Barbara Simoes

I haven't done this either!  I don't know that you have to use a huge amount of water or boil it for very long.  Probably, I would do it like I do asparagus; just cover, bring to boil and continue a simmer for about three minutes and then drain and (with asparagus) I then rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process and so it doesn't get all wrinkly.  It still is very hot, so I don't have to worry that it will be cold when served.
I personally don't seem to have  enough to be badly affected by oxalates, but then again, I've heard that kidney stones are no fun, so it might be good for me to be proactive!

I thought that cooking gets rid of the oxalic acid.  Better to cook things like sorrel than to eat them raw. Just used AI to ask, for what that's worth.  Here is what it said:
Cooking significantly reduces the oxalic acid in rhubarb stalks, but it does not make rhubarb leaves safe to eat. While cooking can reduce the total oxalate content of the edible stalks by roughly 50% to 75%, the leaves contain such extreme concentrations (roughly 10 times more than the stalks) that no amount of cooking can render them edible.

Cooking Stalks vs. Leaves: Stalks (Petioles): These are naturally lower in oxalates and are considered safe for most people, especially when cooked. Boiling them and discarding the water is the most effective way to lower oxalate levels by leaching.Leaves: Cooking does not break down oxalic acid; it only moves it. Even if you boil the leaves, the remaining oxalate levels are high enough to cause symptoms like nausea, vomiting, or even kidney damage.

Effective Reduction Methods for Rhubarb Stalks: Boiling and Discarding Water: This can reduce total oxalates by nearly half. However, popular methods like making compotes or jams (where the liquid is kept) retain the full oxalate content.

Adding Dairy: Cooking or serving rhubarb with calcium-rich foods like milk, custard, or cream is highly effective. The calcium binds to the soluble oxalates in the gut, forming insoluble crystals that pass through your body without being absorbed into your bloodstream.

Peeling: Since the highest concentration of oxalates in the stalk is often in the skin, peeling can further reduce the total load.
Soaking: Soaking cut stalks in water for 24–48 hours before cooking can help dissolve some of the water-soluble acid.

Jen, I'm relieved to read about your choice.  Daylight would be able to penetrate the cloth and therefore, I think, be ineffective.  I sew a lot, and so I compost the scraps of cotton and all-natural fabrics.  They break down incredibly fast.  My "tree" garden was done back in 2019, and the chips are still there, so I don't know that you'll have to do too much each year.  The garden out back where I have hazelnuts, mulberry, etc., also is doing well.  It is where I have mushrooms, and because of that, this is where I dump my leaves every fall, which helps to keep a good "mulch" going.  I do have creeping charlie that comes in from the top, but that's actually kind of fun to pull...sort of like a loose thread, and being it is such a low grower, I'm not too diligent about its removal.   I'm waiting for some tree trimming to happen in the neighborhood so that I can chase down another load of chips!  After spreading a truckload by hand, I swear that I'll never get more...but, of course, I do!

I guess it would depend on the cardboard used.  What I pick up has no printing, tape or staples, nor is it shiny.  I've tried it both ways.  I had more than a foot--closer to two feet of chips alone and weeds came through with a vengeance.  Where I'd laid cardboard and then chips or leaves--weed free.  I also have mushrooms planted in most of those areas, which are amazing "cleaners".  After reading Mycelium Running by Paul Stammetts, I gained a whole new appreciation for fungus! There was one guy who went on a tear on YouTube trying to prove that cardboard was the devil incarnate, but his work has been debunked and most scientists say that it is fine to use.  Most inks are soy-based, but as I said, mine is print-free.

Anne Miller wrote:Wood chips, leaves, straw are better alternatives to cardboard.

Remember the rule:  6' to 12 " so light cannot penetrate.

I asked the plumber about it.  He didn't seem to think that metal was a good solution.  He suggested that I just run the cold water while draining something like that.  That will require that I remember to do that because it is so ingrained in me not to waste water. You would think that plastic would not be "code" in a kitchen where dealing with boiling water is  a constant!  

R Scott wrote:Canning and pasta water are extremely bad for modern plumbing!  You can still get metal drain pipes but they will cost you. Might be worth it for a canning kitchen.

I LOVE this!  What a great idea.  It might be a good starting point for a chicken house as well.  I wonder if you live in a place with snow and was also wondering if the poly panels could be turned 90 degrees so that water and snow would slide off easier.  I'm visualizing cement blocks around the perimeter into which the frame could fit, raising it enough so that the door would be a good fit.  I have zero carpentry skills, so I don't really know, but this is a remarkable idea...Now to figure out where I could put one! It is so roomy!  Thank you for sharing it.

Looks like I'm late to the party, but I will second the idea of pull out shelves for lower cupboards.  I also love big drawers instead of some lower cupboards.  

A very simple thing that I got for an apartment that I used to live in was a hanging pot rack.  I put all my most used pots there and it was a pleasure to get them and use them.  They didn't get dirty hanging because they were always in use.  I loved it so much that I brought that idea into the house I now live in.  

When I was designing the kitchen, The peninsula was going to be a few inches shorter than the length of it on the back cupboard side, which I was thrilled about.  Between the extra freezer (topped with a butcher block as a great cutting board) and the stove, I had about three inches to play with.  This is the perfect spot to tuck my step stool.  Being I've "shrunk" to 4'11", I use that stool on a daily basis!  

