Annette Jones

All the suggestions mentioned here are positive and easily doable. Thanks everyone it's great to get feedback from tried and true methods.

The mosquito problem in my area of Australia is huge and I have practiced all of the things mentioned here over my 70+ years of farming/gardening. We have micro bats in our yard, they do a great job and plenty of dragonflies in summer through to fall.

One other plant I have always had in tubs, along pathways and around ponds and water sources is Pyrethrum daisy. Even when not flowering (flowers are great for soaking and adding to water based spray bottles), grabbing some of the leaves and rubbing to release the chemicals then rubbing on my gardening clothing and headband is enough to stop them biting. You need to reapply daily.

Knockdown (Kill): Pyrethrins interfere with the nervous system of insects, causing them to stop flying, lose movement, and die shortly after. It is widely used by pest control professionals to kill adult mosquitoes.
Repellent Action: At lower concentrations that may not be immediately fatal, pyrethrum still acts as a potent repellent, preventing mosquitoes from landing and biting.
Dual Mechanism: A study found that pyrethrum acts through a dual-target mechanism, where its components (pyrethrins and (E)-β-farnesene) work together to both repel and kill mosquitoes.

For the best results, pyrethrum should be used as part of a wider strategy that includes eliminating stagnant water to prevent breeding as already suggested by many.

Best of luck with your project Steve, come back and let us know how it goes :-)

Unfortunately I have just finished packing my coffee roaster away as I am retiring and moving in a couple of months and had roasted my green beans in readiness to last until after the move.

I have never used the oven as I felt I wouldn't be able to turn the beans enough and still keep the heat correct for optimal roasting.

Instead my son converted an old Sunbeam bread maker we found on a waste collection pile out front of someone's house we were passing over 10 years ago. Hopefully when I move I can post a pic of the converted roaster.

Since green coffee beans can keep many years just fine it gives me the option of buying many different kinds of bean and creating single or blends of flavors and aromas I prefer when they are on sale.

I only ever roast enough to see me through 10-12 weeks as after roasting quality quickly deteriorates. I only grind these amounts when I am ready to use them also for deterioration
reasons.

My son screwed a holding bracket to the side of the bread maker to hold a heat gun positioned directly onto the green beans. A fan is placed at the side of the bread maker and keeps going during the process. As the beans oscillate (turn) in the bread maker they get even heating and cooling happening. We listen for what is called 1st crack, then wait for 2nd crack when the beans are about ready - First Crack vs. Second Crack: Light/Medium roasts are defined by the first crack (popping sound), while Dark roasts reach the sharper, louder second crack.. FYI Roasting beans smell yuk! You will need a resealable foil pack to store the beans in for a few days while the gasses burn off then the beans can be stored as you would usually before use

There is a colour chart online that you can refer to as to how dark or light you want your beans to be. It also explains whether it will taste light, mellow, dark, and the bean overtones you can experiment to get, caramel, chocolate etc. I used a site called coffeesnobs.com.au for a lot of info on how to treat my beans but only ever bought a couple of times from them because their prices were too high, you can shop around for better bargains in your own country.

Key Roasting Color Stages
Green: Raw bean, room temperature.
Yellow/Yellow-Tan
Moisture loss stage, develops a toasty or bread-like smell.
Light Brown
Maillard reaction occurs, beans expand before first crack.
1st Crack
Light brown color,, pronounced acidity, "City" roast level.
Medium Roast
Medium brown color, balanced acidity and body.
Medium-Dark
Rich dark brown, oil begins to appear, "Full City".
Dark Roast
Dark brown/shiny black, oily, "Vienna/French" roast, low acidity.

Commonly Used Roast Categories
Light Roasts (Cinnamon/New England): Pale brown, high acidity, non-oily.
Medium Roasts (American/City): Balanced, brown, widely used for drip coffee.
Medium-Dark (Full City): Rich, dark brown with some surface oil.
Dark Roasts (Vienna/French/Italian): Shiny black/dark brown, bittersweet, smoky.

We had fun trying light to dark before choosing what would be our daily use one and our special occasion blend.
Great fun and well worth it once you get into the routine, compared to store prices and freshness. It is definitely more successful than an oven or any other method that isn't able to turn your beans while they are roasting.
Hopefully any of our talented permie DIYers on here can give it a go and post their pics.

