Most of us know about prunes ability to ease irregularity. Most of us aren’t aware that plums contain a full range of vitamins, minerals, fiber and more. A quick search for “Health benefits of plums” will provide charts showing nutrient values.
As I’ve stated in other articles, the pits of cling type fruits pop right out if frozen first. I don’t care for the taste of plum skins and they can be moldy if they’ve fallen to the ground. If they’re frozen and then briefly held under running water, the skins are easily peeled off without losing any of the fruit. If you allow the plum to sit in a bowl for a short period of time, the skin will refreeze and you’ll have to put it under running water again.
We have a friend who has an extremely prolific plum tree in his front yard. Rather than see the plums go to waste, he wanted them picked and preferably before they fell into the grass. Some that had fallen looked quite good and they were riper than those still in the tree. It stands to reason they’d be riper if they dropped off on their own but those that fell while picking ripened up faster and were sweeter. My logic was: there must be something in the skin or fruit that causes them to ripen when they get bruised, even slightly. With that in mind, I lightly massaged a few to test my theory and it worked. So, if you buy plums and they’re not soft, sweet and ripe, try rolling them lightly around in your hand and leaving them in a bowl until the next day. The same technique may work on peaches, pears and apricots.
Cilantro grows well in almost any temperate climate zones. Most of us are familiar with it as a food seasoning. But, did you know the cilantro seed, coriander, may be able to save you from food poisoning? Coriander has shown to be effective when dealing with bacterial infections.
According to researchers at the University of Beira Interior in Portugal, coriander could become a major factor in fighting antibiotic-resistant infections, including E. coli and methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). MRSA is a bacterium responsible for several difficult to treat human infections.
The researchers found a 1.6 percent, or less, solution of coriander oil slowed the growth of 12 different strains of bacteria, with most being killed outright. Coriander works by damaging the bacteria’s surrounding membrane, consequently the cell can’t breathe and dies.
Researchers believe coriander oil will be used as a food additive to fight pathogens and prevent bacteria from spoiling food. Plus, they think it will be an alternative to some antibiotics and replace many expensive pharmaceuticals. In the future coriander could be used in a clinical
setting as mouth rinses, pills, and lotions to fight infection
Coriander is one of the 20 most commonly used essential oils. It has a proven track record for relieving pain, easing cramps, aiding digestion and beating fungal infections. Coriander oil can be found at health food stores and natural food markets.
The other day I was gluing styrofoam insulation together to make a skirting for our motorhome when I got construction adhesive on some clear vinyl. The clear siding allows us to be inside and still see out. The caulking gun began to slide down the cover over our auxiliary propane tank and I pushed it back up a little too far. The tip of the gun contacted the vinyl leaving a large blob of adhesive on the clear panel. I’d experimented with various soaps and cleaners in an effort to find what worked best for removing the adhesive from my hands and found brake fluid worked better than anything else. I tried it on the clear vinyl and it took the adhesive off without leaving even the slightest smear or scratch. I have multiple pictures of the enclosure posted on my website.