I also have replaced a lot of appliances with an air fryer.  I no longer need a toaster, a toaster oven and mostly, I don't really use my large oven.  I've baked an entire chicken, many pies and other decent sized pans of food in the air fryer.  

I keep a stool in the kitchen, which I pull out when I'm kneading bread.  The height is much more suited to that activity than my counter top.  I use the largest size stainless steel bowl to both mix up the dough and then knead it in. It spins nicely on the top of the stool and I can push down on the dough rather than having to keep my arms elevated.  Much more comfortable!

I also use the stool when I cleaning fruits and vegetables.  I open the cupboards below the sink, and that way, I can pull up close to the task at hand.  The "floor" of the cupboards act as a footrest and my knees can fit under and into the cupboards.  Strawberries can take more than an hour of prep, so it's nice to settle in and be comfortable.

As a friend always says, I'm a master stasher!  Beside the refrigerator and up against a wall, there is some space.  In the late fall, when it's time to take out the screens, this is where I tuck them.  They are out of sight, but easily accessible with the change of seasons.  On one of the first warm days of spring, I can easily take them right outside and dry brush them to get the dust and cobwebs off.  If needed, I can wash them and then hose them down and leave them to dry.

Here's another tip that I learned the hard way.  I discovered that my sink was leaking after having it repaired less than two years ago by a professional plumber (who's business rate was $175 and hour...standard in these parts; supply and demand, I guess.) Anyway, the new plumber I called asked if I canned.  "Yes," I replied.  He told me that by pouring a huge pot of near boiling water down the sink, it had warped the PVC piping they all now use.  I showed it to me.  Sure enough...He said that I could let it sit and cool for a bit longer or just run cold water as I'm pouring out the canning water.  Hope this helps someone!

If starting raised beds, I would use them to fill large containers about half way.  Every year, I get a load from arborists working somewhere on the street.  It's a love/hate thing.  Once they're moved to their final resting place, I'm happy, but looking out at that load sitting in the driveway fills me with dread!  I use a snow shovel and cart to move every single chip...and then a 5 gallon bucket to carry out of the cart to more "fussy" places.  Ughh...I'm tired just thinking about it.

William, the pictures with the tape measure are extremely valuable.  Somehow the unit looks much bigger than it is!  Interesting that the beans swell up that much!

I would avoid the brambles.  Instead of blackberries, how about a Gerardi Mulberry?  It is a shrub form that gets to be 6-10' tall and is well-behaved.  Instead of thorny and caned raspberries--one of my favorite fruits, but didn't plant because of the issues, how about Bushel and Berry 'Raspberry Shortcake'--these get to be maybe 3' mounds.  They do send runners, but they are thornless and very easy to maintain and are attractive.  You get more plants, so you don't have to start with a lot.

I have 40 blueberries, which is way too many!  They have been very fruitful over the years, so I have lots of friends come pick and take what they harvest! A few years ago, I added pelletized sulfur and they seemed to really appreciate that.

I did use my front yard to plant my food forest because it has the best southern exposure.  I mainly planted the taller things (trees) on the northern edges, with things descending in height toward the south.  Near the sidewalk, I planted perennials, herbs and a row of Regent serviceberries as a border so people and dogs couldn't easily enter.  I did put an arbor in the middle of the 120' length so that people could come into the yard that way, and I've found that that break was extremely helpful--especially for me when I'm working out there!  

I have cherries and persimmons on the northern side, but interspersed among other plants, I have paw paws, dwarf apples, figs, then lots of bush-type plants: currants, rhubarb, honeyberry, etc. and I've used strawberries as my groundcover.  Behind the serviceberry shrubs near the front, I planted asparagus.  It's not the most attractive plant when in its spear stage, and I wanted the serviceberry to act as a support for the fern stage.  That has worked beautifully, although the ferns are up to 8' tall, which I wasn't expecting!  I planted pink climbing roses on the arbor so that it would be recognizable to most.  

Some of the more unruly things are out back.  Elderberry, which often tries to creep out into the lawn...Heartnuts, which could perhaps cause a painful bonk on the head to passersby on the sidewalk, More paw paws and persimmons....I have to say that all of the gardens are neat and tidy looking and change throughout the year with the addition of bulbs and mushrooms, along with bloom times, fruit and leaf color and shape.

The front needed to be a well-behaved garden, as I don't like to be "on display" when out working on the garden.  It really does not require much input from me at all. The perennials also serve a purpose: pollinator attractor like yarrow or borage that self-seeds, pest-confusers like garlic and daffodils, native color like asters and penstemon , medicine like many herbs, nitrogen fixers...you get the idea.

The majority of time is in harvesting and prepping the food.  It is a surprising amount of time each day.  Just strawberries alone require about 3+ hours a day l filled my freezer with strawberries and blueberries.  I've made rhubarb roll-ups along with currant roll-ups in the dehydrator, and have freeze dried many many gallons of strawberries and cooked blueberries, mushrooms, whatever.  You will want to get at least one of these: a dehydrator, extra freezer, canning equipment or a freeze-dryer.  Last night, as I was deciding between canned peaches or applesauce, I had to smile, reflecting back on doing the work so that I could enjoy such wonders!