Tips For Growing Vegetables In Arizona

Growing vegetables yourself does not just help you save money with groceries but it also ensures that you have access to fresh and good quality food. If you want to successfuly grow vegetables in your garden in Arizona then you need to educate yourself about the ABCs of cultivating vegetables. The four factors that play a primary role in this process are soil, timing, water and of course sunlight. If you reside in Arizona then the best time to plant seeds would be from November to March. For smaller gardens, squash, cucumbers, watermelons, etc will not be a good choice. Instead, you can opt for vegetables that don’t take up so much space, like carrots, onions, peppers, herbs, tomatoes, radishes, green beans, sugar snap peas and so on.

To grow vegetables in Arizona it is would best to use the raised garden system. This way, you will be able to enjoy more control over the soil and the growing conditions. Growing vegetables is just like tending a garden, you need to maintain it well. For instance, if you grew herbs like parsley and they are growing too fast for your needs, thereby overpowering the other plants in the garden then you should pull some out of the soil. If you are a beginner then you should opt for seeds that come with quick gestation times. In other words, vegetables that would produce in two months’ time are the easiest to grow.

If you want to grow vegetables in Arizona successfully then it is advisable to select the vegetables that are easy to grow like zucchini, red onion, basil, radishes, green beans, tomatoes, etc. It is also advisable to start with baby steps, this way you won’t be overwhelmed by the task of growing vegetables. The afternoon sun in Arizona tends to be very hot, therefore make sure that your plants are under a shade so that they are not exposed to the sun all the time. Also, you can plant trees to offer a filtered shade to the vegetables.

You also need to prepare the soil well because it is the base and it strongly affects the quality of vegetables produced. Also, getting a standard spade, shovel and other basic gardening tools would also help.

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How To Make Yogurt Cheese

Delicious and wholesome go well together more often than many people realize. One tasty example of this is yogurt cheese. Because this smooth and luscious spread is not exactly cheese, the name is something of a misnomer. It is actually yogurt that has been gradually thickened to a rich, creamy consistency that resembles cream cheese and cheese spreads. The end result may be enjoyed with bagels, sandwiches and as a dip. It is also surprisingly easy to make.

1-Ingredient Recipe for Delicious Cheese

Ingredients are limited to the yogurt and any flavorings that are desired. As long as the yogurt has no fruit, any flavor will work. The basic recipe only calls for a 32 oz. container of plain yogurt, a bowl, a colander and cheesecloth. This is the best place to start with a first attempt.

Begin by placing the colander in the bowl. Next, use the cheesecloth to line the colander. Up to 8 layers will do. With the cheesecloth prepared, spoon the yogurt into the colander. Depending on the amount of yogurt cheese desired and the size of the bowl and colander, half of the container is also a good batch size. Once the desired amount is scooped into the colander, place it and the bowl in the refrigerator for approximately 6 to 12 hours.

In general, expect to have about a third cup of yogurt cheese for each cup of yogurt used. The final yield will also depend on how long the batch is drained. The longer the yogurt drains, the thicker the yogurt cheese will be. Longer draining times will result in a little less of the spread, but some might prefer the taste and consistency. The whey can discarded or kept as an ingredient in other cooking adventures. Look for recipes in which sweet whey can replace milk or water.

Storing Your Yogurt Cheese

The yogurt cheese should be refrigerated in a lidded container, and it will last just about a week. When experimenting with additional ingredients, be sure to gently fold them into the yogurt cheese to avoid breaking it down. Most importantly, enjoy the delicious results.

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