Apple sticks- are they too green?

[Olallie]

Here are a couple of pictures of my apple sticks. Not all of them are this green, but i am wondering if i can still use them.

So apple stick people. Tell me please!


Look around the stumps, you may need to adjust your monitors to see the greeeen.

 

[alli713]

Is the bark that color? It almost looks like moss or lichen to me and in that case I wouldn't use them. But if it's the bark, have they already been scrubbed and baked?

 

[Jenn]

I'd be curious to know what the new growth looks like...that way it would be easier to know if the wood is naturally that color or if it has moss or lichen growing on it. I imagine that if it could completely be scrubbed clean then it would be ok. But that's just my thought, not a fact.

 

[Olallie]

Nope not scrubbed. That is the old growth stuff, and the new stuff does not have that much green on it. I will scrub it and see if it comes off. if it doesn't i guess i can't use it!

I'll prepare it tho, and do a comparison. of course!

 

[whiskers387]

Yea all my peices of pear looked like that, not that bad but sorta, only the smaller pieces didnt so i threw out everything even the slightest bit supicious

 

[rcr]

I would scrub them with scotch brite pads until every bit of green is gone (it helps to soak them in warm water first), then boil them for 20 minutes and bake at 250 degrees until dry (several hours depending on how much your cooking). They will make a tapping sound when dried.:thumbsup:

 

[alli713]

Well, seeing as it's part of the older part of the tree, it'd be much more likely to have lichen on it. Some lichens are toxic, some aren't, so unless you know what type of lichen it would be, I wouldn't use it. It's just an awfully lot of it if it is lichen.
So if it were me, I'd just use the ones that weren't all green. )

 

[whiskers387]

rcr- It supposed to make a popping sound when its done? I guess that is good to know. How loud is it?

 

[rcr]

It's kind of hard to explain but it makes a thump or thud sound when you hit it against a hard surface (i.e. countertop) if there is a lot of residual moisture and a tapping or clinking sound if its dry.

 

[whiskers387]

Kinda like a small pebble?

 

[rcr]

Lichen has a more white and scaly appearance. Here's a picture http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4a/Lichen-covered_tree,_Tresco.jpg

 

[rcr]

Sorry that was so big.

 

[alli713]

I'm well aware of what many lichens look like. Not all have a white crust appearance.

I'm just saying what I would do. I mean, if you're just using it for your chins, feel free, but I wouldn't sell it. Not worth risking it. Atleast that's what I do, I don't sell things with any growths on them )

 

[alpayton]

Sorry that was so big.

I've editted that post so that it won't automatically appear. Also, please do not hotlink from a site that you do not own or have permission to hotlink from. If you want to post a picture and have permission to "hijack" it, copy it to your own photobucket account and then link to it from there, or upload it directly to our server on your post. If you don't have permission to "hijack" it, you can simply provide a link to the picture and people can click on the link if they choose to see it. It is not proper netiquette to hotlink or copy from other's sites without permission.

 

[Jenn]

rcr- It supposed to make a popping sound when its done? I guess that is good to know. How loud is it?

I've never listened for a sound, but I bake my wood until it is very wrinkly. At least a couple of hours or more depending on how big the wood is. There was one time I didn't bake it long enough and it molded - a good indication that I didn't bake it long enough!

 

[whiskers387]

how long should pear twigs and sticks go in on 200? not the thick stuff.

 

[rcr]

Jenn's way to tell is great too. You can also test the tiny twigs by bending them, they should snap apart. It takes me 6-8 hours to cook approx. 5lbs (dried weight). That is with every rack in my oven loaded with wood. If you're only cooking on 1 rack then I would start with 2 hours then check it every hour after that. If you open the oven door and steam is still coming out then you have at least another hour of cooking.

 

[Olallie]

Hm yay this turned into a how to tell if your wood is cooked thread. which is good! Because i would eventually end up with those questions!


OH one more question. Do you put them right in the oven, right after scrubing them? or dry them out some?

I think I will just not use the pieces. because there is only a small box of them anyway. And i wasn't planning on selling them, unless someone from this area wants any.

 

[whiskers387]

Either way works

 

[Spoof]

Putting them in the oven right after scrubbing is best, it prevents new growth.

The green stuff is common in the PNW and in trees that get a lot of shade, you've probably discovered that it does scrub off.

I put them in at 200 for 30 minutes to an hour, makes the house smell like apples. )