canyon, and what's between

this last slide show completes my journey this summer. hope you also enjoy the music selections.

Berkeley and Beyond

the second series of photos from my trip out west

...and even more to come after this...