My kids love using these recycled candle tins around a fire pit or on a table outside for dinner

Second pic is recycled herring or sardine cans, theoretically not soup cans, but why limit the type of can to repurpose for something useful

In Australia we have a lot of corrugated iron and tin sheds which look amazing as they rust. The second pic is of a small shed converted into a Pig Sty

What a great post. AI is taking away innovative human thinking and feeling and substituting a more isolating, disconnective system - leaving us feeling more useless to ourselves and those around us and generating more mental illness. Humans need purpose, AI and robots take this away without any realisation of the consequences.
Good on you Paul for making us think about the global result when human purpose is taken out of the equation.

Welcome back Stephen, been missing your posts :-)

I wouldn't use the word 'random' rather I'd use different or unique.

Of all the billions of people, living things, inert things, each one has something unique about it.

Cloned things, identical looking things rolled off a manufacturing line have minute differences, flaws, scratches. etc and are deliberately made not random, even twins have differences depending on what they are exposed to in life. I could go on with more examples.

For me, everything created is unique and different not random, even if appearing random or out of the blue to the naked eye or human mind.

For over 20 years I have been using bubble wrap bought at my local post office - I bought as a large roll used by commercial businesses, so it goes a long way. I know it's plastic but the reuse factor is a big plus.

If you wanted to be really thrifty, ask friends, neighbours, local businesses who use wrapping if you can have theirs to save it from landfill.
Join pieces up to the appropriate sizes for your windows or around door strips.

The reason I love it is I reuse it, so no extra costs every year, just sticky tape for sealing. Gently remove tape, fold and store after each seasonal use.

It doesn't shut out light which you need in winter to keep away the winter blues (depression) so many suffer from lack of light.

In the whole time I have had it I have had 1 small tear at an edge that I repaired with tape straight away.

It can also be used in hotter areas to act as insulation against extreme heat, works well too but better for cold

I really like the very simple pieces made from pallets, I'm not as experienced as many on here.

I'd love to see how many inside the home pallet uses anyone has done

Nick Mick wrote:So I heard about this technique that involves poking a hole in the bottom of apples and putting them in a container with a honey and salt brine to ferment them. Anybody try this?

Hi Nick,

Fermenting apples in a honey and salt brine is a traditional technique from Eastern European "soaked apples" ( mochenye yabloki)—that transforms fresh fruit into a tangy, crunchy, probiotic-rich food. The honey provides food for lactic acid bacteria, while the salt inhibits bad bacteria, creating a "living" tonic that lasts for months.

Basic Honey-Salt Fermented Apples Recipe
This recipe combines the sweetness of honey with the salinity of a brine to create a complex, sour-sweet fermented fruit.
Prep time: 15-20 minutes; Fermentation time: 7-10 days (room temp), 30 days (maturing in fridge)

Ingredients:
3-4 medium, crisp apples (e.g., Golden Delicious, Granny Smith)
2 cups filtered water (non-chlorinated)
1 tbsp sea salt (unrefined)
1/4 cup raw honey
Optional: Cinnamon stick, star anise, ginger, or bay leaf

Instructions:
Prep: Wash the apples. You can leave them whole (prick with a fork for better brine penetration) or slice them into thick wedges.
Make Brine: Whisk the salt and honey into the water until fully dissolved.
Pack: Place apples (and spices) in a clean 1-quart glass jar or fermentation crock.
Submerge: Pour the brine over the apples. Crucial: Use a fermentation weight to keep the apples completely submerged below the liquid.
Ferment: Cover with a lid or airlock. Let it ferment at room temperature for 7–10 days.
Maintain: Check daily to ensure the apples are submerged. "Burp" the jar (open slightly) every few days to release pressure, or use a fermenting lid/airlock.
Mature & Store: Move the jar to the refrigerator to "mature" for 30 days. This develops complex flavors and stops the apples from getting too sour. They will keep for 3-6 months in the fridge.

Key Tips for Success
Preventing Mold: The salt brine must be at least 2% to protect the fruit; ensure the apples stay completely submerged to avoid surface mold.
Airspace: Leave about 1/3" to 1" of headspace as honey ferments aggressively and can bubble over.
Apple Choice: Use firm, slightly under-ripe apples to prevent them from becoming too mushy.
Adding Starter: Adding a splash of whey or raw apple cider vinegar can kickstart the fermentation, although not strictly necessary.

Health Benefits & Uses
Probiotics: The lactic acid bacteria generated support gut health and digestion.
Reduced Glycemic Impact: Fermentation lowers the sugar impact, making it a healthier way to consume fruit.
Uses: Eat them as a tangy snack, serve alongside roast pork, or use as a topping for yogurt, oatmeal, or salads.

You can also visit https://tasteofartisan.com/fermented-apples/ and try the method there. I can't post the recipe or picture as they are copyright but you can visit the page and it's all there.

Best of luck, it sounds a really yummy way of eating an overabundance of apples.